Native American Heritage Month

Efforts to formally recognize Native Americans began in the early 20th century. Arthur Caswell Parker, a Cattaraugus Seneca historian, laid the groundwork for later federal observances when he helped launch the Society of American Indians in 1911; he also convinced the Boy Scouts to recognize a "First Americans Day” from 1912 to 1915.

In 1914, the Reverend Red Fox James of the Blackfeet tribe rode approximately 4,000 miles to petition President Woodrow Wilson to establish a national "Indian Day." Wilson made no known proclamation then—or the following year, when James returned to Washington, D.C. and delivered endorsements from 24 governors.

Several states, however, began setting their own observances around this time. In 1916, New York became one of the first states to mark “American Indian Day” after advocacy by Parker and the Congress of the American Indian Association, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

More progress was made in 1924 when Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States. (Voting rights, however, weren't nationally protected until the 1965 Voting Rights Act.)

California followed suit in 1939 with an “Indian Day,” and, in 1968, Governor Ronald Reagan created a “California Indian Day.” National steps followed, including a 1976 proclamation by President Gerald Ford designating a “Native American Awareness Week.”

Reagan, as president, established an “American Indian Day” in 1983 and Congress created the first “American Indian Week” in 1986. Reagan’s Proclamation 5577 supporting that effort stated that Native Americans were the country’s first settlers and explorers. 

“Indians make contributions in every area of endeavor and American life, and our literature and all our arts draw upon Indian themes and wisdom,” the proclamation reads. “Countless American Indians have served in our Armed Forces and have fought valiantly for our country.”

According to the Library of Congress, a second “American Indian Week” followed in November 1987. In 1988, it was renamed “National American Indian Heritage Week" and moved to September to coincide with the harvest season. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed December 3-9 “National American Indian Heritage Week.”

Congress passed a joint resolution in 1990 to dedicate a full month of recognition to Native Americans. Bush, in turn, issued a proclamation designating November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar presidential proclamations continued through 2024.

“Today we reaffirm our support for increased Indian control over tribal government affairs and we look forward to still greater economic independence and self-sufficiency for Native Americans,” Bush’s 1990 proclamation stated.  

The resolution noted the timing of the recognition coincided with the upcoming 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Western Hemisphere in 1492.

Additionally, Congress created Native American Heritage Day on the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2009 under the Native American Heritage Day Act. This established the observance, but did not make it an official federal holiday. In 2025, President Donald Trump, as part of his rollback of diversity-related policies, broke with White House tradition and issued a brief message rather than a formal presidential proclamation.

The goals of Native American Heritage Month include educating the public about Indigenous histories and cultures, recognizing tribal sovereignty, preserving cultural traditions and languages and honoring contributions in areas such as military service, arts, science, sports and governance. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2023, there were 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States and about 9.7 million people with American Indian and Alaska Natives ancestry, making up 2.8 percent of the U.S. population.

Throughout November, communities, schools and institutions host a variety of events, including exhibits showcasing Indigenous art and history and educational programs and curriculum in schools. Other events include public readings, storytelling events, film screenings, festivals and community gatherings. 

“This month is a time to honor the legacy of our ancestors, but every day we should stop to think about our country’s beginning, and that the U.S. would not exist if not for a great deal of sacrifice, blood and tears by Indian Tribes across the country,” former New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland of the Pueblo of Laguna, told The New York Times in 2018. 

Former Secretary of the Interior Haaland—the first Native American to serve as a cabinet-level official—added that Native Americans have much to celebrate. As she told the Times, “The songs, dances, culture and traditions surrounding planting and harvests, the prayers that are sent upward for healing and peace, and the welcoming of children into our families, are all reasons for us to keep moving forward with optimism.”