National Native American Heritage Month
This year’s theme
"Weaving Together Our Past, Present, and Future"
National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation.
Our theme is Weaving together our past, present and future. We will focus on the failed policies of the past with a focus on the Federal Indian Boarding Schools and moving into the present and the work being done to address the intergenerational trauma Native people still face. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution, we are working to record the lasting impacts of that era and share that information with all Americans.
Quotes from the website of the Bureau of Indian Affairs - U.S. Department of the Interior
2024 - November 2 – National Bison Day
On May 9, 2016, the American bison was named The National Mammal of the United States. National Bison Day is an annual celebration of the significance of the American bison held on the first Saturday in November each year. Bison have been integral to tribal culture, providing them with food, clothing, fuel, tools, shelter, and spiritual value. Established in 1992, the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council works with the National Park Service to transfer bison from national park lands to tribal lands. In March of 2023, Secretary Deb Haaland established the Interagency Bison Conservation Working Group to enhance the Department's work to restore the wild and healthy American bison population and the prairie grassland ecosystem using science and Indigenous Knowledge.
Quote from the website of the Bureau of Indian Affairs - "Social Media #Hashtags Throughout November"