Native American Heritage Month

Each November we celebrate Native American History. There are 574 federally recognized tribes within the US, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In Arizona, there are 22 federally recognized tribes and the state has a population of over 332,000 Indigenous people, one of the highest in the US nation.

The very first idea of an American Indian Day was created by Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian. He was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the “First Americans”. The first American Indian Day was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states followed as well and additionally celebrate the fourth Friday in September as Native American Day. The first proclamation for Native American Heritage Month came in 1990 from President George H.W. Bush, after Congress passed a resolution in November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage Month.

In 1991, Congress passed another resolution indicating that every November will be proclaimed as “American Indian Heritage Month,” and since then, every sitting president has signed a proclamation. We continue to celebrate and honor the integral part Native Americans play to North American history. Since Arizona is one of the highest indigenous rates you can learn about it’s history any time of the year.

If you are interested in events in Phoenix view these resources below:

ASU PHOENIX EVENTS
PLACES TO EXPERIENCE NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE