Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/1942

 123STA T . 1 9 22 PUBLIC LA W 111 – 33 —J U NE 2 6, 2 0 09 PublicLaw1 11 –3 3 111 thCongres s J oint R esolution Toh o n o rt h eac h i e v e m ent s an d contri bu tions o fN ative A mericans to the U nited S tates , and for other p urposes .Resolv e dbyth e S e na te and H o u seo f Re pr esentat i ves of the U nited States of Am eri c ain C on g ress assembled ,SECTION1. S H O R T TIT L E. ThisActmaybe cite d as the ‘ ‘ N ati v e Ame r ica nH erita g e D ay Act of20 0 9’ ’ . SEC. 2 . F IN D IN G S. C ongress finds that —(1) Native Americans are the descendants of the aborigina l, indigeno u s, native p eople w ho were the original inhabitants of and who governed the lands that now constitute the U nited S tates (2) Native Americans have volunteered to serve in the United States Armed F orces and have served with valor in all of the Nation’s military actions from the R evolutionary W ar through the present day, and in most of those actions, more Native Americans per capita served in the Armed Forces than any other group of Americans; ( 3 ) Native American tribal governments included the funda - mental principles of freedom of speech and separation of govern- mental powers; ( 4 ) Native Americans have made distinct and significant contributions to the United States and the rest of the world in many fields, including agriculture, medicine, music, lan- guage, and art, and Native Americans have distinguished them- selves as inventors, entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and scholars; ( 5 ) Native Americans should be recogni z ed for their con- tributions to the United States as local and national leaders, artists, athletes, and scholars; ( 6 ) nationwide recognition of the contributions that Native Americans have made to the fabric of American society will afford an opportunity for all Americans to demonstrate their respect and admiration of Native Americans for their important contributions to the political, cultural, and economic life of the United States; ( 7 ) nationwide recognition of the contributions that Native Americans have made to the Nation will encourage self-esteem, pride, and self-awareness in Native Americans of all ages; ( 8 ) designation of the Friday following Than k sgiving of each year as Native American Heritage Day will underscore NativeAm e r i c a nH erita g e D a y Act of20 0 9.Ju ne2 6, 2009 [ H.J. R e s. 4 0 ]