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The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916, in New York. The event culminated an effort by Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, who rode across the nation on horseback seeking approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, more than seven decades later, then-President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating the month of November “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994 to recognize what is now called “American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.”
In this Facing History & Ourselves interview with Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah (Martha's Vineyard), she talks about feelings around the Mayflower landing, celebrating Indigenous survival, and how to teach true history. [Updated Nov. 3, 2023]
Honoring Native American Heritage Month with a collection of seven poems by Native American poets,
including U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
For 24 year old Delmar, learning about traditional practices is a way to honor her heritage and make sense of her place in the world.
For a century, the U.S government believed what was best for Native American kids was to strip them of their families and communities, their culture and language, their hair and clothes. Now, mounting research has demonstrated how this policy has decimated communities and been deadly to Native peoples. “Identification with a particular cultural background and a secure sense of cultural identity is associated with higher self-esteem, better educational attainment (grades and going to college), and is protective against mental health problems, substance use, and other issues for adolescents and adults,” a summary of research by the National Indian Child Welfare Association stated in 2017.
This Facts for Features presents statistics for American Indian and Alaska Native population, one of the six major race categories defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. These facts are possible thanks to responses to the U.S. Census Bureau’s surveys.
From The New York Times
This week we bring you “A Conversation With Native Americans on Race,” the latest installment in our wide-ranging “Conversation on Race” series. Directed by Michèle Stephenson and Brian Young, the film grapples with the racist contradictions of a country that, many feel, would prefer it if Native Americans didn’t exist.