2009 Montana Legislature

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 27

INTRODUCED BY WILMER, JUNEAU, HANDS, GRINDE, BOSS RIBS, BELCOURT, MCALPIN, PHILLIPS, CAMPBELL, AUGARE, MALEK, ROUNDSTONE, STEENSON

A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING EDUCATORS, JOURNALISTS, AND PUBLIC SPEAKERS TO LEARN THE NAME OF EACH TRIBE IN MONTANA IN THE TRIBE'S OWN LANGUAGE AND TO USE THOSE NAMES.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Senate on December 9, 2008, passed Senate Resolution No. 719 celebrating American Indian and Alaska Native contributions to the United States and acknowledging the influence that the Iroquois, who call themselves the Haudenosaunne, and their concepts of freedom of speech, the separation of governmental powers, and checks and balances had on the drafting of the U.S. Constitution; and

WHEREAS, Article X, section 1, of the Montana Constitution declares that the State of Montana recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed in its educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting for the State of Montana to also recognize the contributions and heritage of the people who formed the first communities and nations in Montana; and

WHEREAS, the names commonly used to refer to the 12 American Indian tribes in Montana are not the names the people of these tribes use when referring to themselves in their own language; and

WHEREAS, to honor American Indian heritage in Montana, we should endeavor to learn to write and speak the name of each tribe in the tribe's own language; and

WHEREAS, if our educators, journalists, and public speakers learned and used these names when writing and speaking, the use of each tribe's name as used in the tribe's own language would become more common and the cultural and linguistic heritage of Montana's first peoples would be honored and preserved.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

That all educators, journalists, and public speakers in Montana be urged to learn and use, when writing and speaking, the names of each tribe in Montana as used in the tribe's own language, as follows:

(1) Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet, Blackfeet Reservation);

(2) A'aniinen (Gros Ventres, Fort Belknap Reservation);

(3) Apsaalooke (Crow, Crow Reservation);

(4) Dakota (Sioux, Fort Peck Reservation);

(5) K'tanaxa (Kootenai, Flathead Reservation);

(6) Nakoda (Assiniboine, Fort Belknap Reservation);

(7) Nakona (Assiniboine, Fort Peck Reservation);

(8) Anishinabe (Chippewa, Rocky Boy's Reservation and Little Shell Tribe);

(9) Qlispe (Pend d'Oreille, Flathead Reservation);

(10) Sqeilo (Salish, Flathead Reservation);

(11) Tse' tsehestahese (Cheyenne, Northern Cheyenne Reservation); and

(12) Ne-iyah-wahk (Cree, Rocky Boy's Reservation).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send copies of this resolution to every tribe, school district, newspaper, and elected statewide, district, and county official in this state.

- END -

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