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ROUTINE

R 192103Z OCT 12 PSN 076154K23

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ZEN/OU=DOD/OU=NAVY/OU=ADDRESS LISTS(UC)/CN=AL NAVADMIN(UC)

INFO ZEN/CNO WASHINGTON DC

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SUBJ: OBSERVANCE OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH
2012
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NAVADMIN 312/12

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SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH 2012//

RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE OBSERVANCE OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA 
NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
THIS MONTH CELEBRATES THE CULTURES, HISTORIES AND TRADITIONS OF THE INDIGENOUS 
PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA, INCLUDING ALASKA AND THE ISLAND STATE OF HAWAII.

2.  AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH ORIGINATED IN THE EARLY 
20TH CENTURY.  IN 1915, ARTHUR C. PARKER, A SENECA INDIAN, ENCOURAGED THE BOY 
SCOUTS OF AMERICA TO OBSERVE "FIRST AMERICANS"
DAY.  A YEAR LATER, THE STATE OF NEW YORK DESIGNATED THE SECOND SATURDAY IN 
MAY AS AMERICAN INDIAN DAY.  SEVERAL ADDITIONAL STATES ENACTED CELEBRATIONS 
DURING THE FOURTH FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER.  THE COMMEMORATION DID NOT GAIN 
OFFICIAL NATIONAL RECOGNITION UNTIL 1990, WHEN PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W. BUSH 
ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL COMMEMORATION TO ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE MONTH OF 
NOVEMBER.  TODAY, AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATES 
THE DIVERSE CULTURES AND TRADITIONS OF THESE FIRST AMERICANS.

3.  ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, NEARLY 4.5 MILLION AMERICAN INDIANS 
AND ALASKA NATIVES COMPRISE 1.5 PERCENT OF OUR NATION'S POPULATION.  THESE 
INDIVIDUALS ARE FROM MANY DISTINCT TRIBES, STATES, AND ETHNIC GROUPS, AND ALL 
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY.
TODAY MORE THAN 14,000 ACTIVE-DUTY AND RESERVE SAILORS AND 1,200 CIVILIANS OF 
NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE SERVE AS PART OF OUR NAVY TOTAL 
FORCE.  IN EVERY FACET OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, THESE TALENTED SAILORS AND 
CIVILIANS WORK, SERVE, AND SACRIFICE FOR THEIR NATION, AND THEIR UNIQUE 
PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES ENHANCE OUR NAVY.

4.  SINCE 1776, WHEN GEORGE WASHINGTON BEGAN ENLISTING FOR HIS FLEDGLING ARMY, 
NAVY AND MARINES, AMERICAN INDIANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR FIGHTING SPIRIT AND 
WARRIOR ETHOS TO HELP U.S. MILITARY FORCES DEFEND AMERICA'S NATIONAL 
INTERESTS.  BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, THESE MEMBERS HAVE MADE REMARKABLE 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NAVY'S LEGACY.
NATIVE AMERICAN SEAMEN SERVED ON CONTINENTAL AND STATE VESSELS DURING THE WAR 
OF INDEPENDENCE, AND MANY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES SERVED WITH U.S. TROOPS 
DURING THE WAR OF 1812.  MORE THAN 20,000 NATIVE AMERICANS CONTRIBUTED TO BOTH 
UNION AND CONFEDERATE FORCES AS AUXILIARY TROOPS DURING THE CIVIL WAR.  
DESPITE BEING INELIGIBLE FOR THE DRAFT DURING WORLD WAR I, MORE THAN 15,000 
AMERICAN INDIANS ENLISTED TO SERVE THEIR NATION PROUDLY.  NATIVE AMERICANS 
ALSO FOUGHT AS SAILORS AND SOLDIERS IN BOTH THE EUROPEAN AND PACIFIC THEATERS 
OF WORLD WAR II, INCLUDING 1,910 SAILORS, 874 MARINES, AND SEVERAL DOZEN WAVES 
(WOMEN ACCEPTED FOR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE).  BETWEEN 10,000 AND 15,000 
AMERICAN INDIANS FOUGHT COMMUNIST AGGRESSION IN THE KOREAN WAR, AND DURING THE 
VIETNAM WAR, 41,500 AMERICAN INDIANS ANSWERED THE CALL OF SERVICE.  OF THOSE 
41,500, MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF THEM VOLUNTEERS, FIGHTING COURAGEOUSLY DURING 
SOME OF OUR NATION'S MOST DIFFICULT AND TREACHEROUS BATTLES.  IN THE TWENTIETH 
CENTURY, THREE SAILORS OF AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE HAVE RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF 
HONOR, THE UNITED STATES' HIGHEST MILITARY HONOR.

5.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF 
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTIONS  THROUGH PROGRAMS, 
EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.  A 
SHOWCASE OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES IN NAVAL HISTORY BY THE NAVAL 
HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND CAN BE FOUND AT 
HTTP://WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/SPECIAL%20HIGHLIGHTS/
NATIVEAMERICAN/NATIVEAMERICAN-INDEX.HTM.  MORE INFORMATION ON  NATIONAL 
COMMEMORATIONS FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CAN BE FOUND AT 
HTTP://NATIVEAMERICANHERITAGEMONTH.GOV/.

6.  MEMBERS MAY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN INDIAN GOVERNMENT 
EMPLOYEES (SAIGE), WHICH WORKS TO PROMOTE THE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND 
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE GOVERNMENT 
EMPLOYEES.  MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.SAIGE.ORG/.

7.  POINT OF CONTACT IS ENS AMBER LYNN DANIEL, OPNAV N134, AT
(703) 604-5071 OR VIA E-MAIL AT amberlynn.daniel@navy.mil.

8.  RELEASED BY VICE ADMIRAL S. R. VAN BUSKIRK, N1.//

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