# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2024 | The White House

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the history, rich cultures, and vast contributions of Native peoples. We celebrate the

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to Native American Heritage Month at the Department of the Interior! National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time 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. This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation. We celebrate Indian Country with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation.

This year's theme at Interior is Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity. Tribal sovereignty ensures that any decisions about Tribes with regard to their property and citizens are made with their participation and consent. The federal trust responsibility is a legal obligation under which the United States "has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust" toward Indian tribes.

The Department of the Interior plays a key role in strengthening Tribal sovereignty, living up to trust and treaty responsibilities, and conducting robust Tribal consultation. Much of the Department's work under Secretary Haaland's leadership also centers on acknowledging the impact that relocation, forced assimilation, and lack of critical funding has on Indigenous communities across the country. We are committed to elevating those issues while empowering Tribal governments and Indigenous peoples.

This page will continue to update with more information, registration links, and other digital assets as they become ready.

National Native American Heritage Month 2023 Celebrations

November 15 - Rock Your Mocs day
Nov. 13 - 17
Join U.S. Indian Affairs by sharing your mocs photos with us through our social media platforms! Tag @USIndianAffairs on your posts and stories for a chance to be featured on our highlights. Follow us by clicking the linked below:

Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter

Past Themes

Here are some themes used by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior for past celebrations.

2022 - "Revitalizaing Indigenous Connections." Flyer
2020 - "Resilient & Enduring: We are Native People." Flyer
Live Stream:www.doi.gov/events
2019 - "Honor the Past, Embrace the Future" Flyer
2018 - "Empowering Indian Country" Flyer
2017 - "Standing Together" Flyer
2016 - "Serving Our Nations' Flyer
2015 - "Growing Native Leaders: Enhancing Our Seven Generations"
Opening Ceremony Program
Never Again Apology: 15-Year Anniversary Flyer
Never Again Apology: 15-Year Anniversary Program
Never Again Apology Speech Sept 8, 2000 2014 Event Photos
2014 - "Native Pride and Spirit: Yesterday, Today and Forever."Poster Event Photos
2013 - "Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Tradition"
2012 - "Serving Our People, Serving Our Nations; Honoring Those That Served Our Country"
2011 - "Celebrating Our Ancestors and Leaders of Tomorrow"
2010 - "Life is Sacred - Celebrate Healthy Native Communities"
2009 - "Pride in Our Heritage With Gratitude to Our Elders"
2008 - "Tribes Facing Challenges: In Unity, Transforming Hope into Strengths"
2007 - "Keeping in Step to the Heartbeat of the Drum as We Unite as One"
2006 - "Tribal Diversity: Weaving Together Our Traditions"
2005 - "Knowledge of the Past/Wisdom for the Future"
2004 - "Native Nations: Continuing in the New Millennium"
2003 - "A Celebration of the American Indian Spirit"
2002 - "Celebrating Our Past, Creating Our Future"
1989 - National American Indian Heritage Week Program
Additional Links:

A History of National Native American Heritage Month

For almost one hundred years, Americans, both Indian and non-Indian, have urged that there be a permanently designated place on the calendar to honor the contributions, achievements, sacrifices, and cultural and historical legacy of the original inhabitants of what is now the United States and their descendants: the American Indian and Alaska Native people.

The quest for a national honoring of Native Americans began in the early 20th Century as a private effort. As far back as the late 1970s, Congress has enacted legislation, and subsequent presidents have issued annual proclamations designating a day, a week, or a month to celebrate and commemorate the Nation's American Indian and Alaska Native heritage. In 2009, Congress passed, and the President signed legislation establishing the Friday following Thanksgiving Day of each year as "Native American Heritage Day."

Honoring and Citizenship: Early Advocates

After 1900, one of the earliest proponents of a day honoring American Indians was Dr. Arthur Caswell Parker (b. 1881, d. 1955), a Cattaraugus Seneca and the director of the Rochester Museum in New York (now the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences). Dr. Parker (Gawasco Waneh) was a noted anthropologist, historian, and author whose great-uncle was Brigadier General Ely S. Parker, secretary to General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War and the first American Indian to serve as Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior. Dr. Parker also served as the first president of the Society for American Archaeology (1935-36).

Dr. Parker founded several American Indian rights organizations, including the Society of American Indians, in 1911, with the founding of the National Congress of American Indians in 1944, advocating for American Indians to be given U.S. citizenship. He successfully persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the "First Americans," which they did from 1912 to 1915.

In the spring of 1914, another Indian rights advocate, the Reverend Red Fox James (b. 1890-95, d. ?), also known as Red Fox Skiukusha, whose tribal identity is undetermined, began a 4,000-mile trek on horseback to Washington, D.C., to petition the President for an "Indian Day." The following year, on horseback, he traveled from state to state seeking gubernatorial support for U.S. citizenship to be extended to American Indians. On December 14, 1915, he presented the endorsements of 24 governors to the White House. In 1919, he petitioned the state of Washington to designate the fourth Saturday in September as an "Indian holiday."

Also in 1915, the Congress of the American Indian Association, meeting in Lawrence, Kansas, directed its President, the Reverend Sherman Coolidge (1862-1932), an Arapaho minister and one of the founders of the SAI, to call upon the Nation to observe a day for American Indians. On September 18, 1915, he issued a proclamation declaring the second Saturday of each May as "American Indian Day" and appealing for U.S. citizenship for American Indians.

In 1924, Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, extending citizenship to all U.S.-born American Indians not already covered by treaties or other federal agreements that granted such status. The act was later amended to include Alaska Natives.

The Nation's Efforts to Honor American Indians and Alaska Natives

State Observances

The first time an American Indian Day was formally designated in the U.S. may have been in 1916 when the governor of New York fixed the second Saturday in May for his state's observance. Several states celebrated the fourth Friday in September as American Indian Day. In 1919, the Illinois state legislature enacted a bill doing so. In Massachusetts, the governor issued a proclamation, following a 1935 law, naming the day that would become American Indian Day in any given year.

In 1968, California Governor Ronald Reagan signed a resolution designating the fourth Friday in September as American Indian Day. In 1998, the California State Assembly enacted legislation creating Native American Day as an official state holiday.

In 1989, the South Dakota state legislature passed a bill proclaiming 1990 as the "Year of Reconciliation" between American Indian and White citizens. According to that act, South Dakota Governor George S. Mickelson designated Columbus Day as the state's American Indian Day, making it a state-sanctioned holiday.

