This month, we celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions, histories and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples in the United States.
The story of Native American Heritage Month begins long before its official recognition. While the United States government would, in time, recognize November as a period to honor Native American peoples, the traditions of gathering, storytelling and passing down histories existed centuries before the designation.
The history toward recognition
Native American communities persistently sought acknowledgment of contributions and active presence in the United States. In 1914, Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, rode horseback across the country, gathering endorsements from 24 state governments to establish a day honoring Indigenous peoples. However, the federal government did not endorse the day.
A year later, Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a member of the Seneca Nation, persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to dedicate a day to the “First Americans.” This was significant yet limited in scope.
Indigenous leaders and allies continued to push for recognition through activism, treaty rights movements and the Alcatraz occupation. While some states established their own days of acknowledgment, it wasn’t until 1976 that President Ford dedicated a week in October to “Native American Awareness Week.”
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution marking November as Native American Heritage Month. And now, each year, the incumbent President delivers a proclamation recognizing Indigenous history and contributions.
Beyond federal recognition
Native American Heritage Month represents more than a federal designation. It is a time to honor Indigenous history and traditions that remain alive today despite systematic attempts at erasure. It is a time to celebrate today’s Native American cultures and recognize ongoing challenges facing Indigenous peoples. And it is a time to reclaim narratives from centuries of misrepresentation and to educate others about Native American contributions — past and present.
Indigenous peoples of Washington state
There are 29 federally recognized tribes in the state of Washington, along with some that have yet to receive federal recognition, such as the Duwamish. Indigenous peoples in Washington have a rich cultural history that predates European settlement by thousands of years. Tribes such as the Coast Salish, Spokane, Yakama and Makah are deeply connected to the land, rivers and coastal waters that define the state. Despite the impacts of colonization, including displacement and treaties that undermined their sovereignty, Indigenous communities and people in Washington have maintained traditions, languages and cultural practices and engaged in political and environmental advocacy to protect their ancestral lands and rights. Today, tribes like the Tulalip, Lummi and Suquamish are active in the state’s government, economy and environmental efforts.
It’s important to acknowledge that there are large urban Native American communities in the state due in part to the American Indian Relocation Act, a program that sought to assimilate Indigenous people into cities — including Seattle — with the unfulfilled promise of work training programs. This policy also resulted in the elimination of some government support on tribal lands.
Learn about land acknowledgment
Puget Sound was first inhabited by the Coast Salish peoples. To acknowledge this land is to learn and recognize the lived history of Indigenous peoples.
Native and Indigenous peoples have been reclaiming their ancestral homelands through Land Back movements. Land Back campaigns promote a return to communal land ownership and provide meaningful space for traditional practices and cultural observances.
Read the University Land Acknowledgment.
Native American Heritage Month at UW Medicine
UW Medicine’s Native American Heritage Month Flag Raising will take place on Nov. 1 at noon on all hospital campuses.
Each year during Native American Heritage Month, employees share their cultural pride and experiences. Read the 2021, 2022, 2023 employee features, and look for a 2024 feature later this month.
UW Medicine continues to address policies and practices to focus on equity and social and health justice as we strive to become an anti-racist organization. UW Medicine’s Office of Healthcare Equity offers regular events, talks and training on the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice.
Native American Heritage Month Assets
Email signature
Celebrate the month and support colleagues by adding an icon to your email signature.
The icon depicts a Medicine Wheel, a significant Native American symbol for health and healing. Visit the UW Medicine brand site to download the signature. If you need instructions on how to add an email signature, visit one of the following Microsoft Office support pages:
Zoom background
Visit the UW Medicine brand site to download the background.
Poster
Download a PDF of the poster.
Resources
- Learn about the traditional blanket ceremony that honors graduates of the UW School of Medicine’s Indian Health Pathway, and more ways students are serving the community.
- Find out how UW School of Medicine programs are trying to increase access to physicians for American Indian communities.
- Discover how the Center for Indigenous Health is building community and improving health.
- Visit the Burke Museum to learn about Northwest Native art and cultures and learn more about how the museum cultivates an ethical relationship with local tribal communities.
- Learn about UW’s American Indian Studies and the UW Office of Tribal Relations.
- Read “Native American Cultural Heritage Guide” by Visit Seattle.
- Read “Two-Spirit” by Indian Health Service to learn more about the Two-Spirit community.
- Listen to “Living Nations, Living Words,” a collection of contemporary Native poetry curated by poet laureate Joy Harjo and the Library of Congress.
- Watch PBS programming specific to the cultural observance.
- Explore the map created by Native Land Digital and learn about the Indigenous history of the land and the impact of colonialism.
- Watch “Lushootseed, Seattle’s original language” on Seattle Channel.
- Take the Indigenous Walking Tour around the UW campus and learn the significance of local places to Indigenous peoples. Also, visit the UW wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, one of the stops on the tour.
- Learn how the UW School of Social Work’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute supports Indigenous health and decolonizes scientific research.
- Support Native-owned businesses.
