When is Native American Heritage Month celebrated?

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated throughout November each year.

What is the historical significance of Native American Heritage Month?

President George H.W. Bush designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month in 1990, recognizing the rich cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of Native American and Alaska Native communities.

How has the Native American Heritage Month celebration evolved over the years?

The celebration started as American Indian Day in 1916, evolved into a week-long celebration in 1986, and eventually became the month-long American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month in 1994.

What is the population of American Indian and Alaska Native people in the United States?

As of 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a population of 3.7 million American Indian and Alaska Native people, expected to grow to more than 10 million by 2060.

Why is Native American Heritage Month culturally relevant?

The month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native Americans and Alaska Natives while raising awareness of the challenges they have faced and continue to face.

How can I contribute to cultural awareness during this month?

Employers can organize events, film festivals, art exhibits, and cultural performances, encouraging employees to learn about the contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

What are some ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in the workplace?

Celebrate by sharing information about local events, encouraging employees to share their heritage, supporting Native businesses, watching Indigenous films, reading books on Native culture, and hosting events to explore Native American and Alaska Native cuisine.

How can I show support on social media during Native American Heritage Month?

Show support by using hashtags such as #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth and #AlaskaNativeHeritageMonth on social media platforms.

Why is it important to include remote and hybrid workers in these celebrations?

Including remote and hybrid workers ensures that all employees feel valued and included in the celebration of Native American and Alaska Native heritage, contributing to a sense of community within the workforce.

Celebrating Native Heritage in the US

As November 1st marks the beginning of Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, it’s a significant occasion that deserves attention, offering employees an opportunity to recognize colleagues with Native American and Alaska Native Heritage. Celebrating native heritage is a great way to raise awareness and build understanding and inclusivity for this important demographic in American history.

Importance of Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month

In the early 1900s, Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, rode on horseback to 24 state governments to gain approval to have a day designated as a day to honor American Indians. His efforts were successful. In May 1916, the first American Indian Day was celebrated.

The celebration of Indigenous cultures became a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as “American Indian Week.”

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month and, in 1994, the event became known as the American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. 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 American and Alaska Native communities.

Through its iterations its purpose remained consistent: to honor these important members of American history.

Historical Significance

In 2020, the United States’ American Indian and Alaska Native population was 3.7 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It’s a population that is expected to grow to more than 10 million by 2060—representing about 2.5% of the total US population.

The month-long celebration of Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month offers an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native people while also raising awareness of the unique challenges they have faced, and continue to face today.

These groups join others that we also recognize each year, through commemorative events like Pride Month, Caribbean Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage, Black History Month, and others. These national commemorative occasions offer an opportunity for employers to help employees understand more about each other and their diverse backgrounds and histories of those they work with.

Cultural Relevance

The nation, and employers and individuals across the nation take time during the month of November to reflect on the cultural relevance and contributions that Native Americans and Alaska Natives have made to the country. Events including film festivals, art exhibits, and cultural performance organized by organizations like the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Records Administration, National Gallery of Art, and National Park Service help raise awareness of these important members of the country and educate citizens about their many contributions.

Employers also have an opportunity to use this annual month of recognition to educate and inform employees about their Native American and Alaska Native colleagues.

Let’s Celebrate

In November, take time to celebrate the contributions and traditions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives by:

Sharing information about local community events and activities.
Asking employees to share information about their heritage and cultures.
Encouraging employees to support Native businesses.
Watching and sharing films made by Indigenous people.
Reading and recommending books on Native American and Alaska Native culture.
Hosting potlucks and other events to share and learn about Native American and Alaska Native cuisine and culture.
Sharing your support on social media using the hashtags #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth and #AlaskaNativeHeritageMonth.

As we celebrate and honor the rich heritage of Native American and Alaska Natives, take advantage of opportunities to build connections and community between these and other groups in your workforce. Together they contribute to your organization’s success. Make sure not to overlook your hybrid and remote workers in these celebrations—it’s important for all employees to feel included and valued.