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	SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE
MONTH
http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/C9370BA9-1DA2-4D91-B35C-BD91324E7995/0/NAV10359.txt

{EXCERPT} RMKS/1. NOVEMBER RECOGNIZES THE INTER-TRIBAL CULTURES OF NATIVE
AMERICANS AND CELEBRATES THE HERITAGE, HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE AMERICAN
INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE PEOPLE.

2. EFFORTS TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND
ALASKAN NATIVES BEGAN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. IN 1915, ARTHUR C. PARKER, A
SENECA INDIAN, PERSUADED THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA TO SET ASIDE A DAY FOR THE
"FIRST AMERICANS." IN 1916, THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK DECLARED THE SECOND
SATURDAY IN MAY THE FIRST AMERICAN INDIAN DAY. IN 1990, PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W.
BUSH APPROVED A JOINT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS "NATIONAL AMERICAN
INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH." EIGHT YEARS LATER, PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH DESIGNATED
THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO
NATIVE AMERICANS FOR THEIR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES.

3. THE TERM NATIVE AMERICAN DESCRIBES THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA,
INCLUDING PARTS OF ALASKA AND THE ISLAND STATE OF HAWAII. NATIVE AMERICANS
COMPRISE NUMEROUS DISTINCT TRIBES, STATES, AND ETHNIC GROUPS, MANY OF WHICH
SURVIVE TODAY AS INTACT COMMUNITIES. AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE
MADE PROFOUND CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY, AND THEIR TRADITIONS AND
VALUES ARE WOVEN INTO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS
BUREAU,

4.5 MILLION AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES COMPRISE 1.5 PERCENT OF THE
TOTAL U.S. POPULATION.

4. OUR NAVY AND NATION ARE ENRICHED BY THE DIVERSITY OF OUR PEOPLE. TODAY, MORE
THAN 15,000 AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE SAILORS SERVE HONORABLY IN THE
U.S. NAVY. IN EVERY FACET OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, THESE TALENTED MEMBERS WORK,
SERVE, AND SACRIFICE FOR THEIR NATION AND FELLOW CITIZENS. THEIR UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR NAVY'S CULTURE AND IMPROVE
MISSION READINESS.

5. AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN U.S.
MILITARY ACTIONS FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS AND HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE LEGACY OF OUR NATION. MANY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES WERE INVOLVED IN THE
WAR OF 1812, AND MANY FOUGHT AS AUXILIARY TROOPS DURING THE CIVIL WAR. IT IS
ESTIMATED MORE THAN 12,000 AMERICAN INDIANS SERVED IN THE U.S. MILITARY DURING
WORLD WAR I. MORE THAN 44,000 AMERICAN INDIANS, OUT OF A TOTAL NATIVE AMERICAN
POPULATION OF LESS THAN 350,000, SERVED WITH DISTINCTION BETWEEN 1941 AND 1945
IN BOTH THE EUROPEAN AND PACIFIC THEATERS OF WORLD WAR II. THE NAVAJO CODE
TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II TOOK PART IN EVERY ASSAULT THE U.S. MARINES CONDUCTED IN
THE PACIFIC FROM 1942 TO 1945. MORE THAN 42,000 NATIVE AMERICANS, MORE THAN 90
PERCENT OF THEM VOLUNTEERS, FOUGHT IN VIETNAM.

6. AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO, AND
ENHANCED, THE MISSION OF THE U.S. NAVY. JOSEPH JAMES CLARK, A MEMBER OF THE
CHEROKEE TRIBE AND THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN GRADUATE OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY,
ACHIEVED THE RANK OF ADMIRAL AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CAREER SERVING IN BOTH WORLD WAR
I AND WORLD WAR II. LCDR ERNEST EVANS, OF HALF-CHEROKEE AND ONE-QUARTER CREEK
ANCESTRY, WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HIS ACTIONS DURING THE
BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF IN WORLD WAR II. NAVY PILOT AND ASTRONAUT JOHN BENNETT
HERRINGTON, A MEMBER OF THE CHICKASAW NATION, WAS THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN IN
SPACE.

7. ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND
AWARENESS OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTIONS
THROUGH PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND
COMMUNITY EVENTS. A SHOWCASE OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES IN NAVAL
HISTORY BY THE NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND CAN BE FOUND AT
http://WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/SPECIAL%20HIGHLIGHTS/NATIVEAMERICAN/NATIV
EAMERICAN-INDEX.HTM. A PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE WEB SITE AT
http://WWW.DEOMI .ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS.CFM?CATID=8. HISTORICAL
INFORMATION ON NATIVE AMERICANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE IS AVAILABLE FROM THE AMERICAN FORCES INFORMATION SERVICE AT
http://WWW.DEFENSE.GOV/SPECIALS/NATIVEAMERICAN01/INNER.HTML.

8. MORE INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND OBSERVANCES IS
AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEB SITE:
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY.

9. POINT OF CONTACT IS LT LAURA STEGHERR, OPNAV N134, AT (703) 695-0820/DSN 225
OR VIA E-MAIL AT LAURA.STEGHERR(AT)NAVY.MIL.

10. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.

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