R 271540Z OCT 09 

ALCOAST 615/09
COMDTNOTE 5354
SUBJ: 2009 NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH
1. NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH IS OBSERVED ANNUALLY IN
NOVEMBER. THE THEME FOR THIS YEARS OBSERVANCE IS "UNDERSTANDING
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE NOW AND THEN." THE COAST GUARD JOINS THE
CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE
MONTH IN RECOGNITION OF CREATING AWARENESS OF INTERTRIBAL CULTURES
AND TO EDUCATE THE WORKFORCE ABOUT THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE CITIZENS.
2. NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE RICH HISTORY OF OUR
SERVICE SINCE 1877. IN ONE HEROIC EXAMPLE, DURING 1882, A MEMBER
OF THE QUINAULT TRIBE ASSISTED THE SHOALWATER STATION OF THE U. S.
LIFE SAVING SERVICE IN THE RESCUE OF PASSENGERS OF THE BRITISH IRON
BARK LAMMERLAW. THE TRIBESMAN, KNOWN ONLY AS LIGHTHOUSE GEORGE,
WORKED ALONGSIDE STATION RESCUERS AS THEY STRUGGLED AGAINST RAGING
SEAS TO SAVE ALL LIVES ABOARD THE SHIP IN DISTRESS. THE OFFICIAL
RECORD RECOUNTS THAT LIGHTHOUSE GEORGE AND OTHERS ROWED THROUGH
BREAKING SEAS THAT "RAN AND VOLLEYED AROUND THE HULL OF THE BARK ON
EVERY SIDE." HEROICALLY, THEY RISKED THEIR OWN LIVES IN MAKING TWO
TRIPS TO ENSURE ALL CREW MEMBERS ABOARD LAMMERLAW WERE RESCUED.
3. IN 1915, ONE OF THE EARLIEST PROPONENTS AND THE FIRST LEADER TO
FORMALLY ACKNOWLEDGE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA
NATIVES BY ESTABLISHING THE FIRST AMERICAN INDIAN DAY WAS DR.
ARTHUR C. PARKER, SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND
SCIENCE IN ROCHESTER, NY. LATER THAT YEAR, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE
CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN ASSOCIATION, THEIR PRESIDING
PRESIDENT, REV. SHERMAN COOLIDGE, AN ARAPOHOE, ISSUED A
PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE SECOND SATURDAY IN MAY AS AMERICAN
INDIAN DAY. SEVENTY FIVE YEARS LATER, IN 1990, U. S. PRESIDENT
GEORGE H. W. BUSH APPROVED A JOINT CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION
FORMALLY DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE
MONTH.
4. TODAY, WE ARE ALL MORE ENRICHED BY HAVING A GREATER
UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF AMERICAN
INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES. COMMANDS SHOULD USE NATIONAL AMERICAN
INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH TO HOLD APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND
SPECIAL OBSERVANCES THAT SPOTLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE MADE TO OUR SERVICE, OUR
NATION, AND THE WORLD.
5. I AM HONORED TO JOIN ALL COAST GUARD PERSONNEL IN CELEBRATING
NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE DURING THIS MONTH, AND I
EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL THOSE WHO WORK HARD TO PROMOTE AND
PRESERVE THIS HERITAGE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICAN
INDIAN HERITAGE CAN BE FOUND AT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
TRIBAL PRESERVATION WEBSITE
HTTP://WWW.CR.NPS.GOV/HPS/TRIBAL/THPO.HTM OR THE SMITHSONIAN
WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.NMAI.SI.EDU/INDEX.CFM.
6. I ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS OF THE COAST GUARD FAMILY TO USE THIS
OBSERVANCE FOR APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS
THAT HIGHLIGHT THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS AMERICAN INDIANS,
ALASKAN NATIVES AND NATIVE HAWAIIANS HAVE MADE TO OUR SERVICE, OUR
NATION, AND THE WORLD.
7. CAPT E. G. FAUX, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTORATE,
SENDS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.