National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month 2009

Each November, National American Indian Heritage Month pays tribute to the legacy of the American Indians and Alaska Natives — the first Americans — and celebrates their enduring contributions to the history and culture of the United States.

Today, there are nearly 5 million American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, or 1.6 percent of the total population, and this is expected to jump to 8.6 million, or 2 percent of the population, by 2050. more…

• Presidential Proclamation on Native American Heritage Month 2009
• President Obama Remarks During Opening of Tribal Nations Conference

• Photo Galleries

• Video

Edward S. Curtis, Photographer of the American West (7.85 MB) (04:08) 

• IIP Publication  

Indigenous People
This edition of eJournal USA provides insight into Native Americans and other indigenous peoples. Articles provide historical background and look at issues surrounding their languages and culture, their legal status, and how they are networking around the world.

• Useful Links 

American Indian History, Culture
List of articles on America.gov dealing with American Indian history and people 

Library of Congress: Native American Heritage Month
Web portal, produced by the Library of Congress and several other institutions, that links to exhibits, collections, images and other resource materials.  

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA -U.S. Department of the Interior)
Established in 1824, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provides services directly or through contracts or grants to about 1.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. There are 564 federally recognized American Indian tribes in the United States (see PDF version). BIA manages 56 million acres (227,000 square kilometers) of land held in trust for American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives. The Bureau of Indian Education provides education services to about 48,000 Indian students.  

Census Bureau: Minority Links: American Indians and Alaska Natives
Among other Census Bureau resources are American
Factfinder and Facts for Features.

Education Department (ED): Office of Indian Education
Supports efforts of Indian tribes and local agencies to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. 

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence: Native Americans
Teaching and learning resources on American Indians from U.S. federal agencies.  

National Museum of the American Indian
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian – which opened in Washington, in 2004 – is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere. 

National Park Service: National American Indian Heritage Month
Links to Web pages describing sites protected by the National Park Service and National Register of Historic Places, lesson plans, and other publications.