According to the 2020 Census, there are 3.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the United States, making up 2.9 percent of the total population. Over half (51 percent) of the American Indian population live in five states: Oklahoma, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The Navajo Nation is the largest single group.
National Native American Heritage Month (NAHM), also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, is celebrated in November to honor Native communities and their cultures and traditions while raising awareness about the unique historical and present-day struggles of Indigenous people in the United States. November was designated “National Native American Heritage Month” in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. National Native American Heritage Day occurs at the end of NAHM, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and can be a chance to acknowledge Native American history as it intersects with Thanksgiving.
This guide provides ways to honor Native American Heritage Month by leveraging resources, linking initiatives to business impact, leading with intentional inclusion, and building one’s knowledge base on Native American history and the Native American community.
