"Over half a millennium ago, Christopher Columbus — an ambitious navigator native to Genoa, Italy — set sail for new horizons.... Though his first of four voyages across the Atlantic did not end at his desired destination of Asia, Columbus's adventure reflected the insatiable thirst for exploration that continues to drive us as a people.... Though these early travels expanded the realm of European exploration, to many they also marked a time that forever changed the world for the indigenous peoples of North America.... and as we pay tribute to the ways in which Columbus pursued ambitious goals — we also recognize the suffering inflicted upon Native Americans and we recommit to strengthening tribal sovereignty and maintaining our strong ties." — Barack Obama