[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 14 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. J. RES. 14
To acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-
conceived policies by the Federal Government regarding Indian tribes
and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United
States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 30, 2009
Mr. Brownback (for himself, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Baucus, Mrs. Boxer, Mr.
Crapo, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr.
Tester) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice
and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
JOINT RESOLUTION
To acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-
conceived policies by the Federal Government regarding Indian tribes
and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United
States.
Whereas the ancestors of today's Native Peoples inhabited the land of the
present-day United States since time immemorial and for thousands of
years before the arrival of people of European descent;
Whereas for millennia, Native Peoples have honored, protected, and stewarded
this land we cherish;
Whereas Native Peoples are spiritual people with a deep and abiding belief in
the Creator, and for millennia Native Peoples have maintained a powerful
spiritual connection to this land, as evidenced by their customs and
legends;
Whereas the arrival of Europeans in North America opened a new chapter in the
history of Native Peoples;
Whereas while establishment of permanent European settlements in North America
did stir conflict with nearby Indian tribes, peaceful and mutually
beneficial interactions also took place;
Whereas the foundational English settlements in Jamestown, Virginia, and
Plymouth, Massachusetts, owed their survival in large measure to the
compassion and aid of Native Peoples in the vicinities of the
settlements;
Whereas in the infancy of the United States, the founders of the Republic
expressed their desire for a just relationship with the Indian tribes,
as evidenced by the Northwest Ordinance enacted by Congress in 1787,
which begins with the phrase, ``The utmost good faith shall always be
observed toward the Indians'';
Whereas Indian tribes provided great assistance to the fledgling Republic as it
strengthened and grew, including invaluable help to Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark on their epic journey from St. Louis, Missouri, to the
Pacific Coast;
Whereas Native Peoples and non-Native settlers engaged in numerous armed
conflicts in which unfortunately, both took innocent lives, including
those of women and children;
Whereas the Federal Government violated many of the treaties ratified by
Congress and other diplomatic agreements with Indian tribes;
Whereas the United States forced Indian tribes and their citizens to move away
from their traditional homelands and onto federally established and
controlled reservations, in accordance with such Acts as the Act of May
28, 1830 (4 Stat. 411, chapter 148) (commonly known as the ``Indian
Removal Act'');
Whereas many Native Peoples suffered and perished--
(1) during the execution of the official Federal Government policy of
forced removal, including the infamous Trail of Tears and Long Walk;
(2) during bloody armed confrontations and massacres, such as the Sand
Creek Massacre in 1864 and the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890; and
(3) on numerous Indian reservations;
Whereas the Federal Government condemned the traditions, beliefs, and customs of
Native Peoples and endeavored to assimilate them by such policies as the
redistribution of land under the Act of February 8, 1887 (25 U.S.C. 331;
24 Stat. 388, chapter 119) (commonly known as the ``General Allotment
Act''), and the forcible removal of Native children from their families
to faraway boarding schools where their Native practices and languages
were degraded and forbidden;
Whereas officials of the Federal Government and private United States citizens
harmed Native Peoples by the unlawful acquisition of recognized tribal
land and the theft of tribal resources and assets from recognized tribal
land;
Whereas the policies of the Federal Government toward Indian tribes and the
breaking of covenants with Indian tribes have contributed to the severe
social ills and economic troubles in many Native communities today;
Whereas despite the wrongs committed against Native Peoples by the United
States, Native Peoples have remained committed to the protection of this
great land, as evidenced by the fact that, on a per capita basis, more
Native Peoples have served in the United States Armed Forces and placed
themselves in harm's way in defense of the United States in every major
military conflict than any other ethnic group;
Whereas Indian tribes have actively influenced the public life of the United
States by continued cooperation with Congress and the Department of the
Interior, through the involvement of Native individuals in official
Federal Government positions, and by leadership of their own sovereign
Indian tribes;
Whereas Indian tribes are resilient and determined to preserve, develop, and
transmit to future generations their unique cultural identities;
Whereas the National Museum of the American Indian was established within the
Smithsonian Institution as a living memorial to Native Peoples and their
traditions; and
Whereas Native Peoples are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, and among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. RESOLUTION OF APOLOGY TO NATIVE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED
STATES.
(a) Acknowledgment and Apology.--The United States, acting through
Congress--
(1) recognizes the special legal and political relationship
Indian tribes have with the United States and the solemn
covenant with the land we share;
(2) commends and honors Native Peoples for the thousands of
years that they have stewarded and protected this land;
(3) recognizes that there have been years of official
depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of
covenants by the Federal Government regarding Indian tribes;
(4) apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States
to all Native Peoples for the many instances of violence,
maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on Native Peoples by
citizens of the United States;
(5) expresses its regret for the ramifications of former
wrongs and its commitment to build on the positive
relationships of the past and present to move toward a brighter
future where all the people of this land live reconciled as
brothers and sisters, and harmoniously steward and protect this
land together;
(6) urges the President to acknowledge the wrongs of the
United States against Indian tribes in the history of the
United States in order to bring healing to this land; and
(7) commends the State governments that have begun
reconciliation efforts with recognized Indian tribes located in
their boundaries and encourages all State governments similarly
to work toward reconciling relationships with Indian tribes
within their boundaries.
(b) Disclaimer.--Nothing in this Joint Resolution--
(1) authorizes or supports any claim against the United
States; or
(2) serves as a settlement of any claim against the United
States.
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