[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 148 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 148
Recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American
Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 30, 2023
Mr. Thune (for Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Bennet, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr.
Daines, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Kaine, Mr.
Kelly, Mr. King, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Padilla, Ms.
Rosen, Mr. Rounds, Ms. Smith, Mr. Tester, Ms. Warren, and Ms. Hirono))
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American
Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States.
Whereas the United States celebrates National Women's History Month every March
to recognize and honor the achievements of women throughout the history
of the United States;
Whereas an estimated 4,718,255 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native
Hawaiian women live in the United States;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women--
(1) have helped shape the history of their communities, Tribes, and the
United States;
(2) have fought to defend and protect the sovereign rights of Native
Nations; and
(3) have demonstrated resilience and courage in the face of a history
of threatened existence, constant removals, and relocations;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women contribute to
their communities, Tribes, and the United States through military
service, public service, and work in many industries, including
business, education, science, medicine, literature, and fine arts,
including Pablita ``Tse Tsan'' Velarde, a Santa Clara Pueblo artist and
painter whose art work depicted traditional Pueblo life and preserved
Pueblo stories and knowledge, and whose paintings were commissioned for
display at Bandelier National Monument;
Whereas, as of 2023, more than 4,400 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native
Hawaiian women bravely serve as members of the United States Armed
Forces;
Whereas, as of 2023, more than 20,800 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native
Hawaiian women are veterans who have made lasting contributions to the
United States military;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women broke down
historical gender barriers to enlistment in the military, including--
(1) Laura Beltz Wright, an Inupiat Eskimo sharpshooter of the Alaska
Territorial Guard during World War II;
(2) Minnie Spotted Wolf of the Blackfeet Tribe, the first Native
American woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps in 1943; and
(3) Marcella LeBeau of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, a decorated
veteran who served as an Army combat nurse during World War II and received
the French Legion of Honour for her bravery and service;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have made the
ultimate sacrifice for the United States, including Lori Ann Piestewa, a
member of the Hopi Tribe who was the first Native American woman to be
killed in action while serving on foreign soil and the first woman in
the United States military to be killed in the Iraq War in 2003;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have
contributed to the economic development of Native Nations and the United
States as a whole, including Elouise Cobell of the Blackfeet Tribe, a
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, who--
(1) served as the treasurer of the Blackfeet Tribe;
(2) founded the first Tribal-owned national bank; and
(3) led the fight against Federal mismanagement of funds held in trust
for more than 500,000 Native Americans;
Whereas, as of 2020, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women
own an estimated 161,500 businesses;
Whereas, as of 2020, Native women-owned businesses employ more than 61,000
workers and generate over $11,000,000,000 in revenues;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native women have opened an average of more
than 17 new businesses each day since 2007;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have made
significant contributions to the fields of medicine and health,
including--
(1) Susan La Flesche Picotte of the Omaha Tribe, who is widely
acknowledged as the first Native American to earn a medical degree; and
(2) Annie Dodge Wauneka of the Navajo Nation, who--
G (A) advocated for better public health, education, and living
conditions on the Navajo Nation leading to her becoming 1 of the first
female council members for the Navajo Nation in 1951; and
G (B) was the first Native American to receive a Presidential Medal
of Freedom in 1963;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have
contributed to important scientific advancements, including--
(1) Floy Agnes Lee of the Santa Clara Pueblo, who--
G (A) worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II; and
G (B) pioneered research on radiation biology and cancer;
(2) Native Hawaiian Isabella Kauakea Yau Yung Aiona Abbott, who--
G (A) was the first woman on the biological sciences faculty at
Stanford University; and
G (B) in 1997, was awarded the Gilbert Morgan Smith medal, the
highest award in marine botany from the National Academy of Sciences; and
(3) Mary Golda Ross of the Cherokee Nation, who--
G (A) is considered the first Native American engineer of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
G (B) helped develop spacecrafts for the Gemini and Apollo space
programs; and
G (C) was recognized by the Federal Government on the 2019 1 dollar
coin honoring Native Americans and their contributions;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have achieved
distinctive honors in the art of dance, including Maria Tallchief or Wa-
Xthe-Thon-ba of the Osage Nation, who--
(1) was the first major prima ballerina of the United States and was a
recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center; and
(2) was recognized by the Federal Government on the 2023 1 dollar coin
