Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month in November

National Native American Heritage Month honors the accomplishments of American Indians and recognizes American Indians as the original inhabitants of the U.S. The tradition began in 1986 when Congress authorized and requested that President Reagan proclaim the last week in November “American Indian Week.” By 1990, the celebration was extended to the entire month of November. It has become standard practice for the President to designate the month of November as National Native American Heritage Month yearly by setting forth a proclamation. The 2015 presidential proclamation of national Native American heritage month can be found on the White House website.

This year, the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior set the theme for this year’s Native American Heritage Month as “Growing Native Leaders: Enhancing Our Seven Generations.” This year’s conference will be November 10 – 18 in Washington DC and feature keynote speaker Raina Thiele – Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. A link to both the flyer and web address where the conference will be streamed are provided.

For those looking to get involved in a more hands-on interactive way we have found events involving both digital and healthy lifestyle options. We R Native is holding a contest for Native American Heritage Month. This month’s contest invites American Inidan and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth to submit pictures “showing the world what it means to be Native.” The contest is open to applicants between the ages of 13-21 with a submission deadline of November 20. Information and submissions can be found on the We R Native website. For those looking to explore a different aspect of AI/AN culture the First Nations Development Institute has compiled a list of food recipes using indigenous ingredients as a way of celebrating the occasion. Lastly we would like to remind you that “Roc your Mocs” week is November 8-15.

Because suicide is the second leading cause of death for AI/AN’s between the ages of 10-34 it is important to remember that Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is November 21. You can find a local event or attend an event being streamed online starting at 10:30 am Pacific.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also provides information about AI/ANs, their health and accomplishments in recognition of National American Indian Alaska Native Heritage Month. This information can be found on the CDC website.