00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 32                                                                     
01 Encouraging the United States Board on Geographic Names to adopt place name                                             
02 changes proposed by the Alaska Historical Commission.                                                                   
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04       WHEREAS Alaskans have lived in the land now known as Alaska for at least 10,000                                 
05 years and perhaps as many as 30,000 years; and                                                                          
06       WHEREAS strangers from other lands have arbitrarily named Alaska geographic                                     
07 features, disregarding the names commonly used by Alaska Native peoples; and                                            
08       WHEREAS  some of the names given to geographic features in Alaska do not have a                                 
09 direct connection with Alaska or its peoples, but instead reflect a stranger's desire to honor a                        
10 patron, gain favor with a political figure, or honor a college; and                                                     
11       WHEREAS Alaska's Native peoples are endeavoring to preserve as much Native                                      
12 culture and heritage as possible; and                                                                                   
13       WHEREAS Alaska historians are trying to preserve Alaska's known history; and                                    
14       WHEREAS the United States Department of the Interior is actively collecting and                                 
15 recording original names from Alaska Native elders and from pioneers; and                                               
16       WHEREAS Alaskans desire to honor their Native citizens and traditions and Alaska's                              

01 pioneers;                                                                                                               
02       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the United                               
03 States Department of the Interior to adopt policies for the United States Board on Geographic                           
04 Names that would allow and encourage the board to adopt place name changes proposed by                                  
05 the Alaska Historical Commission.                                                                                       
06       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Gale Norton, United States                             
07 Secretary of the Interior; Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, U.S. Board on Geographic                                
08 Names; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S.                                         
09 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                                       
10 delegation in Congress.