HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-19-2024; 8-b - Native American Heritage Month Proclamation 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: November 19, 2024
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-b
SUBJECT: Native American Heritage Month Proclamation
DEPARTMENT: Office of Equity and Inclusion
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Proclamation Paul Slack, Chief Equity and Inclusion
Officer, (919) 245-2317
PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation recognizing November 2024 as Native American
Heritage Month.
BACKGROUND: Native American Heritage Month, observed each November, was first
recognized as "National American Indian Heritage Month" in 1990 by President George H.W.
Bush. This observance originated to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Native
American peoples, acknowledging their significant influence on the formation and development of
the United States. The observance was established to raise awareness of the challenges Native
Americans have faced historically and continue to experience, as well as to celebrate their
resilience, achievements, and enduring traditions.
This month-long recognition highlights the diversity of Native nations, languages, customs, and
histories across the United States, from the East Coast to the West and especially with the eight
recognized tribes throughout North Carolina. It offers an opportunity to educate the broader
community about Native Americans' pivotal roles, ranging from environmental stewardship and
land care to social, political, and cultural contributions that have shaped American society.
In the 1990 proclamation for Native American Heritage Month, President Bush stated, "I urge all
Americans, as well as their elected representatives at the federal, state, and local levels, to
observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities." This observance
encourages reflection, education, and celebration of Native American heritage, fostering a deeper
understanding of Native cultures and their enduring impact on the nation's identity.
It should be noted that, on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 2:00 pm, Orange County will be
unveiling of the new bench at the Occaneechi Village in Hillsborough with a placard to honor John
Blackfeather Jeffries and his wife, Lynette Coles Jeffries. John Blackfeather Jeffries was widely
known as a longtime member and leader of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with approval of the proclamation.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports:
2
• GOAL 5: PUBLIC EDUCATION/ LEARNING COMMUNITY
OBJECTIVE 1. Foster collaborative relationships with formal and informal educational
organizations and agencies to provide opportunities for community members to meet,
connect, and learn together.
• GOAL 6: DIVERSE AND VIBRANT ECONOMY
OBJECTIVE 1: Provide family-oriented and inclusive programming or other cultural events
for residents and visitors.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize the
Chair to sign the proclamation.
3
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, for millennia, various nations of Indigenous Peoples with their own tribal
governments, social organizations and cultural traditions had inhabited the lands, now the United
States of America; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to eight State-recognized tribes including the Coharie,
Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi
Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw-Siouan; and
WHEREAS, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, having their own social, economic, and
political systems, made their home in this region now known as Orange County; and
WHEREAS, in the 18t" century, the United States of America was founded on a concept that all
people are created equal, yet Native Americans and Indigenous people 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, Native Americans 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 and robust consultations with Native American Nations on
a range of policy issues; and
WHEREAS, President Biden recently apologized for the federal government's role in running
boarding schools for Native American children intending to force Native American children to
assimilate into Euro-American culture, while also breaking family and community bonds and
undermining tribal sovereignty within Indigenous societies calling the boarding schools a "sin on
our soul"; and
WHEREAS, Deb Haaland of the Pueblo of Laguna now serves as United States Secretary of
the Interior, becoming the first Native American in United States history to serve in the Cabinet;
and
WHEREAS, on August 3, 1990, then-President George H. W. Bush declared November as
National Native American Heritage Month with a landmark 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 Native Americans to
share their culture, traditions, arts, and concepts of life, as well as a time for others to celebrate
the myriad of contributions by Native Americans and honor their influence on the advancement
of the United States;
4
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim
November 2024 as NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, and urge all residents to observe
this month by participating in activities and ceremonies, to celebrate November 29, 2024 as
Native American Heritage Day this month and every month, and to honor the cultures and
contributions of Native Americans by committing to freedom, peace, and justice for all.
This 19th day of November, 2024.
Jamezetta Bedford, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners