UNCLASSIFIED//

ROUTINE

R 291802Z OCT 10

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

TO AL NAVADMIN
NAVADMIN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

BT
UNCLAS
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 359/10

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/OCT//

SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH 
2010//

RMKS/1.  NOVEMBER RECOGNIZES THE INTER-TRIBAL CULTURES OF NATIVE AMERICANS AND 
CELEBRATES THE HERITAGE, HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND 
ALASKAN NATIVE PEOPLE.

2.  EFFORTS TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND 
ALASKAN NATIVES BEGAN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.  IN 1915, ARTHUR C. PARKER, A 
SENECA INDIAN, PERSUADED THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA TO SET ASIDE A DAY FOR THE 
"FIRST AMERICANS."  IN 1916, THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK DECLARED THE SECOND 
SATURDAY IN MAY THE FIRST AMERICAN INDIAN DAY.  IN 1990, PRESIDENT GEORGE H. 
W. BUSH APPROVED A JOINT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS "NATIONAL AMERICAN 
INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH."  EIGHT YEARS LATER, PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH 
DESIGNATED THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY TO 
PAY TRIBUTE TO NATIVE AMERICANS FOR THEIR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED 
STATES.

3.  THE TERM NATIVE AMERICAN DESCRIBES THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH 
AMERICA, INCLUDING PARTS OF ALASKA AND THE ISLAND STATE OF HAWAII.  NATIVE 
AMERICANS COMPRISE NUMEROUS DISTINCT TRIBES, STATES, AND ETHNIC GROUPS, MANY 
OF WHICH SURVIVE TODAY AS INTACT COMMUNITIES.
AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE MADE PROFOUND CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR 
NATIONAL IDENTITY, AND THEIR TRADITIONS AND VALUES ARE WOVEN INTO THE AMERICAN 
EXPERIENCE.  ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU,

4.5 MILLION AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES COMPRISE 1.5 PERCENT OF THE 
TOTAL U.S. POPULATION.

4.  OUR NAVY AND NATION ARE ENRICHED BY THE DIVERSITY OF OUR PEOPLE.
TODAY, MORE THAN 15,000 AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE SAILORS SERVE 
HONORABLY IN THE U.S. NAVY.  IN EVERY FACET OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, THESE 
TALENTED MEMBERS WORK, SERVE, AND SACRIFICE FOR THEIR NATION AND FELLOW 
CITIZENS.  THEIR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR 
NAVY'S CULTURE AND IMPROVE MISSION READINESS.

5.  AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN U.S. 
MILITARY ACTIONS FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS AND HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LEGACY OF OUR NATION.  MANY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES WERE 
INVOLVED IN THE WAR OF 1812, AND MANY FOUGHT AS AUXILIARY TROOPS DURING THE 
CIVIL WAR.  IT IS ESTIMATED MORE THAN 12,000 AMERICAN INDIANS SERVED IN THE 
U.S. MILITARY DURING WORLD WAR I.  MORE THAN 44,000 AMERICAN INDIANS, OUT OF A 
TOTAL NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION OF LESS THAN 350,000, SERVED WITH DISTINCTION 
BETWEEN 1941 AND 1945 IN BOTH THE EUROPEAN AND PACIFIC THEATERS OF WORLD WAR 
II.
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II TOOK PART IN EVERY ASSAULT THE U.S. 
MARINES CONDUCTED IN THE PACIFIC FROM 1942 TO 1945.  MORE THAN 42,000 NATIVE 
AMERICANS, MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF THEM VOLUNTEERS, FOUGHT IN VIETNAM.

6.  AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO, AND 
ENHANCED, THE MISSION OF THE U.S. NAVY.  JOSEPH JAMES CLARK, A MEMBER OF THE 
CHEROKEE TRIBE AND THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN GRADUATE OF THE U.S. NAVAL 
ACADEMY, ACHIEVED THE RANK OF ADMIRAL AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CAREER SERVING IN 
BOTH WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II.  LCDR ERNEST EVANS, OF HALF-CHEROKEE AND 
ONE-QUARTER CREEK ANCESTRY, WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR 
HIS ACTIONS DURING THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF IN WORLD WAR II.  NAVY PILOT AND 
ASTRONAUT JOHN BENNETT HERRINGTON, A MEMBER OF THE CHICKASAW NATION, WAS THE 
FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN IN SPACE.

7.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND 
AWARENESS OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTIONS 
THROUGH PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND 
COMMUNITY EVENTS.  A SHOWCASE OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES IN NAVAL 
HISTORY BY THE NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND CAN BE FOUND AT 
HTTP://WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/SPECIAL%20HIGHLIGHTS/NATIVEAMERICAN/NATIV
EAMERICAN-INDEX.HTM.  A PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL 
OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.DEOMI 
.ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS.CFM?CATID=8.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON NATIVE AMERICANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES WITHIN THE 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS AVAILABLE FROM THE AMERICAN FORCES INFORMATION 
SERVICE AT HTTP://WWW.DEFENSE.GOV/SPECIALS/NATIVEAMERICAN01/INNER.HTML.

8.  MORE INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND OBSERVANCES IS 
AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEB SITE:
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY.

9.  POINT OF CONTACT IS LT LAURA STEGHERR, OPNAV N134, AT
(703) 695-0820/DSN 225 OR VIA E-MAIL AT laura.stegherr@navy.mil.

10.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.

BT
#0001
NNNN