National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month

A Special Report focusing on the Heritage of American Indians and Alaskan Natives is now available.

National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month is celebrated annually in November to recognize the intertribal cultures and to educate the public about the heritage, history, art, and traditions of the American Indian and Alaska Native people.

The tradition dates back to the early 1900s when there was an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the First Americans made to establishing and growing the United States.

Many individuals contributed to the first celebrations. Initially, the Boy Scouts set aside a day each year to recognize the First Americans. Many state governments presented endorsements to the White House in an effort to have a proclamation issued.

Later, several states designated a day for their state to celebrate these people. However, there was no official day that covered the entire country until 1990 when President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month.

NewsBank’s Special Report is designed to support this month’s celebration. The Site includes current and retrospective perspectives on the contributions and issues of these people. All articles are easily accessed and can be printed or e-mailed from within the site. New articles are added daily.

Numerous images with captions and maps are included to further enhance the coverage.

Suggested search terms to help locate additional information in your NewsBank products are listed to encourage further research.

The National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month Report, like all others, is available in our new format that provides easier navigation of the articles, images, maps, suggested search terms and web links.

NewsBank has always been committed to providing libraries with the best coverage of important issues and events through its products and Special Reports. Currently featured are Reports on Rosa Parks, Natural Disasters, and Iraq. All Reports are now visible on your product menu page or from within your product search screen.