Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month
Holiday name	Native American Heritage Month
Type	Observance
Observedby	United States
Date	November
Significance	Honors Native American history and cultures

Native American Heritage Month Native American Heritage Month is observed each November in the United States to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples including members of the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Sioux, Apache, and Iroquois Confederacy. Federal recognition traces to proclamations involving leaders and offices such as the President of the United States, the United States Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution, while Indigenous advocacy organizations including the National Congress of American Indians, the United South and Eastern Tribes, and the Native American Rights Fund have shaped observance. Celebrations span tribal nations such as the Pueblo of Acoma, Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Osage Nation, Ojibwe, and involve institutions like the National Museum of the American Indian, Library of Congress, and Kennedy Center.

History

Origins of the month draw on earlier observances such as American Indian Day proclamations by state governors in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, as well as federal milestones like the 1968 congressional passage of a resolution introduced by members of the United States Senate and activities led by leaders including Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal-era contacts with tribal officials and later presidents who issued annual proclamations including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. Grassroots campaigns by activists associated with the American Indian Movement, alongside cultural documentation by scholars at the Harvard University Peabody Museum and fieldwork by anthropologists from the American Anthropological Association, fed into the establishment of a month-long observance. In 1990, George H. W. Bush issued a proclamation designating November as a month for observance, followed by formal presidential proclamations from Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, and legislative debate in sessions of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate.

Purpose and Significance

The month is intended to honor leaders such as Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Sacagawea, Chief Joseph, and contemporary figures like Wilma Mankiller and Deb Haaland while recognizing events including the Trail of Tears, the Wounded Knee Massacre, and treaties such as the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. It highlights cultural revival movements tied to institutions like Hopi, Zuni Pueblo, Lakota, Miccosukee, and Seminole Tribe of Florida communities, and underscores legal developments influenced by the Indian Reorganization Act, the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, and rulings in the Supreme Court of the United States such as California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and cases involving tribal sovereignty.

Observances and Events

Programs occur at venues including the National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, National Archives, and universities such as University of Arizona, University of New Mexico, Stanford University, University of Oklahoma, and University of California, Berkeley. Cultural events feature traditional performances by groups from the Pueblo of Zuni, Navajo Nation Fair, Santa Fe Indian Market, and powwows organized by entities like the Gathering of Nations and regional events in Alaska Native Heritage Center, Hawaii’s Indigenous cultural festivals, and the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention. Commemorations often include partnerships with museums like the Field Museum, Peabody Museum, Heard Museum, and arts organizations including the Native American Music Awards and the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Cultural Contributions and Recognition

Recognition of Indigenous artists, writers, and scholars includes figures such as N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, Joy Harjo, Leslie Marmon Silko, Simon J. Ortiz, Vine Deloria Jr., Linda Hogan, James Welch, and contemporary creators like Sterlin Harjo, Tamara St. John, and Korina Emmerich. Visual arts and crafts are represented by artists linked to movements in studios and institutions such as Elizabeth Catlett, James Luna, Kay WalkingStick, Frank Buffalo Hyde, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and galleries like the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. Contributions extend to film and media through works premiered at festivals like the Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival featuring films by Chris Eyre, Zoe Balthazar, and actors such as Graham Greene and Wes Studi.

Education and Advocacy

Educational initiatives engage tribal colleges including Sitting Bull College, Salish Kootenai College, Diné College, Haskell Indian Nations University, and organizations such as the National Indian Education Association, the American Indian College Fund, and the Native American Education Fund. Advocacy for language revitalization involves programs for Lakota Language Consortium, Ojibwe Language Society, Navajo Language Academy, and projects supported by foundations like the Ford Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Legal and policy advocacy involves law clinics at University of New Mexico School of Law, Harvard Law School, and groups such as the Native American Rights Fund, Indian Law Resource Center, and the Tribal Law and Policy Institute.

Celebrations in the United States Government and Media

Federal and state proclamations have been issued by presidents from George H. W. Bush to Joe Biden and by governors in states including Oklahoma, South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, and Alaska. Media coverage appears in outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, PBS, Smithsonian Magazine, and dedicated programming on networks such as National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel with documentaries produced by teams including Ken Burns collaborators and independent producers showcased on platforms like PBS American Experience and festival circuits. Legislative and ceremonial recognition occurs in sessions of the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and through exhibitions at the National Museum of the American Indian and events at the White House.

Category:American observances