Students, faculty and state leaders gathered Monday to acknowledge the importance of the proclamation that Gov. Pat McCrory signed last month, declaring November American Indian Heritage Month.
“This is a historic event, and we at Carolina as well as our other sister institutions are pleased to be invited to participate,” said Amy Locklear Hertel, the director of UNC’s American Indian Center.
Jarrod Lowery, the governor’s community outreach liaison and a Lumbee Indian, presented the proclamation in a ceremony on the steps of the Center.
“It’s a very strong proclamation,” Locklear Hertel said. “It goes much further beyond recognizing culture and heritage.”
Locklear Hertel said the governor’s proclamation recognizes the contributions that American Indians have made to North Carolina and rededicates the state to supporting tribal sovereignty.
“This is powerful language for the governor to use, and we stand ready at Carolina to answer this call,” Locklear Hertel said.
Lowery said the proclamation is a way of showing how North Carolina understands that American Indian communities are still here and that they have a unique heritage mandating that they be treated as special entities.
“The state has a bigger ear to native populations across the state,” he said. “The proclamation is to say that they will no longer be overlooked.”
Tracey Ford, assistant vice president for academic and student affairs of the UNC-system General Administration, said the governor’s proclamation is an exciting milestone for the UNC system. She said she would like to see increased recognition of American Indians in the UNC system and in the state.