Above Center: "Shafiyq" El Ali Cherokee/Roanoke/Polish
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Person: El Ali
Telephone Number: 484-466-1481
Email Address: Indigenous9@hotmail.com
Headline-Pennsylvania Senate Passes Resolution Recognizing American Indian Peoples and Communities
On June 23, 2011, a small group of dedicated American Indians made history by writing a Resolution to Recognize Americans in Pennsylvania and having it pass The Pennsylvania Senate. The Resolution 157, which recognized American Indian Peoples and Communities though (congratulatory in nature) set a historical precedent to recognize all American Indian Nations in Pennsylvania whether they were here before William Penn or arrived in the State 3 years ago. In a state that prides it’s self on its history, American Indians were not thought of to recognize. American Indians in Pennsylvania have been trying to be recognized for generations. In 2002 April 23, 2002 there was a Pa State Committee hearing on House Bill 713 that was sponsored by State Rep. Louise Williams Bishop to officially recognize Pennsylvania’s American Indians, but it did not receive enough support to get out of the committee.
Many American Indians who live in the Commonwealth have gone through great adversities such as the purposeful mis-identification from 1800’s to the 1900’s to label them "colored," "Negro," "mulatto" and "white," resulting in the dilution of their identities.
Resolution 157 recognizes this struggle to maintain their identity and culture for future generations. This would not have been possible without the small group of American Indians from Philadelphia, El Ali- Cherokee/Roanoke/Polish who wrote the draft for the Resolution; Pocahontas Sunrise Turquoise- Muskogee/Miccosukee/Echota Cherokee/Blackfeet; Brightday Osceola Brooks- Seminole;
David Standing Rock Eno Bail’ey-Eno/Lenape and many other American Indian elders from Philadelphia whom helped in the drafting process along with the great assistance from State Senator Vincent Hughes’s office that presented the Resolution and guided its passage.
This Recognition thought not formal allows them to help foster pride, cultural integrity and awareness among young and older American Indians and to acknowledge the respect for its culture and history of its people in the Commonwealth. A formal ceremony will occur in October of 2011 in Philadelphia.
