Ways to Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month, celebrated every November in the United States, honors the rich histories, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Native peoples. The observance originated as “American Indian Day” in the early 20th century, with Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, advocating for recognition. In 1915, the Congress of the American Indian Association approved a resolution to dedicate a day to Native American heritage. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month, later renamed Native American Heritage Month. This month serves as a time for reflection, education, and celebration of Indigenous traditions while acknowledging the challenges faced by Native communities throughout history.

If you’re looking for ways to learn more about the history of Native Americans, or to honor this demographic, see the list of suggestions below.

Explore Native history in Chicago

You don’t need to travel to find Native American heritage. Chicago is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the U.S. and occupies land that belonged to the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi people. Choose Chicago has rounded up events and celebrations happening in the city all month long. Click here to learn more.

Listen to Native stories

StoryCorps is a nonprofit organization collecting an oral history of America. Since its founding in 2003, StoryCorps has recorded nearly 700,000 conversations  across the country. The recordings are collected in the U.S. Library of Congress and air weekly on NPR. Visit this link for a roundup of stories from Native Americans.

Read Native stories

As editor-in-chief, I may be biased, but I think reading is a gateway to understanding. While we can’t ever know what it’s like for others, reading their stories can allow us to briefly inhabit their world, experience their joys, and understand their struggles. One of my favorite Native American reads is Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass“. In this nonfiction work, Kimmerer brings both her Potawatomi heritage and her experience as a botanist to the table. It’s a beautiful telling of her life as a mother, scientist, and Native American. 

Currently, I’m reading “The Sentence” by prolific Native American author Louise Erdrich. This work of fiction follows a previously incarcerated indigenous woman, Tookie, as she works at a bookstore from Nov. 2019-Nov. 2020. The bookstore has become haunted by a deceased patron. Tookie grapples with the haunting as the world shuts down due to Covid, and then her city (Minneapolis) burns after the murder of George Floyd. 

For more options, visit Goodreads’ list of 68 new books to read for Native American Heritage Month.