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1253062
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10/8/76 - Remarks Upon the Signing of Proclamation 4468: Native American Awareness Week, 1976
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1253062
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10/8/76 - Remarks Upon the Signing of Proclamation 4468: Native American Awareness Week, 1976
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Indians of North America
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1253062
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8
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1976-10-08
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1976
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8
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1976-10-08
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10
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 39, "10/8/76 - Remarks Upon the Signing of
Proclamation 4468: Native American Awareness Week, 1976" of the President's Speeches
and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
-1-
St
about
/
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
THERE ARE SOME MILLION INDIAN CITIZENS IN AMERICA,
AND SOME MAY SAY "THAT IS A VERY SMALL MINORITY."
I COUNT AMERICAN INDIAN PEOPLE, HOWEVER, NOT IN NUMBERS
BUT IN THE HONORED PLACE THEY HOLD IN OUR MULTI-CULTURED
SOCIETY, AND IN THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION.
THE 215 MILLION OF US ARE KEENLY CONCERNED WITH THE
1 MILLION; THE WELFARE AND PROGRESS OF NATIVE AMERICANS
IS HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF THE AMERICAN CONSCIENCE.
Digitized from Box 39 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-1C-
BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS
ABOUT A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. NO STATE IN THE UNION HAS
MORE RESIDENTS WHO ARE NATIVE AMERICANS THAN THE GREAT STATE
OF OKLAHOMA.
-10-
NO DOMESTIC MATTER HAS GIVEN ME GREATER PRIDE THAN
MY ADMINISTRATION'S RECORD OF TURNING ABOUT THE
DISCRIMINATION AND NEGLECT THAT ALL INDIANS FACED FOR
so MANY YEARS.
-le-
IN JANUARY OF 1975 I SIGNED THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION
ACT -- A MAGNA CARTA FOR AMERICAN INDIAN PEOPLE.
TODAY WE RECOGNIZE INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS
t
INCLUDING THOSE IN OKLAHOMA
Y
AS VITAL GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
-it-
JUST A WEEK AGO I SIGNED THE INDIAN HEALTH CARE
IMPROVEMENT ACT, WHICH AUTHORIZED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER
RESOURCES FOR THE INDIAN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM.
-1g-
I KNOW YOU ARE PROUD OF THE FINE, ACCREDITED INDIAN HOSPITAL
HERE IN LAWTON
BUT MANY INDIAN HOSPITALS ARE NOT
ACCREDITED
AND WE MUST AND WILL BRING THEM UP TO STANDARD.
-UT-
LATER THIS EVENING, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES
I WILL
SIGN A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION DECLARING OCTOBER 10-16
AS NATIVE AMERICAN AWARENESS WEEK.
MY ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT FOR INDIAN PROGRAMS IS
NOT JUST RHETORIC.
WE BACKED UP OUR WORDS WITH ACTION.
-li- -
EIGHT YEARS AGO THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS BUDGET
W AS 262 MILLION DOLLARS; TODAY IT IS 777 MILLION DOLLARS.
THE INDIAN HEALTH BUDGET WAS 113 MILLION DOLLARS; TODAY
IT IS 425 MILLION DOLLARS.
- 1,-
OUR MANPOWER TRAINING BUDGET FOR INDIAN PEOPLE IS 4 TIMES
BIGGER THAN IT WAS ONLY FOUR YEARS AGO.
MY RECORD OF SUPPORT FOR INDIAN PROGRAMS AND FOR
THE PROTECTION OF INDIAN TRUSTRIGHTS IS CLEAR AND PRECISE.
-1K-
AMERICA WANTS THOSE POLICIES TO CONTINUE, AND IN THE
NEXT FOUR YEARS THEY WILL CONTINUE.
-2-
MY ADMINISTRATION IS EQUALLY DETERMINED THAT HISTORY
IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE CHANGED -- THAT THE INDIAN SHALL
NO LONGER BE LOWEST IN POVERTY AND SLIMMEST IN OPPORTUNITY,
AND WE ARE MAKING THOSE CHANGES NOW.
I SIGN THIS PROCLAMATION AS A SIGNAL OF THAT DETERMINATION --
AND AS AN INVITATION TO ALL MY FELLOW CITIZENS TO REAFFIRM
THAT OUR FIRST AMERICANS ARE AMONG AMERICA'S MOST RESPECTED
AND HONORED CITIZENS.
END OF TEXT
St
TALKING POINTS: "NATIVE AMERICANS WEEK" PROCLAMATION
OCTOBER 8, 1976
-1-
THERE ARE SOME MILLION INDIAN CITIZENS IN AMERICA,
AND SOME MAY SAY "THAT IS A VERY SMALL MINORITY."
I COUNT AMERICAN INDIAN PEOPLE, HOWEVER, NOT IN NUMBERS
BUT IN THE HONORED PLACE THEY HOLD IN OUR MULTI-CULTURED
SOCIETY, AND IN THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION.
THE 215 MILLION OF US ARE KEENLY CONCERNED WITH THE
1 MILLION; THE WELFARE AND PROGRESS OF NATIVE AMERICANS
IS HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF THE AMERICAN CONSCIENCE.
-2-
MY ADMINISTRATION IS EQUALLY DETERMINED THAT HISTORY
IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE CHANGED -- THAT THE INDIAN SHALL
NO LONGER BE LOWEST IN POVERTY AND SLIMMEST IN OPPORTUNITY,
AND WE ARE MAKING THOSE CHANGES NOW.
I SIGN THIS PROCLAMATION AS A SIGNAL OF THAT DETERMINATION -
AND AS AN INVITATION TO ALL MY FELLOW CITIZENS TO REAFFIRM
THAT OUR FIRST AMERICANS ARE AMONG AMERICA'S MOST RESPECTED
AND HONORED CITIZENS.
END OF TEXT