For more information about state designations for American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native American heritage observations or celebrations, contact the state(s) you are interested in directly.

1992 - The Year of the American Indian

The 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the western hemisphere in 1492 was the occasion for national and local celebrations. However, for Native people, it was an occasion they could neither fully embrace nor participate in.

Congress acknowledged their concerns regarding the Columbus Quincentennial by enacting Senate Joint Resolution 217 (Pub. L. 102-188), which designated 1992 as the "Year of the American Indian." It was signed by President George H.W. Bush on December 4, 1991. According to that act, President Bush issued on March 2, 1992, Proclamation 6407 announcing 1992 as the "Year of the American Indian."

The American Indian response to the anniversary was marked by public protests. Yet, it also was seen by many in that community as a unique, year-long opportunity to hold public education events, commemorations of ancestral sacrifices and contributions to America, and celebrations for the survival of Native peoples over five centuries.

Federal Observances

In 1976, the United States bicentennial year, Congress passed a resolution authorizing President Ford to proclaim a week in October as "Native American Awareness Week." On October 8, 1976, he issued his presidential proclamation doing so. Since then, Congress and the President have observed a day, a week, or a month in honor of the American Indian and Alaska Native people. While the proclamations do not set a national theme for the observance, they allow each federal department and agency to develop ways of celebrating and honoring the Nation's Native American heritage.

Congressional Resolutions and Presidential Proclamations

1976: Senate Joint Resolution 209 authorizes President Gerald R. Ford to proclaim October 10-16, 1976 as "Native American Awareness Week."
1983: President Ronald Reagan designates May 13, 1983 as "American Indian Day."
1986: President Reagan signs on October 14 Senate Joint Resolution 390 (Pub. L. 99-471) which designates November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." He issues Proclamation 5577 on November 24, 1986.
1987: Pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 53 (Pub. L. 100-171), President Reagan proclaims November 22-28, 1987 as "American Indian Week."
1988: President Reagan signs on September 23 a Senate Joint Resolution (Pub. L. 100-450) designating September 23-30, 1988 as "National American Indian Heritage Week."
1989: Pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 218 (Pub. L. 101-188), President George Herbert Walker Bush issues a proclamation on December 5 designating December 3-9, 1989 as "National American Indian Heritage Week."
1990: President George H.W. Bush approves on August 3 House Joint Resolution 577 (Pub. L. 101-343) designating November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." He issues Proclamation 6230 on November 14, 1990.
1991: Congress passes Senate Joint Resolution 172 (Pub. L. 102-123) which "authorize[s] and request[s] the President to proclaim the month of November 1991, and the month of each November thereafter, as 'American Indian Heritage Month.'" President Bush issues Proclamation 6368 on October 30, 1991
1992 President George H.W. Bush issues on March 2 a proclamation designating 1992, which is also the Columbus Quincentennial, the "Year of the American Indian." He does so pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 217 (Pub. L. 102-188), which he signed on December 4, 1991.
1992: President George H.W. Bush issues on November 25 Proclamation 6511 designating November 1992 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
1993: Congress passes Pub. L. 103-462 authorizing the President to proclaim November 1993 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
1994: President William Jefferson Clinton issues on November 5 Proclamation 6756 designating November 1994 as "National American Indian Heritage Month," pursuant to Pub. L. 103-462.
1995: President Clinton issues on November 2 Proclamation 6847 designating November 1995 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
1996: President Clinton issues on October 29 Proclamation 6949 designating November 1996 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
1997: President Clinton issues on November 1 Proclamation 7047 designating November 1997 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
1998: President Clinton issues on October 29 Proclamation 7144 designating November 1998 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
1999: President Clinton issues on November 1 Proclamation 7247 designating November 1999 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2000: President Clinton issues on November 8 Proclamation 7372 designating November 2000 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2001: President George W. Bush issues on November 12 Proclamation 7500 designating November 2001 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2002: President Bush issues on November 1 Proclamation 7620 designating November 2002 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2003: President Bush issues on November 14 Proclamation 7735 designating November 2003 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2004: President Bush issues on November 4 Proclamation 7840 designating November 2004 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2005: President Bush issues on November 2 Proclamation 7956 designating November 2005 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2006: President Bush issues on October 30 Proclamation 8076 designating November 2006 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2007: President Bush issues on October 31 Proclamation 8196 designating November 2007 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."
2008: President Bush issues on October 30 Proclamation 8313 designating November 2008 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Congress passes House Joint Resolution 62 designating the day after Thanksgiving Day, Friday, November 28, as "Native American Heritage Day".
2009: Congress passes House Joint Resolution 40 (Pub. L. 111-33), the "Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009", which designates the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving Day of each year as "Native American Heritage Day." President Barack Obama signs the legislation on June 26. On October 30 he issues a proclamation designating November 2009 as "National Native American Heritage Month" and November 27, 2009 as Native American Heritage Day."
2010: President Obama issues on October 29 Proclamation 8595 designating November 2010 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2011: President Obama issues on November 1 Proclamation 8749 designating November 2011 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2012: President Obama issues on November 1 a proclamation designating November 2012 as "National Native American Heritage Month" and November 23, 2012, as "Native American Heritage Day."
2013: President Obama issues on October 31 a proclamation designating November 2013 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2014: President Obama issues on October 31 a proclamation designating November 2014 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2015: President Obama issues on October 30 a proclamation designating November 2015 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2016: President Obama issues on October 31, 2016 a proclamation designating November 2016 as "National Native American Heritage Month."

2017: President Trump issues on October 31, 2017 a proclamation designating November 2017 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2018: President Trump issues on October 31, 2018 a proclamation designating November 2018 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2019: President Trump issues on October 31, 2019 a proclamation designating November 2019 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2021: President Biden issues on October 29, 2021 a proclamation designating November 2021 as "National Native American Heritage Month."
2022: President Biden issues on October 31, 2022 a proclamation designating November 2022 as "National Native American Heritage Month."

Social Media - Join Us!

We encourage people to participate in social media campaigns to add their voice to Native American Heritage Month. Below are efforts you may participate in:

Graphics and Media

Below are some graphics for you to use. They have this year's them "Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity." Click to download and post on your social media feeds using the hashtags below.

