U.S. embassy and consulate websites or www.state.gov.
We’ve gone social!
Follow us on our facebook pages and join the conversation.
03 November 2010
U.S. Honors American Indians, Alaska Natives
Washington — National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month celebrates the heritage and contributions of the first Americans to the history and culture of the United States.
The month of November is designated by Congress and the president as a time to reflect on the rich traditions and accomplishments, as well as the suffering and injustices, that mark the history of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
“Since the birth of America, they have contributed immeasurably to our country and our heritage, distinguishing themselves as scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders in all aspects of our society,” President Obama said in his 2010 proclamation of National Native American Heritage Month (as it is traditionally designated each year by the White House). But he also noted that many tribal communities today face “disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, crime, and disease. These disparities are unacceptable.”
“As we celebrate the contributions and heritage of Native Americans during this month, we also recommit to supporting tribal self-determination, security, and prosperity for all Native Americans,” Obama said.
In 2009, Obama hosted the first White House Tribal Nations Conference, calling it “the largest and most widely attended gathering of tribal leaders in our history.” He announced a new consultation process to improve communication and coordination between the federal government and tribal governments.
Today, there are 5 million American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, or 1.6 percent of the total population, and this is expected to increase to 8.6 million, or 2 percent of the population, by 2050.
Most American Indians live in metropolitan areas and not on the 227,000 square kilometers of land held in trust for reservations. The states with the largest numbers of American Indians and Alaska Natives are California, Oklahoma and Arizona.
There are 564 federally recognized Indian tribes in the United States. The largest, by far, are the Cherokee and Navajo nations. Navajo is the most widely spoken American Indian language. Only one-half of the 300 or so native languages once spoken in North America still have any living speakers. (See “Navajo Textbook Aims to Preserve Language, Culture.”)
CREATION OF AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH
What started as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.
In 1914 Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, getting endorsements from 24 state governments, to set aside a day to honor American Indians. The American Indian Association approved the plan a year later. The first state to adopt the celebration was New York, in 1916. Congress called for weeklong observances in the mid-1980s, and in 1990 National American Indian Heritage Month was designated under a joint congressional resolution approved by President George H.W. Bush. (Each year the sitting president designates November as National Native American Heritage Month. The National Museum of the American Indian calls it National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.)
BRINGING AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE TO EVERYONE
A study by the public opinion research organization Public Agenda found that non-Indians have little knowledge of the active, vibrant culture of American Indians today. There was a consensus among both Indians and non-Indians in the study about the need for more education on American Indian history and culture.
The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), which opened in 2004 in Washington as part of the Smithsonian Institution, helps meet that need, as does its sister museum in New York and a research and collections facility in Maryland. Each November NMAI plans special heritage month activities, including a Family Celebration Harvest Festival, dance, theatrical performances, art displays, film and more. Also see the Smithsonian magazine.
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes an annual fact sheet, as well as additional demographic data, on the American Indian and Alaska Native population.
The National Park Service, the Indian Health Service, and the U.S. Library of Congress are among the federal agencies that display web pages honoring American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month; the LOC also offers teaching resources. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project includes interviews and a guide to American Indian and Alaska Native military veterans.
The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs has published a history of National American Indian Heritage Month. The website of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin lists numerous information resources on Native Americans. Also see “American Indian History, Culture“ on America.gov.
(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)
