Native American Heritage Month

By Bismah Arif, 2026

Published 11/30/2024

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every year in November, it's a time to celebrate the traditions, cultures, languages, and stories of the Native American and Alaska Native communities. 

Its origins can be traced back to multiple individuals and organizations who sought to raise awareness about Indigenous people. One of those people was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Native, who founded the American Indian Defense Association and advocated for American Indian Day. Parker persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to celebrate the day for three years. In 1915, the American Indian Association officially recognized September 28th as American Indian Day. Later in 1990, President George H. W. Bush designated November as the “National American Indian Heritage Month.” 

However, the question remains: why do we celebrate it? It's because the legacy of Indigenous peoples in the U.S. is profound and impactful. They had lived in America way before any European stepped foot on these lands, holding a vital connection through cultural expression, social traditions, oral histories, and ceremonies. Regardless, numerous Americans don't know that their own culture incorporates characteristics from Native American cultures. Early Native Americans were explorers who built pathways that led to the first roads and railways. Their historical knowledge contributed to modern medicines, soaps, clothing, fishing, hunting, and land use. Their teachings helped form the Boys Scouts and Girls Scouts in America. In fact, Inca, Mayan, and Aztec cultures influenced U.S. democracy. Essential concepts in the U.S. Constitution trace are modeled from the Iroquois Confederacy, the oldest participatory well-functioning democracy. Not only that, but almost half of U.S. states carry Indigenous names like Connecticut, Kentucky, and Arizona which are derived from Amerindian words. 

In addition, Native Americans even contributed to the world by discovering edible plants, and they still contribute today as a whopping 60% of the world's food supply comes from Native American agriculture (mostly corn and potatoes) according to the USDA. 

Despite their invaluable attainments, Indigenous communities have faced genocide, cultural destruction, discriminatory policies, dislocation, and all forms of mental, emotional, and physical abuse. Even today they face problems like insufficient funding, environmental protection issues, land rights abuse, lack of representation, and astonishingly: violence and killing. Native American women make up a large portion of the missing and murdered cases. Not only is the murder rate 10 times higher than the national average for women but murder is the 3rd leading cause of death for Native women. 

Often called the "Silent Crisis", violence against Native American women is shockingly common, as the perpetrators are usually non-Native and the cases seldom make the news. The local police rarely firmly pursue such cases, and the government ignores the grieving families' cries for help. A relative of one of the missing women pleaded, “I am asking you to recognize that Indigenous women matter, and the way our missing and murdered women cases are handled needs to be corrected. We will no longer be the invisible people of the United States.” Since Native Americans are only 1% of the population, their voices aren't heard, so to bring light to these cases, officials must focus their attention on helping this minority, rather than continuing the cycle of harming Native families. 

Overall, for all of their contributions and disparities, Indigenous Americans are still forgotten and excluded in this modern day. Thus, it is important to learn and reflect on the cultural and social significance of Native Americans and to celebrate their traditions and stories; ensuring that their rich cultures continue for future generations to remember.