Social Media #Hashtags Throughout November

November 4 - National Bison Day

On May 9, 2016, the American bison was named The National Mammal of the United States. National Bison Day is an annual celebration of the significance of the American bison held on the first Saturday in November each year. Bison have been integral to tribal culture, providing them with food, clothing, fuel, tools, shelter, and spiritual value. Established in 1992, the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council works with the National Park Service to transfer bison from national park lands to tribal lands. In March of 2023, Secretary Deb Haaland established the Interagency Bison Conservation Working Group to enhance the Department's work to restore the wild and healthy American bison population and the prairie grassland ecosystem using science and Indigenous Knowledge.

#BisonDay

#BisonDay2023

#NationalBisonDay

November 11 - Veterans Day

American Indians and Alaska Natives answer the call of duty and defend our Nation's precious liberties at one of the highest rates of any ethnic group in the United States, serving admirably in every branch of our military. Today, 31,000 courageous men and women from American Indian and Alaska Native communities serve on active duty in our Armed Forces.

November 15 - Rock Your Mocs 2023

Established in 2011, Rock Your Mocs, is a worldwide Indigenous Peoples, American Indian and Alaska Native grassroots movement held annually in the U.S. during Native American Heritage Month (November). This social media campaign is held to inspire cultural pride for American Indians and Alaska Natives and to showcase individual tribal identity that also honors our ancestors.
It's easy to participate, simply wear moccasins! Or if you don't own or can't wear mocs (perhaps your tribe didn't wear mocs), wear a Turquoise Ribbon or Apparel instead. You can also use the hashtag(s) #RockYourMocs or #RockYourMocs2023 on your personal social media channels.

#RockYourMocs

#RockYourMocs2023

November 19 - Red Shawl Day

The Violence Against Women Act of 2005 clarified that the unique legal relationship of the United States to Indian tribes creates a federal trust responsibility to assist tribal governments in safeguarding the lives of Native women. For the week of November 15-21st, wear red to draw attention to the horrible acts of violence committed against American Indian and Alaska Native people, particularly women and children. Red symbolizes the loss of sacred life blood through violence. Add to the bigger conversation by using #RedShawlWeek on your social media channels.

November 23 - Thanksgiving

November 24 - Native American Heritage Day

#NativeAmericanHeritageDay

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Native American Heritage Month at the Department of the Interior! National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time 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.

# data[].attributes.headline
UC Davis: A Tribute the Native Americans

# data[].attributes.subject
UC Davis: A Tribute the Native Americans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Online Workshop

November 4

Performance and Discussion

November 4

Artist Raven Chacon in Concert and Conversation

Artist Raven Chacon is joined by Joy Harjo, Candice Hopkins, Ange Loft, Laura Ortman, and Olivia Shortt to present selections from his work, For Zitkála-Šá. A Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Chacon dedicated this portfolio of scores to contemporary Native American and First Nations women to celebrate their contributions to music. Concluding the event is a conversation with the five For Zitkála-Šá performers, moderated by Chacon.

(National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution)

Gallery Talk

November 4
"Kinship": An Artist Talk with Anna Tsouhlarakis
Join us for an artist talk with Anna Tsouhlarakis where she will discuss her work in the "Kinship" exhibition and her performance "Portrait of an Indigenous Womxn [Removed]." Her work with sculpture, installation, video, and performance redefines the expectations of Native American art. The artist will discuss the message and impact of her works.
Free, but registration is required.

(National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution)

Performance

November 9

Charly Lowry: Lumbee-Tuscarora Singer and Songwriter

Charly Lowry is a dynamic singer-songwriter from Pembroke, North Carolina. She is proud to be an Indigenous woman belonging to the Lumbee and Tuscarora Tribes. She considers her work a platform for raising awareness around issues that plague underdeveloped and underserved Native communities.

(Library of Congress)

Ceremony and Family Activities

November 11

Honoring Native Veterans

Join us on Veterans Day 2023 to recognize and honor the military service of Native Americans. Events include family activities, a special presentation about the National Native American Veterans Memorial by the designer, Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), and Curator Rebecca Trautmann, special hospitality for veterans, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial, preceded by the presentation of colors by the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society

(National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Misconceptions About Native American People | Teen Vogue

# data[].attributes.headline
12 Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month

# data[].attributes.subject
12 Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12+ Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore 12+ impactful ways to honor Native American Heritage Month at work. Find activities that promote cultural awareness & celebrate Indigenous cultures.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cherokee Nation Home::Cherokee Nation Website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Cherokee Nation is the federally-recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Joy Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2019-2022 and is winner of Yale's 2023 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry.

The author of ten books of poetry, including the highly acclaimed, Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years, several plays and children's books, and two memoirs, Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior, her many honors include the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Harjo delivered the 2021 Windham-Campbell Lecture at Yale, part of the virtual Windham-Campbell Prize Festival that year. That lecture was the basis for Catching the Light, published in 2022 by Yale University Press in the Why I Write series.

As a musician and performer, Harjo has produced seven award-winning music albums including her newest, I Pray for My Enemies. She served as Executive Editor of the anthology When the Light of the World was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through - A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry and the editor of Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry, the companion anthology to her signature Poet Laureate project.

She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Board of Directors Chair of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, and is the first Artist-in-Residence for Tulsa's Bob Dylan Center. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In REMEMBER, acclaimed Indigenous creators Joy Harjo and Michaela Goade invite young readers to pause and reflect on family, nature, their heritage, and the world around them.

This timeless poem paired with magnificent paintings makes for a picture book that is a true celebration of life and our human role within it.

Praise for REMEMBER

"With Caldecott Medalist Goade as illustrator, recent U.S. Poet Laureate Harjo's acclaimed poem becomes a beauty to behold...A rich and reverential tribute to life, family, and poetry."

- Booklist, starred review

"Evoking the cyclical feeling of a slow breath in and out, it's a smartly constructed, reflective picture book based in connection and noticing."

- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The teeming images thrillingly catch young viewers up as they swirl, circles emphasizing the cyclical nature of life. 'Remember,' closes the text, and children will."

- The Horn Book, starred review

"A contemplative, visually dazzling masterpiece that will resonate even more deeply each time it is read."

- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

With Caldecott Medalist Goade as illustrator, recent U.S. Poet Laureate Harjo's acclaimed poem becomes a beauty to behold.
-Booklist

Fifty Poems for Fifty Years

A magnificent selection of fifty poems to celebrate three-term US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's fifty years as a poet.

In this gemlike volume, Harjo selects her best poems from across fifty years, beginning with her early discoveries of her own voice and ending with moving reflections on our contemporary moment. Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light traces every occasion of a lifetime; it offers poems on birth, death, love, and resistance; on motherhood and on losing a parent; on fresh beginnings amidst legacies of displacement. Generous notes on each poem offer insight into Harjo's inimitable poetics as she takes inspiration from sunrise and horse songs and jazz, reckons with home and loss, and listens to the natural messengers of the earth.

