Native American Heritage Month celebrates centuries of influence.

November is Native American Heritage Month, an annual celebration of the contribution Native Americans have made, and continue to make.

From art and jewelry, to the conservation of land and animals, the language we use today and the food we eat, the contributions of Native American influences are all around us.

Each year, that contribution is celebrated through a variety of events, forming part of the now well-established Native American Heritage Month. If you can't make it to local events, many are available to view as virtual events.

This year’s celebrations offers many virtual webinars and other online events taking place – all of which will recognize the important contribution of Native people to American culture and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native people.

The month of activities is also an opportunity to educate people about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

This years events include:

• Reclaiming the Stage 
  Join in a conversation with young Indigenous actors and playwrights who are reimagining Native representation on the stage. DeLanna Studi (Cherokee) will moderate the discussion between panelists Tara Moses (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma), Emily Preis (Citizen of the Osage Nation) and Isabella Madrigal (Cahuilla and Turtle Mountain Chippewa). Registration required.
• All American: The Power of Sports
  This new exhibition at the National Archives Museum includes stories and artifacts related to sports at Indian boarding schools, and a special display about legendary athlete Jim Thorpe featuring the Olympic gold medals restored to his family in 1982 and a handwritten letter Thorpe sent in 1935. (National Archives Museum). 
• Native American Cinema Showcase (November 18–25, 2022)
  The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film. By embracing oral histories, knowledge, and ancestral lands, Indigenous peoples are creating films to better understand the past and imagine a new way of thinking for the future.

More information on how to access these webinars, as well as the host of other online activities taking place as part of Native American Heritage Month, can be found here.

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