November is Native American/Alaska Native Heritage Month. This observance started in 1915 as an effort to mark the major contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of this Nation, and it has since grown into a month-long celebration. In 1990, President George Bush approved a joint resolution declaring November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." The theme for 2002 is "Honoring Life, Honoring Elders, Honoring Heritage."

Across the United States, there are 4.1 million residents who, in the 2000 Census, identified themselves as American Indian or Alaskan Native out of a total U.S. population of more than 281 million people.¹

Ways To Celebrate Native American/Alaska Native Heritage Month:

• Learn about the history and traditions of these cultures. Sit down with your children and learn together or do a project that reflects Native American culture.
• You may want to cook some traditional dishes to explore new tastes and to honor heritage. Some recipes can be found on the Cooking Post.
• Find out what your child's school is doing to celebrate the observance. You may even want to help organize some activities if the school doesn't have any planned.

By learning about other cultures with your children, you can teach them about the many ways that people are different from each other and how these differences make the community a richer and more interesting place. Through learning about our differences, we also can learn how much we have in common, leading to a greater respect for all people.

Source

¹ Infoplease.com. "American Indians by the Numbers From Census 2000," last referenced 10/29/2002.

Additional Sources

• Native Web
• U.S. Department of Defense: American Indian Heritage Month
• Cooking Post: Traditional Native American Recipes
• InfoPlease.com: American Indian Heritage Month