CODE Committee Insight: Native American Heritage Month

By: CMAA NCC CODE Committee

What is Native American Heritage Month? 

Native American Heritage Month started at the turn of the century, initially to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States. This day celebration has grown and ultimately resulted in a whole month being designated to celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions and histories of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.

Origins of Native American Heritage Month:

One of the original proposals for this day was made by Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, NY, from 1924-1945. In 1911, Arthur and Charles A. Eastman, a Native American Physician, founded the Society of American Indians to help educate the public about Native Americans. Arthur persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the “First Americans,” and for three years, they adopted such a day. On September 28, 1915, the president of the American Indian Association, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe Indian, issued a proclamation that declared the second Saturday of each May “American Indian Day,” and the proclamation contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.

The governor of New York declared the first American Indian Day within a state on the second Saturday of May 1916. Several states followed thereafter. In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” A similar proclamation in 1994 issued the variant of the name “Native American Heritage Month.”

The Native American Community: 

There are 573 federally recognized tribal governments and 326 Indian reservations in the United States. These tribes possess the right to form their own governments, enforce laws (both civil and criminal) within their lands, tax, establish membership requirements, license and regulate activities, and zone and exclude persons from tribal territories. Several tribes are recognized by states but not by the federal government. Among these many Native American tribes are the Alaskan and Hawaiian natives.

Native Alaskans are divided into three main groups: The Inuit, the Aleuts, and the First Nations. The Aleuts, also called Unangan, are believed to have migrated to the Aleutians about 7,000 years ago and lived in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of mainland Alaska. The Inuit settled by the icy northern seas of Western Alaska, which made them more mobile than the Aleuts, who lived on ice-free waters. First Nations consisted of several Indian tribes. Two of the larger groups were the Haida and the Tlingit, who primarily resided in the southeastern region of Alaska. These groups were specifically known for their mountaineering and fishing skills, which were more common among the other native tribes that settled in Alaska. Today Alaska Natives account for just over 15% of the total Alaskan Population (Approx. 648,000 people).

Native Hawaiians are the indigenous people who settled the Hawaiian archipelago, founded the Hawaiian nation, and exercised sovereignty over the Hawaiian Islands. Native Hawaiians have deeply relied on land and nature, physical and spiritual wellbeing, identity, and political empowerment throughout their history. Prior to 1778, Native Hawaiians organized around a social system in which Ruling Chiefs from every Island took on the responsibility of organizing the people to develop an infrastructure of irrigation networks, roads, and fishponds to intensify food production and basic necessities. Their centuries-old way of life was abruptly changed when the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown for political and financial gain by American and Foreign businessmen in 1893. Despite many attempts to petition and fight to reinstate their traditional monarchy, Native Hawaiian lives would never be the same again. In 1978 Hawaii became the only state with two official languages: English and Hawaiian.

Federally Recognized tribal governments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Native_American_Tribal_Entities

Indian Reservations in the United States:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_reservations_in_the_United_States

Tribes recognized by individual States but not the Federal Government:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_State_Recognized_American_Indian_Tribal_Entities

Other resources:

• Books:
• The Lakota Way
• Not Without Our Consent
• Heart Berries: A Memoir
• Podcasts:
• Indian & Cowboy
• All My Relations
• The Native Seed Pod

• Films:
• American Indian Film Festival
• Without a Whisper: Konnon: kwe
• Indian Horse

• Nonprofits that accept donations and directly impact the Indigenous community in the U.S.:
• Decolonizing Wealth
• Honor the Earth
• Native American Rights Fund

Other ways to learn about and support indigenous communities throughout the year:

• Learn more about tribal communities in your area.
• Follow Native American news outlets on social media.
• Read books and share stories written by American Indians.
• Watch movies, shows, and documentaries produced by or starring Native Americans.
• Check out the Native American music scene.
• Visit museums, heritage centers, and historical sites that honor Native Americans.
• Get involved with organizations that support and uplift Native Americans.