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4 <br /> 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 2 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH PROCLAMATION <br /> 3 <br /> 4 WHEREAS, for millennia, various nations of Indigenous Peoples with their own tribal <br /> 5 governments, social organizations and cultural traditions had inhabited the lands, now the <br /> 6 United States of America; and <br /> 7 <br /> 8 WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to eight state recognized tribes including the Coharie, <br /> 9 Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi <br /> 10 Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw-Siouan; and <br /> 11 <br /> 12 WHEREAS, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, having their own social, economic, and <br /> 13 political systems, dwelt in this region now known as Orange County; and <br /> 14 <br /> 15 WHEREAS, in the 18th century, the United States of America was founded on a concept that all <br /> 16 people are created equal, yet Native Americans and Alaska Native peoples have struggled and <br /> 17 persevered to maintain their identity and their civilization despite centuries of inhumane and <br /> 18 unjust Federal policies focused on genocide, removal, and compulsory assimilation; and <br /> 19 <br /> 20 WHEREAS, Native Americans have served and continue to serve in the Armed Forces — <br /> 21 including the Native American Code Talkers in World War I and World War II —defending the <br /> 22 United States and continue to serve at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in the Nation; <br /> 23 and <br /> 24 <br /> 25 WHEREAS, President Joseph R. Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum committing his <br /> 26 Administration to fulfilling Federal trust and treaty responsibilities, respecting Tribal self- <br /> 27 governance, and conducting regular and robust consultations with Native American Nations on <br /> 28 a range of policy issues; and <br /> 29 <br /> 30 WHEREAS, Deb Haaland of the Pueblo of Laguna now serves as United States Secretary of <br /> 31 the Interior, becoming the first Native American in United States history to serve in the Cabinet; <br /> 32 and <br /> 33 <br /> 34 WHEREAS, on August 3, 1990, then-President George H. W. Bush declared November as <br /> 35 National Native American Heritage Month with a landmark bill honoring the Tribal People of <br /> 36 America, which began in 1976, when Jerry C. Elliott-High Eagle, a Cherokee/Osage Indian, <br /> 37 authored Native American Awareness Week legislation; and <br /> 38 <br /> 39 WHEREAS, National Native American Heritage Month is a platform for Native Americans to <br /> 40 share their culture, traditions, arts, and concepts of life, as well as a time for others to celebrate <br /> 41 the myriad of contributions by Native Americans and honor their influence on the advancement <br /> 42 of the United States; and <br /> 43 <br /> 44 WHEREAS, the theme this year is "Strong Roots in Changing Times" to reflect the resilience of <br /> 45 Native Americans throughout the pandemic and continued preservation of their culture and <br /> 46 traditions; <br /> 47 <br /> 48 NOW, THEREFORE, the Orange County Board of Commissioners does hereby proclaim <br /> 49 November 2021 as NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, and urges all residents to <br /> 50 observe this month by participating in activities and ceremonies, to celebrate November 26, <br />