Native American Heritage Month: resources for celebrating

WASHINGTON, DC – According to the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Indian Affairs, Native American Heritage Month in November provides a designated time and space to celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation.

HISTORY of Native American Heritage Month

The month-long recognition originally began as a one-day event to honor the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. In the early 1900s, New York Museum of Arts and Science Director Dr. Arthur C. Parker (Seneca) was instrumental in founding the first American Indian Day when he convinced the Boy Scouts of America to adopt the day, which they did for three years.

In 1915, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, (Arapahoe), President of the Congress of the American Indian Association, issued a proclamation that declared the second Saturday of each May as an American Indian Day and contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.

Jerry C. Elliot-High Eagle (Cherokee/Osage) authored a piece of legislation in 1976 that led President Gerald Ford to proclaim the week of October 10-16 as “Native American Awareness Week,” which recognized the impressive role played in our society by American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts. The proclamation specifically honored Native Americans who made notable contributions in fields such as education, law, medicine, sports, art, the military, science, and literature.

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed November 23-30, 1986, as “American Indian Week, in which he acknowledged Native Americans as the first explorers and settlers of the areas now known as the U.S. Additionally, his proclamation read, “Many of the foods we eat and the medicines and remedies we use were introduced by Indians, and more than one highway follows an Indian trail. Indians make contributions in every area of endeavor and American life, and our literature and all our arts draw upon Indian themes and wisdom.”

Congress passed a joint resolution in 1990, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, designating November as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Since then, the month of November, now known as Native American Heritage Month, has recognized and celebrated Native Americans.

Despite decades of proclamations and recognition, it wasn’t until recently that the injustices, violence, and failed policies from and by the European colonizers, the U.S. Government, and others were addressed.

On October 31, 2024, President Joe Biden proclaimed November 2024 as Native American Heritage Month. (Excerpts from the proclamation below and the full proclamation at tinyurl.com/mr4cz9tx  )

POWERFUL WORDS: EXCERPTS FROM BIDEN’S PROCLAMATION

During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the history, rich cultures, and vast contributions of Native peoples. … And we recommit to respecting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination and working in partnership with Tribal Nations to bring new prosperity and security to Native peoples.

Indigenous peoples’ history in the United States is defined by strength, survival, and a deep commitment to and pride in their heritage, right to self-governance, and ways of life. Native peoples have built and sustained powerful Tribal Nations, and the knowledge they developed still benefits us today. However, our Nation’s failed policies of the past subjected generations of Native peoples to cruelty, violence, and intimidation. The forced removal of Native peoples from their homes and ancestral homelands; attempts to assimilate entire generations; and stripping of Indigenous peoples of their identities, cultures, and traditions are some of the darkest chapters of our Nation’s history. …

Indigenous peoples have persisted and survived — a testament to their resilience and resolve. Today, Native communities are leading the way forward and continuing to strengthen the fabric of the United States. They have long served in the United States military and currently serve in the highest levels of government — including the Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, America’s first Native American Cabinet secretary. In every field and sector, Native peoples are pushing for progress and contributing to our shared prosperity.

I have always believed that we must know the good, the bad, and the truth of who we are as a Nation — we must acknowledge our history so that we can begin to remember and heal. …. I am proud to formally end the silence surrounding this shameful (boarding school) era and I remain proud that my Administration defended the Indian Child Welfare Act in court, ensuring that our Nation respects Tribal sovereignty and protects Native children by helping Native families stay together and grow up with their languages and cultures. And we are working to support Native American families and communities as they heal from the Federal Indian Boarding School era through the Department of the Interior’s Road to Healing initiative and by supporting Native language preservation and public safety initiatives.

During National Native American Heritage Month, we … remain committed to working with Native communities to write a new and better chapter in American history for Tribal Nations — one that honors the solemn promise the United States made to Tribal Nations, fulfills our Federal trust and treaty obligations, and works together to rebuild Tribal economies and institutions.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, …do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Native American Heritage Month. I urge all Americans, as well as their elected representatives at the Federal, State, and local levels, to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. Also, I urge all Americans to celebrate November 29, 2024, as Native American Heritage Day. RESOURCES for observing and celebrating Native American Heritage month are plentiful and easily accessible on the internet. Here is just a sampling:

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/

Course: Foundations for Transforming Teaching and Learning about Native Americans. Free, registration required. Taught by educators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, this course is designed for education professionals who are incorporating more complete narratives about Native American histories, cultures, and contemporary lives into their teaching. Homeschoolers, parents, and others looking for educational resources about Native Americans can also register. Learners will explore Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°), the National Museum of the American Indian’s national initiative to inspire and support transformative teaching and learning about Native Americans.
americanindian.si.edu/nk360/professional-development/upcoming-webinars#becoming25

Voices to Honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Listen to the stories and lives of Indigenous people from all backgrounds as told to National Public Radio’s Story Corps. tinyurl.com/y5e78r46

Cultural Survival is an Indigenous led U.S. registered non-profit that advocates for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience, since 1972. This year Cultural Survival partnered with CBS news to celebrate Indigenous athletes of the past, present, and future. This partnership resulted in a 60-second animation film, “A Gift from the Haudenosaunee,” about Indigenous Peoples in sports, and in particular, the Creator’s game (lacrosse), a gift from the Haudenosaunee.

tinyurl.com/4bpasak6
womenshistory.si.edu/blog/twelve-women-know-native-american-heritage-month
womenshistory.si.edu/blog/leading-ballerina-maria-tallchief-and-six-more-women-know-native-american-heritage-month
womenshistory.si.edu/blog/learn-about-native-womens-military-service-national-native american-veterans-memorial opens

(Contact Grace Terry at graceterrywilliams@gmail.com)

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