WHEREAS, North Carolina's American Indian Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the history and heritage of the American Indian people in our state, who have lived in the geographic area of North Carolina for more than 12,000 years; and
WHEREAS, today, there are more than 122,000 North Carolinians who identify as American Indian, representing the largest American Indian population east of the Mississippi River, and the eighth largest American Indian population in the United States; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to eight state-recognized Indian tribes: the Coharie, the Eastern Band of Cherokee, the Haliwa-Saponi, the Lumbee, the Meherrin, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, the Sappony, and the Waccamaw-Siouan; and
WHEREAS, our state is also home to four Urban Indian Organizations that hold membership on the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs: the Cumberland County Association for Indian People, the Guilford Native American Association, the Metrolina Native American Association, and the Triangle Native American Society; and
WHEREAS, American Indian tribes have a rich and ongoing history of government-to-government relations with the State of North Carolina - a mutual honoring that serves to protect the sovereign rights of our tribes and promote advocacy for American Indian people; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, the North Carolina Museum of History, and North Carolina's Indian Tribes and Urban Indian Organizations have collaborated to develop the first virtual celebration of American Indian Heritage Month in order to follow necessary safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina's 2020 American Indian Heritage Month theme, Our Land, Our Stories, Our Survival celebrates the preservation of American Indian customs and culture, and advocates for the continued recognition of these integral facets of indigenous history so that we may keep their memory alive; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages people to learn more about the rich history of American Indian culture in our state and commit to preserve American Indian heritage and traditions for generations to come;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November, 2020, as “AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.