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Whereas, Many political concepts, such as federalism, the separation of political and military leaders, the process of admitting new states to the union rather than keeping them as colonies, modern notions of democracy based on egalitarian principles and the recognition of the importance of independence, were concepts admittedly borrowed from the sophisticated League of Iroquois and other Indian nations by such writers as Thomas Payne, Benjamin Franklin and Alexis de Tocqueville; and
Whereas, Native Americans selected and planted individual seeds, rather than broadcasting handfuls across prepared fields, leading to the development of hundreds of varieties of each plant and to the further development of the process known as hybridization, previously unknown to the immigrants and resulting in an agricultural revolution that improved the quality of life for future Americans; and
Whereas, Native Americans are sometimes credited during Thanksgiving for the native turkey, cranberry, squash, sweet potatoes and succotash, but relatively few persons know that the Native Americans gave us many other "American" foods, including snack foods such as popcorn, potato chips, french fries, dried jerky and salsa; and
Whereas, The fundamental regard held by Native Americans for plants and herbs produced remarkable early advancements in the areas of medicine and pharmacology, including the precursors of aspirin, petroleum jelly and ipecac, as well as cures for scurvy, constipation and malaria; and
Whereas, Native Americans were the original architects and pathfinders in this country, but too often the only remaining remnant of their contributions is an occasional Native American name such as Massachusetts, Nantucket, Roanoke, Chicago, Minnesota, Utah and Dakota; and
Whereas, Articulate Native American leaders such as Chief Seattle, Chief Osceola and Chief Joseph are occasionally noted in literature, but rarely do Nevadans recognize the incredible influence that Nevada's own Paiute leader, Wovoka, had throughout the Indian nations and on American history, nor do we fully appreciate the achievements of Sarah Winnemucca as a novelist, linguist, traveler, speaker, cavalry scout and negotiator, making her a true feminist trailblazer of the first order; and
Whereas, These contributions in political thought, agriculture, culinary arts, medicine and leadership are but a few examples demonstrating the lasting influences that the Native Americans have made on the present American culture; now, therefore,