; Whereas the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971 signaled a new era of economic opportunity for Alaska Natives; Whereas Alaska’s Native people have made major contributions to the vitality and success of Alaska as a State; Whereas the people of Alaska represent the pioneering spirit that built this great Nation and contribute to our cultural and ethnic diversity; and Whereas the diamond anniversary, on January 3, 2019, provides an occasion to honor Alaska’s entry into the Union: Now, therefore, be it