Native American Heritage Month
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November is Native American Heritage Month. This is a time to celebrate the unique and diverse Indigenous communities across the nation. It is a time to honor the hope, future, and resilience of Indigenous people.
The history of this heritage month began in 1991. Congress passed a resolution indicating that every November would be proclaimed as “American Indian Heritage Month,” and since then, every sitting president has signed a proclamation.
There are over 500 federally recognized tribes within the U.S., according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and each tribe has its own regalia, culture, teachings, and traditions. There is no part of American history that not been impacted by Indigenous communities. The ways in which these communities have shaped history and the world around us predates the “founding” of this nation by centuries.
Despite painful histories of displacement, genocide, forced assimilation practices, and unjust Federal policies, Native peoples have persevered. However, it is long past time the time when Native communities should be forced to persevere. It is time for policies that empower and protect all Indigenous communities, and for a society that honors the people that were here first.
Part of honoring Native American Heritage month is to rethink the half-truths we learned in history books. By recognizing the truth, we can work towards building a future that is equitable and inclusive.
Within Native American communities there are countless individuals to recognize and celebrations to participate in.
Mary G. Ross, mathematician and engineer for NASA and member of the Cherokee Nation 
Joy Harjo, the first Native American poet laureate in U.S. history and a member of the Muscogee Nation 
Billy Mills, former track and field athlete who won a gold medal in the 10,000 meter run. He is Oglala Lakota (Sioux) and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 
Maria Tallchief, considered America’s first major prima ballerina and member of the Osage Nation 
Jimi Hendrix, most known as one of the greatest electric guitarists. He was of African American, Irish, and Cherokee descent. 
Dr. Anton Treuer, academic and author specializing in the Ojibwe language and American Indian studies 
Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary and a member of the Pueblo of Laguna 
Queen Liliʻuokalani, the only queen regnant and the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom 
Frank Buffalo Hyde, an Onondaga artist that grew up in New York on his mother’s Onondaga reservation 
Dennis Banks, Russell Means, and Clyde Bellecourt at American Indian Movement (AIM) Headquarters, August 1971.
Rock Your Mocs is a fun way to unify Native American, Aboriginal, First Nations, Alaskan Native, Indigenous Peoples globally through social media. #RockYourMocs2021 
Check out this Google Doodle illustrated by Zuni Pueblo guest artist Mallery Quetawki
November is a month to celebrate or become more educated about Native cultures. It is also to recognize that these traditions and legacies remain alive today— passed on with strength and carried into the future by generations to come.
