November is National American Indian Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
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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)
Image Credit: National Archives Catalog
Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field
Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field is a series of three photo essays created by Native photojournalists Donovan Quintero, Tailyr Irvine, and Russel Albert Daniels in collaboration with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. These photographers share the same desires: to break down stereotypes of Native peoples and to portray the diversity and complexity of their contemporary lives.
Native American Heritage Month - NPS Celebrates! (U.S. National Park Service)
America is a vast land of many cultures dating back thousands of years to the original inhabitants of the land. History and heritage of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Island communities are part of every national park and communities across the country today. Every November during Native American Heritage Month and throughout the year, the National Park Service and our partners share history and the continuing culture of America's indigenous peoples.
Image Credit: SAMO Dancer NPS Photo by Connar L'Ecuyer
American Indian Records in the National Archives
The National Archives holds hundreds of thousands of U.S. Government records relating to Native Americans, from as early as 1774 through the mid-1990s. These include every treaty signed with Native Americans, records from the Indian Schools, Indian Census Rolls, and Bureau of Indian Affairs records.
Research Native American records »
Image Caption: “Native Americans from Southeastern Idaho, ca. 1897” National Archives Identifier: 519208
Native American Veterans
American Indians have eagerly served a government which did not always keep its word to their ancestors. They have volunteered to serve in conflicts from World War II to Iraq. Few encountered any overt prejudice while in uniform, but for all American Indian veterans, the honor of defending their country overrode all other considerations.
Image credit: (Dan Akee (2004), Veteran's History Project)
For Teachers
Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids from the nation's premier cultural heritage preservation institutions.
National Endowment for the Humanities Teacher's Guide to American Indian History and Heritage »
See all Resources for Teachers »
Image Credit: Long Walk Home—Gallup Downtown Murals—by Richard K Yazzir, 2005
2022 Event Highlights
Online Discussion
November 1
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.
(National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution)
Online Event
November 1
The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America
Historian H. W. Brands follows the lives of General William Tecumseh Sherman and Apache leader Geronimo to tell the story of the Indian Wars and the final fight for control of the American continent.
(National Archives YouTube Channel)
Ceremony
November 11
Native Veterans Procession and Dedication
Join the Smithsonian in honoring the exceptional military service of Native Americans in a formal dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The dedication and processional will honor American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans and their families. The procession and ceremony will also be livestreamed.
(National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution)
Films, Online Events
November 18-25
Native Cinema Showcase
The Native Cinema Showcase is a weeklong celebration of the best in Indigenous film. This year’s online program includes a total of 35 films representing 30 Native nations in eight different countries. Genres include documentaries, music videos, kid-friendly shorts, films in Indigenous languages and more.
(National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution)
Performance
November 25
Native Voices with Storyteller Dovie Thomason
Storyteller Dovie Thomason shares traditional stories about animals and hero/tricksters that provide a clearer understanding of the values and cultures of the diverse First Nations of North America. Thomason draws on her own Lakota/Kiowa Apache tradition and experience working with culture-bearers of other Native nations.
(Library of Congress)
Additional Events
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