1.1A house resolution
1.2commending Native Americans on their contributions to Minnesota and American
1.3life and heritage.
1.4WHEREAS, from the beginning, thousands of years before recorded history and European
1.5contact, indigenous peoples have populated the North and South American continents, and
1.6thousands of Native Americans lived in Minnesota; and
1.7WHEREAS, Native Americans have always been an integral part of Minnesotan and
1.8American history, and without them the first Europeans who arrived in North American during
1.9the 16th and 17th centuries could not have survived; and
1.10WHEREAS, for many years, the rich inventiveness of Native Americans was not
1.11acknowledged or celebrated; however, archeological evidence indicates that many contributions
1.12to modern society were either first invented or used by Native Americans living in North and
1.13South America, including development of ways to treat raw latex to make usable items from
1.14rubber as early as 1700 B.C.; expert use of botanical medications to treat medical conditions;
1.15performance of plastic surgery, skin grafts, and removal of fluid from the chest cavity and
1.16knees; use of boiled water and botanical antiseptics on wounds; and cultivation of nearly 75
1.17percent of the many varieties of food grown in the world today and medicinal uses for at least
1.182,564 species of plants; and
1.19WHEREAS, Native American contributions to the humanities include oral literary
1.20traditions, art, sculpture, beadwork, music, poetry, and literature, and well-known words that have
1.21been appropriated into the English language such as Minnesota, Chicago, Seattle, caucus, Podunk,
1.22toboggan, and high-muck-a-muck, and the Iroquois taught that in every deliberation the impact of
1.23decisions should be considered on the next seven generations; and
2.1WHEREAS, the world has been inspired and enhanced by the gifts and talents of
2.2Jim Thorpe, one of the world's greatest athletes, and by the creative and artistic abilities of
2.3personalities such as Burt Reynolds, Cher, Maria Tallchief, Mykelti Williamson, Wayne Newton,
2.4Benjamin Bratt, and Lou Diamond Phillips; and
2.5WHEREAS, Native Americans have bravely defended American principles of freedom
2.6and democracy with their lives, particularly the Navajo Code Talkers' heroic and distinguished
2.7service during World War II, and at the close of the 20th century, there were nearly 190,000
2.8Native American veterans, the highest record of service per capita when compared to other
2.9ethnic groups; and
2.10WHEREAS, today in Minnesota, there are 11 tribes and approximately 60,000 people
2.11of Native American ancestry; and
2.12WHEREAS, as expressed by William J. Clinton, President of the United States, on the
2.13occasion of National American Indian Heritage Month in 1996, "America's first peoples have
2.14endured and remain a vital cultural, political, social, and moral presence, and have contributed
2.15certain values and ideas that have become ingrained in the American spirit; the knowledge that
2.16humans can thrive and prosper without destroying the natural environment; the understanding
2.17that people from very different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and traditions can come together
2.18to build a great country; and the awareness that diversity can be a source of strength rather than
2.19division,"; and
2.20WHEREAS, it is vital that young Native Americans be revitalized and challenged with
2.21the message that they are the descendants of a proud and noble people who expected and settled
2.22for nothing less than excellence in every endeavor, and whose greatness is an indelible mark on
2.23Minnesota, the nation, and the world; NOW, THEREFORE,
2.24BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Minnesota that Native
2.25Americans be commended on their contributions to Minnesota and American life.
2.26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives is
2.27directed to prepare enrolled copies of this resolution, to be authenticated by his signature and that
2.28of the Speaker, and transmit them to the Executive Secretary of the Indian Affairs Council.
