In 1990, Congress passed and President George H. W. Bush signed into law a joint resolution designating the month of November 1990 as the first "National American Indian Heritage Month." This legislation, introduced by Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye and Congressional Delegate Eni Faloemavaega of American Samoa, stated that, "the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon Federal, State, and local governments, interested groups and organizations, and the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities." The origins of this month-long observance date back to 1916 when New York became the first state to declare an "American Indian Day." More on American-Indian Heritage Month

Explore the Senate's collection of Paintings, Sculpture, and Graphic Art.

Robert Latham Owen was elected in 1907 as one of the first two United States senators for the state of Oklahoma. He is one of three United States senators known to be of Native American descent. He served three terms in the Senate.  A member of the Cherokee Nation, Owen taught orphaned Cherokee children and represented the Five Civilized Tribes as a federal Indian agent before entering politics as a Progressive Democrat. In the Senate, Owen focused on national banking policy. The first chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency, he cosponsored legislation creating the Federal Reserve System in 1913.