UNITED STATES — November marks the annual observation of National Native American Heritage Month, intended to provide a platform for Indigenous people in the U.S. to share and honor their culture, traditions and crafts, along with their ways and concepts of life.
This year’s theme for the monthlong occasion is “250 Years and Beyond: Building a Culture of Service in Indian Country,” according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs.
“This year’s theme … highlights our shared work to recognize our past, celebrate the present, and deliver results for tribal communities,” the Indian Affairs office writes on its website. “This includes important efforts to secure justice for missing and murdered Indigenous people, creating new avenues of economic development, and drastically improving the probate process.”
The month features individual days celebrating and honoring various components of Native culture. Last Saturday was National Bison Day, which recognizes the cultural, historical and economic significance of bison to Tribal nations. “Rock Your Mocs Day” will celebrate Tribal identities through traditional footwear on Sunday, Nov. 15.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Red Shawl Day will honor missing and murdered Indigenous people, “supporting their families and communities and reaffirming our shared responsibility to advance justice and public safety in Indian Country,” per the Indian Affairs office. According to a 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice, 84.3% of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center states that, on some reservations, Native American women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average.
In 2023, Jackson’s Town Council voted unanimously to incorporate a land acknowledgment into all town meetings. It names the Nimi’ (Bannock), Niitsitapi (Blackfeet), Apsáalooke (Crow), Newe (Eastern Shoshone), Aaniiih (Gros Ventre), Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) and Hinono’eino (Northern Arapaho) Peoples, recognizing the earliest inhabitants of the Jackson area and their living relatives.
According to the U.S. Senate’s history website, the state of New York declared an “American Indian Day” as early as 1916 to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Indigenous peoples. In 1976, President Gerald Ford proclaimed Oct. 10 to 16 to be “Native American Awareness Week” as part of the country’s bicentennial celebrations. The annual weeklong observation was born in 1986 with “American Indian Week,” repeated annually and morphing into “Native American Indian Heritage Week.” By 1990, the entire month of November was designated as National American Indian Heritage Month.
Native American Heritage Day will be observed on Friday, Nov. 27.