Praise for Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light

"Joy Harjo's work is both very old and very new. She tells stories in verse, sometimes highly compressed, sometimes long and winding, which ritually invoke and link her to roots and sources. She seeks continuity between what she calls her 'past and future ancestors,' and views each poem as a ceremonial object with the potential to make change. She has found a singing language for grief and meaningfully transforms the American story. Her work is a long-lasting contribution to our literature."

-Edward Hirsch

"Joy's poetry voice is indeed ancient. She has always been a visionary. A healer. A guide. . . . The poems in this collection are a song cycle, a woman warrior's journey in this era, reaching backward and forward and waking in the present moment. A chant for survival."

-Sandra Cisneros

"Harjo, though very much a poet of America, extracts from her own personal and cultural touchstones a more galactal understanding of the world, and her poems become richer for it. Here, she says, is a living, breathing earth to which we're all connected. Here is unbridled potential for the poetic-in everything, even in ourselves."

-Maya Phillips, The New Yorker

"These poems taken from half a century of Harjo's work show the powerful words and moving themes that have made her an unforgettable voice in the world of poetry."

- Book Riot

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Joy Harjo was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is a member of the Mvskoke Nation. She is a Poet, Musician, and Playwright. She has 14 books of poetry and five award-winning CDs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Native America | Season 2 Now Streaming | PBS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Season 2 of Native America is a groundbreaking portrait of contemporary Indian Country. Building on the success of the first season, this four-part Native directed series reveals the beauty and power of today's Indigenous world.

# data[].attributes.body
Documentary by Ken Burns

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A New Documentary from Ken Burns Now Streaming

The American Buffalo, a new two-part, four-hour series, takes viewers on a journey through more than 10,000 years of North American history and across some of the continent's most iconic landscapes, tracing the animal's evolution, its significance to the Indigenous people and landscape of the Great Plains, its near extinction, and the efforts to bring the magnificent mammals back from the brink.

For thousands of generations, buffalo (species bison bison) have evolved alongside Indigenous people who relied on them for food and shelter, and, in exchange for killing them, revered the animal. The stories of Native people anchor the series, including the Kiowa, Comanche, and Cheyenne of the Southern Plains; the Lakota, Salish, Kootenai, Mandan-Hidatsa, and Blackfeet from the Northern Plains; and others.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Watch The American Buffalo | A New Documentary from Ken Burns | PBS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The American Buffalo is the biography of an improbable, shaggy beast that has found itself at the center of many of the country's most mythic and heartbreaking tales. Full documentary now streaming. The official site features behind-the-scenes interviews, interactive media, guest essays and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Celebration of Heritage: Native Americans - Bison & the Great Plains

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium's Web Page for Celebrating Native Peoples.

While celebrating the history of Native Peoples, we must not forget the injustices faced byNative Peoples throughout U.S. history. Whereas we know the Library of Congress months and days can be tokenizing, we believe that when taught in conjunction with Ethnic and Social Justice Studies and culturally responsive pedagogy, events such as Native American Day (in September), Indigenous Peoples Day (in October) and Native American Heritage Month (in November) can be used to illuminate the unique histories of the people in our community who come from Indigenous backgrounds. We hope this website provides valuable resources for students, families and educators to learn more about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium's Web Page for Celebrating Native Peoples. While celebrating the history of Native Peoples, we must not forget the injustices faced by Native Peoples throughout U.S. history. Whereas we know the Library of Congress months and days can be

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indigenous In Plain Sight | Gregg Deal | TEDxBoulder

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Official websites use .gov
A.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

We maintain government-to-government relationships with Indian tribes, and facilitate support for tribal people and tribal governments. We promote safe and quality living environments, strong communities, self sufficient and individual rights, while enhancing protection of the lives, prosperity and well being of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Indian Affairs provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to 574 Federally recognized tribes with a service population of approximately 2.5 million American Indian and Alaska Natives. While the role of Indian Affairs has changed significantly in the last three decades in response to a greater emphasis on Indian self-governance and self-determination, Tribes still look to Indian Affairs for a broad spectrum of services.

This announcement follows the decision to designate the college as a voter registration agency under the National Voter Registration Act.

Resources will support Tribal fishing rights and economic development

Funding will provide Indigenous youth with opportunities to engage in meaningful public service projects on federal and Tribal lands.

Looking for U.S. government information and services?

Visit USA.gov

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Official websites use .gov A.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock (Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

# data[].attributes.body
Focus on Native Americans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Great Sand Dunes is an important place in the traditional homeland of the Jicarilla Apache people. Members of the tribe shared their cultural heritage of past and present with park visitors during a special event.
NPS / Patrick Myers

For Native American Heritage Month, we will explore the heritage, culture, and experience of indigenous peoples both historically and in American life today.
America is a vast land of many cultures dating back thousands of years. Today, programs, partnerships, and parks preserve and share the stories and heritage of indigenous peoples. For our monthly theme this month, we can highlight the history, heritage, and traditions of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian peoples.

Share the connections that your park or program has to American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian heritage and history.

Consider connecting this theme with other events in November, including Veterans Day.

Use objects or artifacts in your museum collection to share the history and heritage of native peoples past and present.

Highlight the work that your staff does in telling the story and sharing the experience of Native American heritage or ask them to share how these histories inspired them to work with or for the National Park Service. (Parks can tag NPS.gov articles with "nps careers" to get them to show up on the Careers in the National Park Service page.)

Use videography, photography, storytelling, and social media to share the projects that partners do in preserving and sharing American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian heritage, including through grants and youth programs. (Parks can share this content in NPS.gov articles and tag them "partnerships" to get them to show up on the Partnerships News & Stories page.)

Create and share lesson plans and kids programs related to native peoples of past and present.

Featured NPS.gov Webpages

During November, the National Park Service will feature websites and webpages related to the monthly theme:

Social Media

The National Park Service, National Park Foundation, and all our partners are encouraged to use #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque hashtags on park- and NPS program-related social media posts to continue to inspire everyone to find their personal connections to national parks.

When sharing posts related to this month's messaging on social media, also use the hashtag #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.

