RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 2922205-UUUU--RUCRNAD
ZNR UUUUU
R 192211Z OCT 07
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
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UNCLAS //N01700//
NAVADMIN 271/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/OCT// 
SUBJ/AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH 2007// 
RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE NAVY?S ANNUAL RECOGNITION OF 
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH.  THIS YEAR?S 
OBSERVANCE WILL BE HELD FROM 1 NOVEMBER TO 30 NOVEMBER 2007, AND WILL 
FOCUS ON "HONORING WARRIORS: PAST AND PRESENT."
2.  THIS IMPORTANT OBSERVANCE BEGAN IN THE EARLY 1900?S, WHEN THE BOY 
SCOUTS OF AMERICA SET ASIDE A DAY FOR THE "FIRST AMERICANS."  ON
28 SEPTEMBER 1915, THE CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN-INDIAN ASSOCIATION 
DECLARED THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MAY AS AMERICAN-INDIAN DAY.
SEVERAL STATES OBSERVED AMERICAN-INDIAN DAY UNTIL 1990, WHEN PRESIDENT 
BUSH FORMALLY APPROVED A JOINT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS 
NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH.  SINCE 1994, THE PRESIDENT HAS 
ISSUED A SIMILAR PROCLAMATION EACH NOVEMBER, DEDICATING THE MONTH TO 
THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES.
3.  AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES HAVE MADE INVALUABLE 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COUNTRY.  AN ESTIMATED 12,000 AMERICAN INDIANS 
FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR I AND MORE THAN 44,000 AMERICAN INDIANS FOUGHT IN 
WORLD WAR II; FIVE WERE AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR.  AMERICAN INDIANS 
CONTINUE TO SERVE HONORABLY IN OUR MODERN NAVY, INCLUDING THE FIRST 
AMERICAN INDIAN NASA ASTRONAUT, CDR JOHN HERRINGTON.  
TODAY, OVER 13,000 AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES SERVE IN THE 
UNITED STATES NAVY.
4.  OUR ABILITY TO ACCESS, TRAIN, RETAIN AND EMPLOY THE DIFFERENT 
TALENTS AND EXPERIENCES RESIDENT IN OUR COUNTRY?S POPULATION 
INCREASINGLY IMPACTS MISSION SUCCESS.  NOTABLY, AMERICAN INDIAN MEN AND 
WOMEN HAVE HISTORICALLY VOLUNTEERED TO FIGHT IN UNITED STATES MILITARY 
CAMPAIGNS AT A PER CAPITA RATE THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN NON- INDIANS.
ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND 
AWARENESS OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE CULTURE AND 
CONTRIBUTIONS BY CELEBRATING THIS MONTH.  POTENTIAL VENUES INCLUDE 
PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND 
COMMUNITY EVENTS RECOGNIZING THE DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE.
5.  AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL OUTREACH RESULTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE 
REMARKS OF A VETERAN OF THE LAKOTA INDIAN TRIBE WHEN HE SAID, ?THANKS 
TO MY MILITARY SERVICE [IN THE NAVY], I NOW HAVE FRIENDS IN 500 TRIBES.?
RECENT OBSERVANCE EVENTS INCLUDED NATURE WALKS, CAKE CUTTING CEREMONIES, 
STEEL BEACH PICNICS AND CULTURAL PRESENTATIONS BY AMERICAN INDIAN AND 
ALASKA NATIVE SAILORS.  IN ADDITION, THE NAVY WILL OBSERVE AMERICAN 
INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE MONTH THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE AMERICAN 
INDIAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SOCIETY
(AISES) CONFERENCE, 1-3 NOVEMBER, IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA.  FOR MORE 
INFORMATION ON AISES VISIT:  WWW.AISES.ORG.
6.  MORE INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND OBSERVANCES 
IS AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEB SITE:
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY/.
7.  POINT OF CONTACT:  LT MATT HOOKER AT (703) 695-2389/DSN 225 OR 
EMAIL AT nxag_diversity@navy.mil.
8.  RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1.//

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