Joe Baca: “I sponsored H. Res. 168 to ask schools to honor Native Americans for their contributions to American history, culture…”

“I sponsored H. Res. 168 to ask schools to honor Native Americans for their contributions to American history, culture, and education. This resolution is a first step in seeking a Native American holiday similar to the legislation I carried in California legislation. Native Americans have given so much to this country. Freedom, justice, patriotism and representatives of government have always been part of their culture. Long before the voyage of Christopher Columbus and the development of the first English settlement at Jamestown, Native American groups and tribes had developed their own language, literature, history, government, dance, music, art, agriculture, and architecture. That is why I am proud to be a member of the Congressional Native American Caucus. Native Americans have shown their willingness to fight and die for this Nation in foreign lands. They honor the American flag at every powwow and at many gatherings and remember all veterans through song, music and dance. Native Americans love the land that has nurtured their parents, their grandparents, and their elders since the beginning of their recorded history.”