A PROCLAMATION ON NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN MONTH
A PROCLAMATION ON NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN MONTH
November 24, 2023 | Native Children’s Survival
Today, November 24, 2023, is Native American Heritage Day in the United States of America. On October 31, 2023, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr., following the tradition set by every U.S. President since 1990, signed a Proclamation designating November 2023 as "National Native American Heritage Month" and November 24 as "Native American Heritage Day".
President Biden's 2023 Proclamation states, "During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize the invaluable contributions of Native Peoples that have shaped our country and honor the hundreds of Tribal Nations who continue exercising their inherent Sovereignty as vital members of the overlapping system of governments in the United States. We also recommit to supporting Tribal Sovereignty; upholding the Federal Government's solemn trust and treaty responsibilities; and working in partnership with Tribal Nations to advance prosperity, dignity, and safety for all Native peoples."
The U.S. has chosen "Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty" as this year's theme for recognition. However, the meaning and implications of this concept can vary significantly. Many in the International Indigenous Movement perceive such concepts, recognitions, and themes as attempts to asphyxiate autonomies and bury the atrocities of the past in today's political killing fields.
The historical context of National Native American Heritage Month can be traced back to the turn of the century. In 1915, Dr. Arthur Caswell Parker, a Cattaraugus Seneca and director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York, was among the first to advocate for a day to celebrate Native Peoples. By the 1970s, with the rise of the American Indian Movement, which brought global attention to the injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples, J.C. Elliott-High Eagle, an Osage and Cherokee NASA physicist, authored legislation that was signed into law, marking the first observance called "Native American Awareness Week." This recognition came 200 years after the United States' founding in 1776.
U.S. Congressman Joe Baca's bill, in 2008, established the Friday after America's Thanksgiving as "Native American Heritage Day." In 2009, the terminology changed from "American Indian" to "Native American," and since then, U.S. Presidents have proclaimed November as "National Native American Heritage Month."
In the context of the U.S. Government's relationship with federally recognized Indian tribes, "Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty" refers to a government-to-government dynamic. The term "tribe" can have positive or negative connotations. Tribe can represent community and belonging and can empower the oppressed. It can also have negative and dehumanizing connotations associated with colonialist attitudes.
When the U.S. refers to its behavior as "tribalism," and the media portray it as "increasingly tribal and divisive," it raises concerns. Their interpretation of the word can be harmful and used for political gain against Indigenous Peoples and Nations.
The United States' use of the term "tribe" also raises important questions about Sovereignty, maintaining political power, and diminishing the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is important to understand the U.S. legal status of federally recognized Indian tribes and their place in this context to address the injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples.
A federally recognized tribe is an American Indian or Alaska Native tribal entity that has a government-to-government relationship with the United States. Currently, the United States federally recognizes 574 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages. These tribes and villages possess certain inherent rights of self-government and are entitled to receive essential services that were promised in treaties with the United States. These services include U.S. federal funding and access to Indian Health Services.
When the United States uses the term "Sovereignty" in relation to Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples, the meaning and purpose of the term are significantly reduced. The United States' interpretation of government-to-government relationships with federally recognized Indian tribes is one of quasi-limited Sovereignty rather than absolute Sovereignty as with sovereign nations or member states of the United Nations.
Some Indigenous and non-Indigenous Nations and organizations view Federally recognized Indian tribes as "Domesticated Tribal Nations" under U.S. colonial rule. This is because Sovereignty refers to the supreme power and authority of a state to govern itself or another state. A sovereign state has complete control over a specific territory, a permanent population, a government free from external control, and the ability to interact with other states. It is independent and does not require recognition from other states.
"No one likes to be occupied." These are the words of Sérgio Vieira de Mello (1948–2003), the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. To "Celebrate Tribal Sovereignty," it is essential to fulfill the definitive conditions of Sovereignty and Independence. A responsible United States must acknowledge its founding as a foreign corporation on Indigenous lands, its attempt to ethnically cleanse Native Peoples through genocide and assimilation, and honor its treaties and trust responsibilities to Native Peoples in order to fully and justly recognize and celebrate Native Nations autonomy and right to self-determination.
As the United States celebrates National Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day, let us come together and seize the opportunity to create a future where the Sovereignty of Native Nations is rightfully acknowledged. A future where the United States makes invaluable contributions to Native Peoples that can be recognized and celebrated.
Ahó