WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution co-sponsored by Senator Murkowski recognizing November as National Native American Heritage Month – and next Friday as Native American Heritage Day.

“Forty percent of all the federally recognized tribes in the United States call Alaska home,” said Murkowski. “So I am proud to call attention to our Alaska’s First People – and American Indians and Native Hawaiians, as well – and celebrate their rich contribution to our society.”

The resolution recognizes and celebrates the vibrant cultures of the Native Americans in the United States. There are 565 federally recognized tribes in the United States, 229 of which reside in Alaska, and census data indicates nearly 5 million people in the United States claim Native American heritage.

Started in 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.”

Senator Murkowski co-sponsored the legislation of lead sponsors Chairman Akaka (D-HI) and Ranking member Barrasso (R-WY) of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Attached is a copy of the resolution.