More November Themes & Activities

Every month, the National Park Service celebrates different national holidays and initiatives that provide opportunities to share our mission through websites, social media, and other platforms. Find information on a related topic on NPS.gov, hashtags that national parks are using, and other messaging tools to use on these special days.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
November 2020 Monthly Message: Native American Heritage Month (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Native American Heritage Month, we will explore the heritage, culture, and experience of indigenous peoples both historically and in American life today. America is a vast land of many cultures dating back thousands of years. Today, programs, partnerships, and parks preserve and share the stories and heritage of indigenous peoples.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Two crimes nearly two centuries apart provide the backbone to a 2020 Supreme Court decision

About this Podcast

An 1839 assassination of a Cherokee leader and a 1999 murder case - two crimes nearly two centuries apart provide the backbone to a 2020 Supreme Court decision that determined the fate of five tribes and nearly half the land in Oklahoma.

Patrick Murphy was convicted of murder by the state of Oklahoma in 2000. But defense attorneys soon discovered that his conviction may have been based on a lie. Hosted by Rebecca Nagle, an Oklahoma journalist and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this podcast will provide an in depth look at how a cut and dry murder case opened an investigation into half the land in Oklahoma and the treaty rights of five tribes. Follow along to find out what's at stake, the Trump administration's involvement, the larger right wing attack on tribal sovereignty and how one unique case resulted in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history.

View All Episodes

Host

Be A Voter. Save America.

Shop Vote Save America Merch

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Land is Crooked Media's 8-episode podcast series hosted by Rebecca Nagle about how a cut and dry homicide opened up an investigation into the treaty rights of five Native American tribes. Find out how this unique case could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history.

# data[].attributes.headline
Who is Native American, And Who Decides That? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Who is Native American, And Who Decides That? 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Today marks the start of Native American Heritage Month, and like all heritage months, it's a time when teachers, activists, journalists, including us, often like to use it to think more deeply about the history, contributions and sometimes even the conflicts involving a group of people.

And sometimes, that involves asking and answering questions that may come across as awkward and even offensive. Our next guest has taken on the challenge of answering just these kinds of questions. Anton Treuer is a professor of Ojibwe history and language at Bemidji State University. He is the author of many books. His latest is "Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask," and he has agreed, over the course of the month, to visit us from time to time to answer some of the questions that many people have.

So, with that being said, professor, thanks so much for joining us.

ANTON TREUER: Thanks for having me on.

MARTIN: Would you start, if you don't mind, by telling us a little bit about your own native identity?

TREUER: Sure. I was born in Washington, D.C., actually. My father had taken a job out there at that point in time, but I've lived most of my life on and near the Leech Lake Reservation in Northern Minnesota. There's a small village called Bena, which if you blink while you're driving down Highway 2, you would certainly miss it. There are a couple hundred people there and I'm related to just about every single one of them.

My grandparents or grandmother's still living there and most of my extended family, so we've spent a lot of time there. I currently live about a quarter-mile off the reservation, kind of in between Cass Lake and Bemidji, which is right in the center of Northern Minnesota.

And through the course of my own upbringing, I kind of lived in two worlds. Like a lot of native people, I went to school in a nearby town - Bemidji for me - with lots of native students and many more white students. And at the same time, my family, for example, has - you know, snared rabbits and harvested maple syrup and sugar every year and have done a lot of wild ricing and hunting and things like that. So I kind of grew up, on the one hand, with lots of experience with those sort of things and lots of experience with the big, broad world that everybody encounters in a traditional school environment.

MARTIN: So, if someone were to want to know how you describe yourself, how is that question asked?

TREUER: Oh, I've had it asked of me just about every way you could imagine. I guess, for me, too, you know, it's a little harder with radio to see this, but you know, I have dark brown skin and long black hair in a braid. I'm quite visibly native, but there are many native people who may not look quite so identifiably native. There has been lots of mixed marriages and so forth over the years.

In this part of Indian country, about a third of the people actually have French surnames and they include the tribal leadership at Red Lake and Leech Lake and many other places and so there's been a long history of intermarriage with other people, so...

MARTIN: Well, that leads to the question that I had, which I think a lot of people have, which is a question that you actually talk about in your book...

TREUER: Right.

MARTIN: ...which is just who gets to say that he or she is Native American and how is that decided.

TREUER: Yeah. It's a great question and this is an issue that's somewhat contested in Indian country. If you talk to 10 different people, you may even get 10 different answers. And it's one of the disclaimers that I should put on the air here, is that I only claim to represent my view, not the view of everybody in Indian country.

MARTIN: So let's just say, with that being said, that this is your personal take on it. Who is Native American? Who gets to decide that?

TREUER: Yeah. Well, there are a couple of layers. One is tribal citizenship. One thing that's really different for Native Americans as opposed to other racial and ethnic enclaves in the United States is that Native Americans in most places have tribes that function as distinct governments and tribal members are really citizens of those tribal nations. So an enrolled citizen of the Leech Lake Ojibwe is actually a citizen of the United States and a citizen of their tribal nation.

Deciding who gets to be a citizen is something that tribal governments decide. So for example, at a place like Leech Lake, you have to prove at least 25 percent Ojibwa blood and it has to be from Leech Lake or another of the six tribes that are shared membership in the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. They will not count blood from Red Lake, which is another Ojibwa reservation. They will not count blood from another tribe. So you actually do find some people who are citizens of a native nation that have a 25 percent blood quantum, even though they might be 100 percent native.

MARTIN: OK. Well, explain that term, if you would, blood quantum. What is that? And talk more, if you would, about what role it can play in determining tribal identity.

TREUER: Well, most of the 571 federally recognized reservations in the United States use blood quantum as the primary criteria for determining who can be a citizen of that native nation. What it is is it's an old-fashioned term for a proven percentage of native blood.

MARTIN: From your book, you say that blood quantum is the percentage of a person's racial lineage that can be documented as Indian.

TREUER: Right.

MARTIN: Blood quantum was first used in Virginia in the 18th century to restrict the rights of people with half or more native ancestry. And by the 1930s, the federal government and many tribes were using blood quantum to determine who was eligible for tribal citizenship. So you can see where I think in the modern world this would be pretty controversial. Has anybody suggested that that's not appropriate anymore?

