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Celebrating our Native American heritage |
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December 14, 2016 |
by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo
 A
Haskett point from the Snake River is one of
the historical items from Idaho on display in
the National Museum of the American Indian in
Washington, D.C. The museum dates the point’s
creation to a remarkable 10,000-6,000 BC.
The Native American tribes of Idaho — the Coeur
d’Alene, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock
and Shoshone-Paiute — are undoubtedly a deep and
central part of Idaho’s history and development.
Learning more about and celebrating this
profound history can broaden our understanding
of the role the tribes have in forming Idaho’s
heritage.
There are many opportunities to learn more about
the history of the Native American tribes of
Idaho by visiting tribal museums and the tribes’
websites:
www.cdatribe-nsn.gov,
www.kootenai.org,
www.nezperce.org,
www.shoshonebannocktribes.com, and
http://shopaitribes.org,
that include information about the history of
the tribes.
For example, historic photos and artifacts of
the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes can be viewed at the
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum of Fort Hall. In
addition to seeing historic objects there are
many places to visit in Idaho with significant
cultural importance. The Nez Perce Tribal
website contains information about historic
locations in the Nez Perce National Historical
Park.
These are just a few examples of the many
locations and events across Idaho honoring
tribal heritage. Additionally, pictures of some
of the artifacts from Idaho at the National
Museum of the American Indian can be viewed
through the museum’s website.
On November 17, 2016, the Senate passed by
Unanimous Consent S.Res.619 to celebrate the
heritages and cultures of Native Americans and
the contributions of Native Americans to the
United States.
As a longtime supporter of this effort and
Member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, I
again co-sponsored this bipartisan resolution
also co-sponsored by 31 fellow senators. The
resolution includes the following recognitions:
* Native Americans maintain vibrant cultures and traditions and hold a
deeply rooted sense of community;
Native Americans have moving stories of tragedy,
triumph and perseverance that need to be shared
with future generations;
* Native Americans have made distinct and important contributions to the
United States and the rest of the world in many
fields, including the fields of agriculture,
medicine, music language, and art;
* Native Americans have distinguished themselves as inventors,
entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders and scholars;
* Native Americans have served with honor and distinction in the Armed
Forces of the United States, and continue to
serve in the Armed Forces in greater numbers per
capita than any other group in the United
States.
In addition to honoring the remarkable
achievements of Native Americans and their
ancestors, the resolution emphasizes Congress’
reaffirmation of tribal self-governance and its
commitment to “strengthening the
government-to-government relationship that the
United States has maintained with the various
Indian tribes.”
The Native American tribes of Idaho have helped
shape our state and national history and their
perspective helps guide advancements.
Joining in celebrating the heritages and
cultures of Native Americans and the
contributions of Native Americans to the United
States is an honor as we look to the future of
our great state and nation. |
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