RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 2991945-UUUU--RUCRNAD.
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R 261945Z OCT 09
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
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UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 305/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/OCT//     
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH 
2009// 
RMKS/1.  THIS NOVEMBER WE RECOGNIZE THE REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF NATIVE AMERICANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES BY OBSERVING NATIONAL 
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH.  THIS YEAR?S THEME, 
"UNDERSTANDING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE NOW AND THEN,? 
RECOGNIZES THE PAST AND PRESENT CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND 
ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES. 
2.  THE TERM NATIVE AMERICAN DESCRIBES INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FROM NORTH AMERICA.  
NATIVE AMERICANS COMPRISE A LARGE NUMBER OF DISTINCT TRIBES, STATES, AND 
ETHNIC GROUPS, MANY OF WHICH SURVIVE TODAY AS INTACT COMMUNITIES.  THE 
APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILLION AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES IN THE UNITED 
STATES MAKE UP 1.5 PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION.
3.  OUR AMERICAN IDENTITY IS ENRICHED BY THE MANY CULTURES THAT REPRESENT THE 
FACE OF OUR NATION.  AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE CULTURES HAVE MADE 
REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY.  
THEIR UNIQUE SPIRITUAL, ARTISTIC, AND LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS, TOGETHER WITH 
THEIR VIBRANT CUSTOMS AND CELEBRATIONS, ENLIVEN AND ENRICH OUR AMERICAN 
HERITAGE.  IN 1990 A JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZED NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL AMERICAN 
INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH.
4.  UNITED STATES HISTORY CITES THAT MORE THAN 12,000 AMERICAN INDIANS FOUGHT 
WITH DISTINCTION IN WORLD WAR I AND MORE THAN 44,000 AMERICAN INDIANS FOUGHT 
IN WORLD WAR II.  TWELVE RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR DURING THE 1870S, THREE 
DURING WORLD WAR II, AND TWO DURING THE KOREAN WAR.  CURRENTLY, MORE THAN 
15,000 ACTIVE DUTY, RESERVE, AND CIVILIAN MEMBERS OF OUR NAVY ARE DECLARED 
AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKAN NATIVE.  EACH OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN DEMONSTRATE 
COMMITMENT TO THE VALUES WHICH MAKE OUR NATION AND OUR NAVY GREAT.
5.  OUR ABILITY TO ASSESS, TRAIN, AND RETAIN THE DIFFERENT TALENTS AND 
EXPERIENCES OF OUR NATION?S POPULATION IS IMPORTANT TO MISSION SUCCESS.  THIS 
NOVEMBER LET US ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF AMERICAN INDIAN 
AND ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE AND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR GREAT NATION.  COMMANDS 
ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN 
NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, 
AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT RECOGNIZE THE 
DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE.
6.  THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE VIA THE INTERNET:
A.  SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 
MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE WEBSITE AT 
HTTP://WWW.DEOMI.ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS.CFM?CATID=8.
B.  LEARN ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN INDIAN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (SAIGE) 
AT:  HTTP://WWW.SAIGE.ORG. 
C.  INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND OBSERVANCES IS AVAILABLE 
AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEBSITE AT 
HTTP://WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY. 
D.  SMITHSONIAN?S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN WEBSITE AT 
HTTP://WWW.NMAI.SI.EDU/.
E.  THE GATHERING OF NATIONS WEBSITE PROVIDES A LISTING OF POWWOWS AND NATIVE 
AMERICAN INDIAN EVENTS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA AT 
HTTP://WWW.GATHERINGOFNATIONS.COM/FRONT.HTM.
7.  POINT OF CONTACT:  LCDR KAREN EIFERT, OPNAV N134, AT (703) 695- 0820/DSN 
225 OR VIA E-MAIL AT karen.eifert@navy.mil.
8.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
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