TREUER: Yes. And I'd be the first of the people to suggest that that is no longer appropriate. I don't think it ever really was. The system was designed in the late 1800s but further refined in the early 1900s, and this was the height of the eugenics movement and so forth. And really, the system was designed to kind of have native people breed themselves out of existence and it was really a highly flawed measure. Just to give you one example, the White Earth Reservation in northwestern Minnesota actually had all kinds of shenanigans going on over land speculation and fraud and a lot of native people lost their own private land parcels within the reservation borders. In the contest that ensued, there were scientists named Albert Jenks and Ales Hrdlicka who came to White Earth to determine who was actually native and who was not, who was a full blood, who was a mixed blood. It would scratch someone's skin and if it changed color, they were coded as a mixed blood. They measured craniums. They measured the height of cheekbones. And everybody from, you know, people on the street to scientists know that this was not real science. But believe it or not, the lists that they developed in the 19 teens are actually the basis for tribal enrollment at the White Earth today.

MARTIN: Hmm.

TREUER: As a result, they actually went from over 5,000 people at White Earth who said they were full-blooded Indians, and the scientists coded 126 of them as full bloods.

MARTIN: Well, you're saying now it seems to be working in some ways the other way. That there are people within the tribes who were using these same crazy rules to exclude other people who want to identify with the community.

TREUER: Yeah.

MARTIN: Do you have a story about that - a personal story about that you could tell us?

TREUER: Sure. I'll give you the broad picture and then I'll share my own story with you. You know, broadly, tribes have reacted in different ways. So some like the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma have realized that there were so many people who should legitimately be members of their native nation who are being excluded, that they actually changed the criteria from blood quantum to proven lineal descent. And as a result, they're actually one of the most numerous tribes in the United States.

In other places, like at St. Croix in Wisconsin, they actually increased their blood quantum requirement to one half. And their big gaming tribe, individual citizens receive a payment every month from the tribal casino operation and they're worried about diluting their own benefits. And the politics of exclusion has become the economics of exclusion. So you'll find different tribes deal with this in different ways.

MARTIN: If you're just joining us, this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm speaking with Professor Anton Treuer. He is the author of "Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask." He is our guest for a series of conversations during Native American Heritage Month.

You were saying that you have a personal story that you didn't mind sharing. Do you - about that...

TREUER: Sure. I have a number of them. You know, among the many hats that I wear, one is as a father, and I actually have nine children. And three of my children are enrolled members at Leech Lake. And I have a big blended family, so not all of them are actually enrolled there. And one year we went over to the tribe's Christmas party and they had toys, like a toy for each kid who had come to the party. And my kids lined up with everybody else, you know, for their little five-dollar toy, and my children, who were enrolled at Leech Lake all received a toy and everyone else was denied a toy.

MARTIN: Mmm.

TREUER: And I had a really hard time explaining to the kids why three of them were more special or more rewarded than the other six. And so, I mean it's a small, petty, little thing but it can affect, you know, and hurt people's feelings and so forth.

MARTIN: One aspect of identity, Professor, can sometimes be the way you're treated, right? Because of who you are, what you wear, what you look like. I think this is something that African-Americans will relate to. You know, African-Americans obviously come from all different places. You know, people trace their heritage to Africa, but maybe have come here via slavery or maybe came here via, you know, immigration or from the Caribbean. And yet, you find as part of that common experience the experience of being treated a certain way because of their appearance. And I wanted to ask, is that something that binds Native Americans, a certain treatment, if I can - can I put it that way?

TREUER: Sure. I guess I should back up even and say there's a lack of diversity in Indian country. You will find Native American people who really look visibly white, who look very black, or who look like they are the direct descendent of Sitting Bull. But I think at the same time that there is a shared experience in treatment by the general population and the government and so forth and all of this can serve to bind people together.

MARTIN: Do you know if I ask if you've had any personal experiences with racism or hostility or discrimination based on your - either your known identity or just your appearance as a person of native heritage?

TREUER: Oh, yes, I've had many. I remember going to first grade and I had, you know, long, dark hair. And my teacher really thought it would be really funny or interesting to dress me up like a girl in front of class. And so she put in barrettes in my hair and, you know, all this stuff and I was six years old, standing in front of my class, humiliated, not knowing what's going on. It just seems amazing...

MARTIN: And nobody intervened? Nobody said that's wrong? Nobody said stop it? She just - she just dressed you up like a girl for fun?

TREUER: No. It was a bunch of other six grade, you know, six-year-olds in the class so nobody else really, you know, got in her face about it.

MARTIN: Yeah. Right.

TREUER: And, you know, usually the most common things that happened to me in school were, you know, maybe a little bit later on, I'd say well, what about the Indians? And the teacher would say something like oh, that's who was here before and go right on with the lesson and I remember sitting there thinking, but I'm here now.

MARTIN: Hmm.

TREUER: But I had, you know, experiences with peers as well. I remember one time when I was in middle school, we had four of us who had to sit at a table and this was in actually an industrial tech shop class. And the other three kids just spent the whole time going off on Indians, you know, Indians are all drunks, they are leeches on the government, this and that. And I said that's not true. And then the kid would say yeah, that's what my dad said, you know, and you just think that because you're a dumb Indian. And it just - all year long. And there was no way out of it or around it. And, so I had, you know, many experiences like that and I guess some of that is what led me to think I'm just going to get out of here. You know, I'm going to go to some place that has a zip code that has a higher population density and people who are not predisposed to hate anyone, you know who is brown or looks like me. And then when I got out to Princeton University then I, of course, ran into the same existent attitudes even amongst the best educated people in the United States, and that's part of what inspired me to, you know, write and teach about this stuff. And I think we all have a...

MARTIN: I was going to ask you that. Do you think that that's in part why you decided to become a teacher, and also to really go straight at these questions? Do you think that's part of the motivation?

TREUER: Oh, sure. I just came to the realization that there was no way around or away from the borderland. It would follow me everywhere I went. There was only a way through it. And I also came to the realization that anyone of any race going to school in this country has usually gotten, you know, a sugarcoated version of Christopher Columbus and the first Thanksgiving and few other opportunities to learn more and more deeply about the first people of the land. And that through no fault of their own, even people who are really goodhearted might be so afraid of sounding ignorant or offending somebody that it ends up being safer not to ask questions or not to teach about, you know, Native Americans. And so we need to make, you know, more entry points, more accessible information, you know, and I guess a book or a radio show, these are just different ways to leverage your connection and communication with a broader group of people.

MARTIN: OK.

TREUER: We're so often imagined but so infrequently well understood. You know, we all have a lot of work to do.

MARTIN: Anton Treuer is a professor of Ojibwa language and history at Bemidji State University. He's the author of a number of books, including "Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask." He was kind enough to join us from Northern Community Radio in Bemidji, Minnesota. And he has agreed to join us throughout Native American Heritage month to explore different, you know, different themes and issues in Indian country and Native American heritage.

