Native Americans are the original inhabitants of the land that now constitutes the United States. They have helped develop the fundamental principles of freedom of speech and separation of powers that form the foundation of the United States Government.

The statement asserts two linked claims: first, a historical fact about Indigenous peoples’ priority of presence in what became the United States; second, a civic argument that Native political traditions influenced core U.S. constitutional ideals. By pairing “original inhabitants” with contributions to “freedom of speech” and “separation of powers,” the quote functions as a corrective to narratives that treat American democracy as solely a European import. It also serves a commemorative and political purpose—recognizing Native nations as foundational actors in U.S. history and implying that contemporary governance should acknowledge Indigenous sovereignty, ideas, and rights rather than relegating them to the past.