with her sister Marjorie Tallchief of the Osage Nation, Yvonne Chouteau of
the Shawnee Tribe, Rosella Hightower of the Choctaw Nation, and Moscelyne
Larkin of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Peoria Tribe of
Indians of Oklahoma, collectively known as the ``Five Moons'', for the
legacy they left on ballet;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have
accomplished notable literary achievements, including Northern Paiute
author Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, who wrote and published 1 of the first
Native American autobiographies in United States history in 1883;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have regularly
led efforts to protect their traditional ways of life and to revitalize
and maintain Native cultures and languages, including--
(1) Esther Martinez, a Tewa linguist and teacher who developed a Tewa
dictionary and was credited with revitalizing the Tewa language;
(2) Mary Kawena Pukui, a Native Hawaiian scholar who published more
than 50 academic works and was considered the most noted Hawaiian
translator of the 20th century;
(3) Katie John, an Ahtna Athabascan of Mentasta Lake, who was the lead
plaintiff in lawsuits that strengthened Native subsistence fishing rights
in Alaska and who helped create the alphabet for the Ahtna language; and
(4) Edith Kenao Kanaka`ole, a Native Hawaiian language and cultural
practitioner who--
G (A) founded her own hula school, Halau o Kekuhi;
G (B) helped develop some of the first courses in Hawaiian language
and culture for public schools and colleges; and
G (C) was recognized by the Federal Government on the 2023 quarter
honoring her significant contributions and accomplishments perpetuating
Native Hawaiian culture and arts;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have excelled
in athletic competition and created opportunities for other female
athletes within their sport, including Rell Kapoliokaehukai Sunn, who--
(1) was ranked as longboard surfing champion of the world; and
(2) co-founded the Women's Professional Surfing Association in 1975,
the first professional surfing tour for women;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have played a
vital role in advancing civil rights, protecting human rights,
advocating for land rights, and safeguarding the environment,
including--
(1) Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich, Tlingit, a member of the
LukaaC.adi clan in the Raven moiety with the Tlingit name of BaaCgal.aat,
who--
G (A) helped secure the passage of House Bill 14, commonly known as
the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945 (H.B. 14, Laws of Alaska. 17th Regular
Session, Territorial Legislature. Feb. 16, 1945), in the Alaska Territorial
Legislature, the first anti-discrimination law in the United States; and
G (B) was recognized by the Federal Government on the 2020 1 dollar
coin honoring Native Americans and their contributions;
(2) Zitkala-Sa, a Yankton Dakota writer and advocate, whose work during
the early 20th century helped advance the citizenship, voting, and land
rights of Native Americans; and
(3) Mary Jane Fate, of the Koyukon Athabascan village of Rampart, who--
G (A) was the first woman to chair the Alaska Federation of Natives;
G (B) was a founding member of the North American Indian Women's
Association; and
G (C) was an advocate for settlement of Indigenous land claims in
Alaska;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have succeeded
as judges, attorneys, and legal advocates, including--
(1) Eliza ``Lyda'' Conley, a Wyandot-American lawyer and the first
Native woman admitted to argue a case before the Supreme Court of the
United States in 1909; and
(2) Emma Kailikapiolono Metcalf Beckley Nakuina, a Native Hawaiian who
served as the first female judge in Hawaii;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women are dedicated
public servants, holding important positions in the Federal judicial
branch, the Federal executive branch, State governments, and local
governments;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native women have served as remarkable Tribal
councilwomen, Tribal court judges, and Tribal leaders, including Wilma
Mankiller, who--
(1) was the first woman elected to serve as Principal Chief of the
Cherokee Nation;
(2) fought for Tribal self-determination and the improvement of the
community infrastructure of her Tribe; and
(3) was recognized by the Federal Government on the 2022 quarter
honoring her legacy of leadership for Native people and women;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have also led
Native peoples through notable acts of public service, including--
(1) Kaahumanu, who was the first Native Hawaiian woman to serve as
regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii; and
(2) Polly Cooper, of the Oneida Indian Nation, who--
G (A) walked from central New York to Valley Forge as part of a
relief mission to provide food for the Army led by General George
Washington during the American Revolutionary War; and
G (B) was recognized for her courage and generosity by Martha
Washington;
Whereas the United States should continue to invest in the future of American
Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women to address the barriers
those women face, including--
(1) access to justice;
(2) access to health care; and
(3) opportunities for educational and economic advancement; and
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women are the life
givers, the culture bearers, and the caretakers of Native peoples who
have made precious contributions, enriching the lives of all people of
the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates and honors the successes of American Indian,
Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and the contributions
those women have made and continue to make to the United
States; and
(2) recognizes the importance of providing for the safety,
and upholding the interests of American Indian, Alaska Native,
and Native Hawaiian women.
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