ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 151124Z OCT 02 ZYB MIN PSN 333556J25
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N05354//
NAVADMIN 0343/02
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/PERS00H//
 
SUBJ/2002 NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH//
 
RMKS/1.  NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH
WILL BE OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2002.  THE THEME
FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "HONORING LIFE, HONORING ELDERS,
HONORING HERITAGE." AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES HAVE MADE
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SOCIETY AND MILITARY WHICH DESERVE
SPECIAL EMPHASIS DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
 
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 AN AMERICAN-INDIAN DAY.
AFTER THAT, SEVERAL STATES DECLARED AMERICAN-INDIAN DAYS UNTIL 1976,
WHEN CONGRESS PASSED A JOINT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO
PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF 10-16 OCTOBER AS NATIVE-AMERICAN AWARENESS
WEEK.  IN 1990, AN ENTIRE MONTH WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF
NATIVE AMERICANS.  PRESIDENT BUSH PROCLAIMED 1992 AS THE YEAR OF
THE AMERICAN INDIAN, BASED ON LEGISLATION BY CONGRESS.  SINCE 1994,
THE PRESIDENT HAS ISSUED A PROCLAMATION EACH YEAR DESIGNATING
NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL AMERICAN-INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH.
 
3. DISTINGUISHED PAST AND PRESENT AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA
NATIVES INCLUDE FOUR LAKOTA NUNS FROM FORT BERTHOLD, SOUTH
DAKOTA, WHO WORKED AS NURSES FOR THE WAR DEPARTMENT DURING THE
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR; THE 800 WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY
DURING WORLD WAR II; THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS, WHOSE UNBREAKABLE CODE
HELPED ACHIEVE VICTORY IN WWII; COMMANDER JOHN B. HERRINGTON, U.S.
NAVY, THE FIRST AMERICAN INDIAN ASTRONAUT SELECTED BY NASA IN 1996;
AND SACAGAWEA, THE AMERICAN INDIAN WOMAN WHO ACCOMPANIED LEWIS AND
CLARK ON THEIR EXPLORATION OF THE AMERICAN WEST IN 1804 AND WHOSE
IMAGE WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE FIRST U.S. DOLLAR COIN OF THE MILLENIUM.
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVES HAVE GRADUATED FROM ALL FOUR
SERVICE ACADEMIES AND SERVE WITH DISTINCTION IN THE MOST CHALLENGING
JOBS IN THE NAVY.
 
4.  COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO OBSERVE NATIONAL AMERICAN
INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND
COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT RECOGNIZE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN
HERITAGE.  VISIT WWW.PERSNET.NAVY.MIL/PERS00H/OBSERVANCES.HTML FOR
MORE INFORMATION.  POC IS LCDR DEBORAH BROWN AT (901) 874-4283/DSN
882 OR E-MAIL:  P00H1@PERSNET.NAVY.MIL.
 
5.  RELEASED BY VADM G. L. HOEWING, N1.//
 
BT