HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRO-2022-017-Native American Heritage Month Proclamation cgvo
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROINA
PROCLAMATION
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 2o22
WHEREAS , for millennia, various nations of Indigenous Peoples with their own Tribal governments , social
organizations , economic systems , and cultural traditions had inhabited the lands now known as the United States
of America; and
WHEREAS North Carolina is home to eight state recognized tribes including the Coharie, Eastern Band of
Cherokee Haliwa-Sa oni Lumbee Meheirin Occaneechi Band
nd of the Sa on Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw-
Siouan; and
WHEREAS the Occaneechi Band of the Sapom Nation dwelt in this region today known as Orange County; and
WHEREAS, in the 181h century, the United States was founded on a concept that all people are created equal, yet
American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have struggled and persevered to maintain their identity and their
civilization despite centuries of inhumane and unjust Federal policies focused on genocide, removal, and
compulsory assimilation, and
WHEREAS American Indians have served and continue to serve in the Armed Forces—including the Native
American Code Talkers in World War I and World War II—defending the United States and continue to serve
at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in the Nation; and
WHEREAS President Joseph R. Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum committing his Administration to
fulfilling Federal trust and treaty responsibilities , respecting Tribal self-governance, and conducting regular
consultations with Native American Nations on a range of policy issues ; and
WHEREAS Deb Haaland of the Pueblo of Laguna serves as United States Secretary of the Interior and is the
first American Indian in United States history to serve in the Cabinet, having been appointed by President Biden;
and
WHEREAS, in 1990, President George H . W. Bush declared November as National Native American Heritage
Month with a bill honoring the Tribal People of America, which began in 1976 , when Jerry C . Elliott-High Eagle,
a Cherokee / Osage Indian, authored Native American Awareness Week legislation; and
WHEREAS National Native American Heritage Month is a platform for American Indians to share their culture,
traditions , arts , and concepts of life, as well as a time for all people to celebrate the myriad of contributions by
Native Americans and honor their influence on the advancement of the United States ; and
WHEREAS the theme this year is "We will defend Tribal sovereignty, self-government, self-determination, and
the homelands of Tribal Nations " to reflect the resilience of American Indians ,
NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina hereby proclaims
November 2022 as NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, and urges all residents to observe this month
by participating in activities and ceremonies to celebrate November 25 , 2022 , as Native American Heritage Day
to honor the cultures and contributions of Native Americans by committing to freedom, peace, and justice for all .
This day of November 2022 . �� Gknt`�,
Renee A . Price, Chair
� pax
17