III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 561 

Recognizing National Native American Heritage Month and celebrating the 

heritages and cultures of Native Americans and the contributions of 

Native Americans to the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 

Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. TESTER, 

Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, and Mr. JOHANNS) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Indian 

Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing National Native American Heritage Month and 

celebrating the heritages and cultures of Native Americans and the contributions of Native Americans to the 

United States. 

Whereas from November 1, 2012, through November 30, 

2012, the United States celebrates National Native 

American Heritage Month; 

Whereas Native Americans are descendants of the original, 

indigenous inhabitants of what is now the United States; 

Whereas the United States Bureau of the Census estimated 

in 2009 that there were almost 5,000,000 individuals in 

the United States of Native American descent; 


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•SRES 561 IS 

Whereas Native Americans maintain vibrant cultures and traditions and hold a deeply rooted sense of community; 

Whereas Native Americans have moving stories of tragedy, 

triumph, and perseverance that need to be shared with 

future generations; 

Whereas Native Americans speak and preserve indigenous 

languages, which have contributed to the English language by being used as names of individuals and locations throughout the United States; 

Whereas Congress has recently reaffirmed its support of tribal self-governance and its commitment to improving the 

lives of all Native Americans by enhancing health care 

services, increasing law enforcement resources, and approving settlements of litigation involving Indian tribes 

and the United States; 

Whereas Congress is committed to improving the housing 

conditions and socioeconomic status of Native Americans; 

Whereas the United States is committed to strengthening the 

government-to-government relationship that it has maintained with the various Indian tribes; 

Whereas Congress has recognized the contributions of the Iroquois Confederacy, and its influence on the Founding 

Fathers in the drafting of the Constitution of the United 

States with the concepts of freedom of speech, the separation of governmental powers, and the system of checks 

and balances between the branches of government; 

Whereas with the enactment of the Native American Heritage 

Day Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–33; 123 Stat. 1922), 

Congress— 


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•SRES 561 IS 

(1) reaffirmed the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Native American 

governments; and 

(2) recognized the important contributions of Native 

Americans to the culture of the United States; 

Whereas Native Americans have made distinct and important 

contributions to the United States and the rest of the 

world in many fields, including the fields of agriculture, 

medicine, music, language, and art, and Native Americans have distinguished themselves as inventors, entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and scholars; 

Whereas Native Americans have served with honor and distinction in the Armed Forces of the United States, and 

continue to serve in the Armed Forces in greater numbers per capita than any other group in the United 

States; 

Whereas the United States has recognized the contribution of 

the Native American code talkers in World War I and 

World War II, who used indigenous languages as an unbreakable military code, saving countless Americans; and 

Whereas the people of the United States have reason to 

honor the great achievements and contributions of Native 

Americans and their ancestors: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the month of November 2012 as 

3 National Native American Heritage Month; 

4 (2) recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving as 

5 ‘‘Native American Heritage Day’’ in accordance with 

6 the Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009 

7 (Public Law 111–33; 123 Stat. 1922); and 


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•SRES 561 IS 

1 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob2 serve National Native American Heritage Month and 

3 Native American Heritage Day with appropriate 

4 programs and activities. 

Æ 


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