U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed gratitude for the contributions of Native Americans in a social media post to mark the start of National Native American Heritage Month.
“Native Americans have persevered, despite a painful history. During #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth, we celebrate the contributions of Native Americans and honor them,” Blinken said in a Nov. 1 tweet. “I am especially grateful to those serving with @StateDept; they strengthen our diplomacy.”
What started as “American Indian Day” in 1916 in New York has evolved over time to honor Native Americans, the Department of Defense Education (DODEA) website reports. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the week of Nov. 23 to be “American Indian Week;” President George H. W. Bush made the entire month of November “Native American Heritage Month” beginning in 1990.
As of 2020, the U.S. Census reported there were 7.1 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives living in the U.S. according to the DODEA. That number is expected to grow to more than 10 million by esthe year 2060. There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes and 324 Native American reservations throughout the United States, the DODEA stat.
Native American Heritage Month is often celebrated with gatherings and festivals. Many teachers use the month as an opportunity to educate about Native American tribes, the history of the Native American people, and their unique, diverse culture, according to the National Congress of American Indians (NCIA).
"Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges," the NCAI states on its website.
