November has been designated “National American Indian Heritage Month” since 1990. It is a time to celebrate the diverse traditions and languages of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities, as well as their contributions to the culture and history of the United States, while raising awareness of the genocidal policies they faced in the past and their survival and strength in the present.
The forced removal of Native peoples from their homes and ancestral homelands; attempts to assimilate entire generations; and stripping of Indigenous peoples of their identities, cultures, and traditions are some of the darkest chapters of our Nation’s history. But Indigenous peoples’ history in the U. S. is also defined by strength, survival, and a deep commitment to and pride in their heritage, right to self-governance, and their ways of life.