November is Native American Heritage Month

National Native American Heritage Month, which is also referred to as American Indian or Alaska Native Heritage Month, was established in 1990 to recognize the significant contributions of Indigenous people. This originates back to 1915 when Episcopal priest and Native rights activist Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, called on the country to observe American Indian Day the second Saturday of each May.

Thanksgiving, one of the biggest U.S. holidays of the year, also falls in November and if you downloaded our Diversity Calendar, you'll know that Thanksgiving is called "Day of Mourning" by many Indigenous people.

Below are resources to learn more, including a video shared by the U.S. Courts about the significance of Bear v. Crook, a landmark civil rights case in 1879.

• Read about the origins of Native American Heritage Month

• Read about "Day of Mourning"

• Visit Native Hope for a rich library of resources and Indigenous Perspectives

• Visit The National Archives to view important records documenting significant moments in history