Governor Proclaims Indigenous Peoples' Day 2022

WHEREAS, October 1492 is a significant date for all indigenous people of the Americas as it marks the start of the colonization which forever changed the environment, cultures, and quality of life for the first inhabitants of this continent; and

WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations during an international conference on discrimination against Indigenous populations in the Americas; and

WHEREAS, from the point of contact with European settlers, Indigenous people have shared their knowledge, land and resources, and have continued to play a vital role in the development of American Indian communities across the state of North Carolina and the nation; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to more than 130,000 American Indians and eight recognized tribes: the Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of Saponi, Sappony, and Waccamaw Siouan; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina has enjoyed a positive relationship with the American Indian population, and much progress has been made to assure this relationship is recognized and appreciated through the establishment of government-to-government relations; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs was created in 1971 by the North Carolina General Assembly to advocate for state, local, regional, and national resources to support American Indians; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission was created in 2021 by the North Carolina General Assembly to preserve and promote American Indian history, arts, customs, and culture; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs encourage all residents to acknowledge the continued presence, contributions, and historic sacrifices that American Indians have made to the state and nation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim October 10, 2022, as “INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.