1999-11-01 Proclamation on National American Indian Heritage Month 1999

[The White House]

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
(Oslo, Norway)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 1, 1999

NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH, 1999

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Ours is a nation inextricably linked to the histories of the many
peoples who first inhabited this great land. Everywhere around us are
reminders of the legacy of America's first inhabitants. Their history
speaks to us through the names of our cities, lakes, and rivers; the
food on our tables; the magnificent ruins of ancient communities; and,
most important, the lives of the people who retain the cultural,
spiritual, linguistic, and kinship bonds that have existed for
millennia.

As we reflect on the heritage of American Indians, Alaska Natives,
and Native Hawaiians, we also reaffirm our commitment to fostering a
prosperous future for native youth and children. At the foundation of
these efforts is our work to provide a quality education to all Native
American children. In particular, we have sought significantly
increased funding to support Bureau of Indian Affairs school
construction and 1,000 new teachers for American Indian youth. My 1998
Executive order on American Indian and Alaska Native Education sets
goals to improve high school completion rates and improve performance in
reading and mathematics. And we are working to get computers into every
classroom and to expand the use of educational technology.

We are also seeking ways to empower Native American communities and
help them prosper. My Administration is expanding consultation and
collaborative decision-making with tribal governments to promote
self-determination. We also support tribal government economic
development initiatives, particularly those that increase or enhance the
infrastructure necessary for long-term economic growth. My New Markets
Initiative seeks to leverage public and private investment to boost
economic development in areas that have not shared in our recent
national prosperity. In July, I visited the Pine Ridge Reservation of
the Oglala Sioux, as part of my New Markets Tour, to explore
opportunities for economic development in Indian Country.

Among the most serious barriers to economic growth facing tribal
communities is a lack of housing, physical infrastructure, and
essential services. My Administration is working with tribal leaders to
build and renovate affordable housing on tribal lands, bring quality
drinking water to economically distressed Indian communities, and
improve public safety. We are moving to assist tribal governments in
developing the physical infrastructure needed for economic development,
including roads, fiber-optic cabling, and electric power lines.

In working together to shape a brighter future for Indian Country, we
must not lose sight of the rich history of Native Americans. Just weeks
ago, the Smithsonian Institution broke ground on the National Mall for
the National Museum of the American Indian. This wonderful facility
will preserve and celebrate the art, history, and culture of America's
indigenous peoples. It is also fitting that the first U.S. dollar coin
of the new millennium will bear the likeness of Sacajawea and her infant
son -- an image that captures the importance of our shared history.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 1999 as
National American Indian Heritage Month. I urge all Americans, as well
as their elected representatives at the Federal, State, local, and
tribal levels, to observe this month with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-fourth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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