R 261909Z OCT 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0634/09
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/2009 NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH//
POC/D. G. JACOBS/CAPT/UNIT:MPE/-/TEL:(703) 784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  AMERICAN INDIANS HAVE ENLIVENED AND ENRICHED THIS COUNTRY THROUGH THEIR VIBRANT CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS; THUS, NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH IS CELEBRATED TO RECOGNIZE AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO THIS COUNTRY BY THE AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY.  THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH THEME IS "UNDERSTANDING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE NOW AND THEN."
2.  DR. ARTHUR C. PARKER, A SENECA INDIAN AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND SCIENCES IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST PROPONENTS OF AN AMERICAN INDIAN DAY WHEN HE PERSUADED THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA ORGANIZATION TO SET ASIDE A DAY OF RECOGNITION FOR THE "FIRST AMERICANS."  THE FIRST FORMAL APPEAL FOR RECOGNITION OF AMERICAN INDIANS AS CITIZENS OCCURRED IN SEPTEMBER 1915 WHEN THE CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN ASSOCIATION ISSUED A PROCLAMATION WHICH DECLARED THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MAY AS AN AMERICAN INDIAN DAY.  IN 1976, AMERICAN INDIAN DAY EVOLVED INTO NATIVE AMERICAN AWARENESS WEEK WHICH WOULD LATER EXPAND TO A MONTH LONG CELEBRATION IN 1990.  NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH HAS BEEN SIGNIFIED BY A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION EVERY NOVEMBER SINCE 1994.
3.  LANGUAGE IS CONSIDERED THE ESSENCE OF CULTURAL IDENTITY.  A PEOPLE'S TRADITIONS, BELIEFS, AND VALUES ARE UNDERSTOOD AND COMMUNICATED THROUGH LANGUAGE.  DURING WORLD WAR II, NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES PROVED TO BE A NATIONAL ASSET.  IN 1942, THE MARINE CORPS RECRUITED NAVAJO INDIANS TO DEVELOP A CODE WITHIN THEIR LANGUAGE.  THE NAVAJO LANGUAGE IS A LANGUAGE WITHOUT AN ALPHABET, AND WITH A DIFFICULT AND IRREGULAR SYNTAX TO COMPREHEND.  IN THAT ERA, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT NO MORE THAN 30 NON-NAVAJO NATIVES KNEW THE LANGUAGE.  THEREFORE, THE NAVAJO CODE PROVED INDECIPHERABLE TO THE ENEMY AND HELPED THE UNITED STATES ACHIEVE VICTORY IN COMBAT.  ONE OF THE FIRST 29 NAVAJO RECRUITS WAS A MARINE NAMED CARL GORMAN.  WHEN ASKED BY A SUPERIOR OFFICER WHY NAVAJOS WERE ABLE TO MEMORIZE THE CODE SO QUICKLY, GORMAN REPLIED "FOR US, EVERYTHING IS MEMORY, IT'S PART OF OUR HERITAGE.  WE HAVE NO WRITTEN LANGUAGE.  OUR SONGS, OUR PRAYERS, OUR STORIES, THEY'RE ALL HANDED DOWN FROM GRANDFATHER TO CHILDREN - AND WE LISTEN, WE HEAR, WE LEARN TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING."  GORMAN'S RESPONSE DEMONSTRATES HOW UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING ONE'S HERITAGE CONTRIBUTES TO THE STRENGTH OF OUR NATION.  TODAY, 2,500 MARINES OF AMERICAN INDIAN DESCENT CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR CORPS, AT HOME AND ABROAD, WITH THE SAME PROUD TRADITIONS OF THEIR ANCESTORS.   
4.  DURING NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, TO OUR COUNTRY AND CORPS.  COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS AT THEIR COMMANDS AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//