And next week we plan to talk about politics. Thanks so much for joining us, Professor Treuer.

TREUER: Thanks for having me on.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTIN: And that's our program for today. And remember, to tell us more, please go to NPR.org and find us under the Programs tab. You can find our podcast there. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The handle is @TELL ME MORE/NPR. I'm Michel Martin and you've been listening to TELL ME MORE from NPR News and the African-American Public Radio Consortium. Let's talk more tomorrow.

Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Who Is Native American, And Who Decides That?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than five million people in the U.S. claim some form of Native American identity, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. November is Native American Heritage Month and host Michel Martin kicks it off with the first in a series of conversations with author Anton Treuer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month has evolved from its beginnings as a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

Through dance, family traditions, art, and music, these stories show both the contemporary diversity and long history of Indigenous people across the land we now call the United States. Celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in a special collection of films and programs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month has evolved from its beginnings as a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

# data[].attributes.body
His ambition is to be the President of the US someday!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Inside life on the Lakota Sioux reservation l Hidden America: Children of the Plains PART 1/5

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Extended Trailer | Native America: A Documentary Exploring the World of America’s First Peoples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"In order to secure to ourselves and our descendants the rights and benefits the traditional laws of our people to which we are entitled to as sovereign nations" - from the Preamble to the Constitution of the National Congress of American Indians - Denver, Colorado - 1944

The Unified Voice of Indian Country

Since 1944 NCAI has served as the unified voice for American Indian and Alaska Native Issues.

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.

NCAI, a non-profit organization, advocates for a bright future for generations to come by taking the lead to gain consensus on a constructive and promising vision for Indian Country. The organization's policy issues and initiatives are driven by the consensus of our diverse membership, which consists of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments, tribal citizens, individuals, and Native and non-Native organizations.

For nearly seven decades since its founding, NCAI has remained true to the original purpose of the organization: to be the unified voice of tribal nations. As outlined in the NCAI Constitution, our purpose is to serve as a forum for unified policy development among tribal governments in order to: (1) protect and advance tribal governance and treaty rights; (2) promote the economic development and health and welfare in Indian and Alaska Native communities; and (3) educate the public toward a better understanding of Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

Governance & Membership

NCAI 22nd President, Jefferson Keel and the Executive Committee conducting the annual conference of NCAI members.

NCAI is organized as a representative congress of American Indians and Alaska Natives that serves to develop consensus on national priority issues that impact tribal sovereignty. American Indian and Alaska Native governments pass resolutions to become members of NCAI, selecting official delegates to the NCAI Executive Council, Mid-Year Conference, and Annual Convention. During these events, delegates consider issues of pressing concern in accordance with their governments' policies, goals, and needs. NCAI members vote on and pass resolutions to determine NCAI's position on a broad range of issues.

NCAI members also elect the organization's Executive Committee. The NCAI President, 1 st Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer are elected by the entire membership. The twelve Regional Vice Presidents are elected by their respective regions. All board members serve for two-year terms.

Learn more about NCAI Leadership, Governance, and Membership.

Issue Advocacy & Public Education

Since as far back as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Administration, NCAI has been the leading voice for tribal interests in Washington, DC, ensuring that the federal government upholds its trust responsibility to tribal nations and Native peoples.

Today, NCAI is actively engaged through national and international advocacy efforts, educational campaigns and events, and programmatic initiatives. These efforts and partnerships promote strong tribal governments and address the many human, economic, social, environmental, and cultural needs of Native communities.

The NCAI Policy Research Center (PRC), is a tribally driven think tank established as a program of NCAI in 2003. The PRC supports and informs policy development efforts with tribally driven data and analysis.

These combined efforts offer the most comprehensive tribally driven solutions focused on strengthening tribal nations, educating the general public, and enhancing the nation-to-nation relationship between tribal governments and the governments of the United States.

Support for NCAI

NCAI's efforts are made possible by generous foundation and partner support, annual tribal and individual membership fees, and donations from individuals.

Learn more about NCAI's Supporters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"In order to secure to ourselves and our descendants the rights and benefits the traditional laws of our people to which we are entitled to as sovereign nations" - from the Preamble to the Constitution of the National Congress of American Indians - Denver, Colorado - 1944 Since 1944 NCAI has served as the unified voice for American Indian and Alaska Native Issues.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1877, the US federal government unilaterally seized the Black Hills - which contain Mount Rushmore - from the Sioux, a direct violation of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. The treaty language stated that these lands should be reserved for the "absolute and undisturbed use and occupation of the Indians."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We work to end the long history of treaty violations and systemic corruption that has resulted in the loss of children and sacred lands for the Lakota people. #OurChildrenAreSacred #NoDAPL Take action to defend Lakota sovereignty now at lakotalaw.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For more than ten thousand years, Native Americans have lived in many parts of the Americas. Following the European arrival in America, however, many Native groups were destroyed, changed, or silenced. However, in the twentieth century, many leaders pushed to have Native American culture once again recognized and honored.

Native American Heritage Month is a time for celebrating the cultures and accomplishments of the indigenous peoples of North America. In modern times, Americans observe this month every November. Native American Heritage Month is rooted in previous plans for days or weeks set aside to learn about and celebrate the lives and ways of these first people of North America.

Native Americans have lived in what is today the United States...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gale In Context: High School - Topic - Native American Heritage Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For more than ten thousand years, Native Americans have lived in many parts of the Americas. Following the European arrival in America, however, many Native groups were destroyed, changed, or silenced. However, in the twentieth century, many leaders pushed to have Native American culture once again recognized and honored.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tribal Youth Leaders at the Embassy of Tribal Nations

Interdependence has been a value of Native cultures since time immemorial. Today's tribal leaders were once the children of the community and will be its elders tomorrow. Native youth provide a special perspective on the world, and have a unique power and motivation to make a difference within their communities. While youth are undoubtedly the future of tribal nations, many are already serving as leaders and agents of change in their communities today.

Over one-third of the Native population is under the age of 18 as compared to only 24 percent of the total population who are under the age of 18. There is a large bubble in the 15-19 age group for the American Indian and Alaska Native population, so even more Native young people will be able to vote in the next few years and will likely be headed to college or other advanced education and training pathways.

This sizeable young population represents an unprecedented moment of opportunity. Providing youth with the tools, resources, encouragement, and positive environment they need to thrive is an incredibly important investment tribal leaders have prioritized to ensure a strong future for their community.

