Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

NOVEMBER

One of the first proponents of an “American Indian Day” was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York. He convinced the Boy Scouts of America to reserve a day for the “First Americans” and for 3 years they observed this day. Grand Canyon National Park celebrates Native American Heritage Month. In this photo, the Dishchii' Bikoh' Apache Group from Cibecue, Arizona, demonstrates the Apache Crown Dance. (November 18, 2010)

The year before Coolidge’s proclamation was issued, Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode on horseback from state to state trying to garner approval for a day to honor Native Americans. He presented the endorsements of 24 state governments at the White House on December 14th, 1915. However, there is no record that a national day was proclaimed. On the second Saturday of May 1916, the governor of New York declared the first American Indian Day in a state. Several states also celebrated the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, a similar day was enacted in 1919. In present day, many states have designated Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but this day is still not recognized as a national legal holiday. Grand Canyon National Park celebrates Native American Heritage Month. In this photo, the Dishchii' Bikoh' Apache Group from Cibecue, Arizona, demonstrates the Apache Crown Dance. (November 18, 2010)

In 1976, Cherokee American Indian J.C. Elliott-High Eagle wrote legislation designating American Indian Awareness Week as October 10th to 16th, 1976. President Gerald Ford signed the legislation, and it became the first official week of national recognition for Native Americans. Grand Canyon National Park celebrates Native American Heritage Month. In this photo, the Dishchii' Bikoh' Apache Group from Cibecue, Arizona, demonstrates the Apache Crown Dance. (November 18, 2010)

In August 1990, President George H.W. Bush declared November as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Every year from 2012 to 2016, President Barack Obama made a Presidential proclamation on the last day of October proclaiming that each November would be Native American Heritage Month. Thus, the efforts which had begun at the turn of the century to get a day for recognition of the contributions of Native Americans to the establishment and growth of the United States resulted in a whole month designated to this purpose. CM Debora Juarez presented a proclamation to declare November "Native American Heritage Month" in the City of Seattle. Tribal leaders joined with CM Juarez to receive the proclamation (26 November 2016)

National Native American Heritage MonthWhat started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the...Nativeamericanheritagemonth

In 1915, the Congress of the American Indian Association formally approved a plan about an American Indian Day at its annual meeting in Lawerence, Kansas. The Congress instructed its president, Reverend Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, to call upon the United States to observe a day. On September 28th, 1915, Coolidge issued a proclamation declaring the second Saturday of each May as American Indian Day. The proclamation also contained the first formal appeal to recognize Native Americans as citizens. Grand Canyon National Park celebrates Native American Heritage Month. In this photo, the Dishchii' Bikoh' Apache Group from Cibecue, Arizona, demonstrates the Apache Crown Dance (November 18, 2010)