Proclamation 6511—National American Indian Heritage Month, 1992

Since January, millions of Americans have been observing 1992 as the Year of the American Indian. Individuals of all ages and all walks of life have been taking part in cultural events, educational programs, and other activities that are designed to celebrate the unique art, history, and folklore of America's earliest inhabitants and their descendants. The observance of November as National American Indian Heritage Month provides an opportunity for all citizens to join in honoring America's native peoples.

The American Indian heritage is a rich array of many different cultural legacies -- each as unique as the tribes themselves. From the skilled horsemen whose families and tribes roamed the Great West to the hardy peoples who hunted and fished in the forests and waters of Alaska, each tribe of Native Americans has enjoyed its own history, customs, and beliefs. Yet all have shared a deep reverence for the land itself and for the traditions of their forebears. That sense of environmental stewardship and tribal pride has inspired generation after generation, and today all Americans continue to learn a great deal from individuals of Indian ancestry.

As we celebrate the many contributions that Native Americans and their descendants have made to the United States, we also reaffirm the unique government-to-government relationship that exists between Indian tribes and the Federal Government. This long-standing relationship has developed over the years into a vibrant, mutually beneficial partnership -- one made ever stronger as past inequities and conflicts have been resolved. In recent years, the Federal Government has worked together with tribal leaders toward our shared goals of equal opportunity and socioeconomic advancement for American Indians, as well as toward the preservation of their ancient cultural identities. The "Native American Languages Act of 1992," which I signed into law last month, is but one example of joint efforts to enhance the well-being of America's native peoples.

In honor of the unique cultural legacy of each of America's native peoples, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 172, has designated November 1992 as "National American Indian Heritage Month" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 1992 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I urge all Americans, as well as their elected representatives at the Federa, State, and local levels, to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth.

GEORGE BUSH