Native youth sit at the confluence of where our past joins with present and future; and tribal leaders often work to create experiences for their youth that celebrate Native culture while exposing youth to new knowledge. As essential culture and tradition bearers, preparing youth for the future may not just mean preparing them to walk in two worlds, but preparing them for the "one world" of tomorrow by ensuring that they feel strong in their Native cultures and that they feel confident engaging with other cultures.

Embassy of Tribal Nations
1516 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 466-7767, Fax: (202) 466-7797

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tribal Youth Leaders at the Embassy of Tribal Nations Interdependence has been a value of Native cultures since time immemorial. Today's tribal leaders were once the children of the community and will be its elders tomorrow. Native youth provide a special perspective on the world, and have a unique power and motivation to make a difference within their communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Back to Commemorative Observances
Overview

National American Indian Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers and settlers of the United States.

"National American Indian Heritage Month" had its origins in 1986 when Congress passed (PDF, 93KB) which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." As directed by Congress, President Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation 5577 in November 1986 proclaiming the first American Indian Week. Both law and proclamation recognized the American Indians as the first inhabitants of the lands that now constitute the United States as well as making mention of their contributions to American society:

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. Countless American Indians have served in our Armed Forces and have fought valiantly for our country.

In 1987 Congress passed Pub. L. 100-171 which again called upon the President to designate the week of November 22-28, 1987 as "American Indian Week" while in 1988 Congress passed Pub. L. 100-450 which designated the week of September 23-30, 1988 as "National American Indian Heritage Week." According to Pub. L. 100-450 this change from November to September was made because "the last week of September begins the harvest season in the United States." Then in 1989 Congress passed Pub. L. 101-188 which asked the President to proclaim the week of December 3-9, 1989 as "National American Indian Heritage Week."

As requested by Congress, Presidents Reagan and George Bush issued annual proclamations in 1987, 1988, and 1989 for "National American Indian Week," honoring the achievements of the American Indians.

In 1990 Congress passed Pub. L. 101-343 (PDF, 211KB) which authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the month of November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Congress chose the month of the November to recognize the American Indians as this month concluded the traditional harvest season and was generally a time of thanksgiving and celebration for the American Indians. President George H.W. Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 6230 which paid tribute to the rich history and culture of the American Indian tribes. In 1991 Congress passed Pub. L. 102-123 which authorized and requested the President proclaim the months of November 1991 and 1992 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Subsequently, Congress passed Pub. L. 103-462 authorized the President to proclaim November 1993 and 1994 as "National American Indian Heritage Month."

Since 1995 Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump have issued annual proclamations which designate November as National American Indian Heritage Month, or since 2009 as National Native American Heritage Month. These proclamations celebrate the contributions of the American Indians and urge the peoples of the United States to learn more about the American Indian cultures.

Legislative Branch Documents

The public laws that designated a week and then a month for National American Indian Heritage are available in the United States Statutes at Large which is widely available online through the Government Publishing Office as well as in federal depository libraries. The specific citations are as follows:

Executive Branch Documents

Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders have been used by presidents to rule on substantive issues of law; to administrate the executive branch of government; and to make general announcements to the public. These general announcements which exhort the public to observe a holiday such as Thanksgiving or honor a particular group of citizens as in National Black History Month are usually issued in the form of a Presidential Proclamation. On many occasions Congress will pass a law specifically requesting the President to take certain action such as proclaiming the recognition of a particular group of citizens as Jewish or Hispanic Americans.

Listed below are examples of Presidential Proclamations for American Indian Week or National American Indian Heritage Month beginning with 1986 along with the citations to the Code of Federal Regulations or the Federal Register the official publications for Presidential Proclamations.

To search for Presidential Proclamations on the annual observances of Hispanic Heritage Week or Month, through American Presidency Project, select the year and click on the Apply button.

Presidential proclamations as well as Presidential statements, messages, remarks for Hispanic Heritage Month can be searched for from the Government Printing Office's Advanced Search page in the following collections: Code of Federal Regulations, the Compilation of Presidential Documents and the Federal Register.

Web Resources
Native American Heritage Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Back to Commemorative Observances National American Indian Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers and settlers of the United States. "National American Indian Heritage Month" had its origins in 1986 when Congress passed (PDF, 93KB) which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the storied legacy of American Indians and Alaska Natives in our Nation. Their cherished legacy, rich cultures, and heroic history of military service inspire us all. This month, as we recommit to supporting Native American Tribes and people, we resolve to work side-by-side with their leaders to secure stronger, safer communities and preserve their sacred heritage for future generations.

In recognition of the importance of Indian Country to the cultural identity of our Nation and the strength of our economy, my Administration has taken unprecedented action to promote the health and wellbeing of Native American communities. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, we secured the largest investment in Indian Country in our Nation's history, providing $8 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to ensure Native American communities have the resources they need to combat the virus. In August, I signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act, the largest conservation effort in a generation, which includes up to $475 million in guaranteed funding over the next 5 years to improve American Indian school infrastructure. I recently secured the return from Finland of a number of cultural artifacts and human remains originating from Native American Tribes in the Mesa Verde region, and I will continue to work to identify Native American artifacts wrongfully taken abroad and will work with Tribal partners to bring them home. And we are continuing to work alongside Native American leaders to combat crime and violence through important initiatives like Operation Lady Justice, addressing the long-ignored tragedy of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

To further our commitment to Native American communities, my Administration recently released our policy vision for Indian Country entitled "Putting America's First Peoples First - Forgotten No More!" This comprehensive plan protects Tribal sovereignty and economic self-determination while also promoting public safety, providing for high-quality education, and delivering lasting solutions to long-unresolved healthcare challenges in Indian Country. Through concrete actions like my Administration's reform of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, we are helping increase access to water, broadband, electric, and other utility infrastructure in Indian Country. Working with Tribal leaders, we are creating investment opportunities in Native American communities, building on their storied traditions while looking toward a shared future of prosperity and cooperation.

Native Americans play a critical role in the health and vitality of our great Nation. During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor their vibrant cultures. As business owners, artists, teachers, writers, courageous members of our Armed Forces, and so much more, their contributions to our society are cause for celebration and appreciation by all Americans. This month, as we honor the heritage of Native American Tribes and people, we resolve to support their legacy and communities for generations to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2020 as National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities and to celebrate November 27, 2020, as Native American Heritage Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2020 | The White House

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to content During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the storied legacy of American Indians and Alaska Natives in our Nation. Their cherished legacy, rich cultures, and heroic history of military service inspire us all.