Harris & Ewing, photographer. INDIANS, AMERICAN. RED FOX JAMES AT WHITE HOUSE. Washington D.C. Washington D.C. District of Columbia United States, 1915. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016866042/.
National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated in November each year. This commemoration was originally proposed in the early 1900s by Arthur Parker, co-founder of the Society of American Indians.
Red Fox James (see image on the left) continued the advocacy for rights, by riding across America, to Washington, D.C., to deliver a petition of signatures for a national day recognizing Native Americans.
Each year the Bureau of Indian Affairs sets the theme. This year’s theme is Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity.
President George H.W. Bush’s Proclamation
Throughout the 1900s, several states enacted individual celebrations. New York was one of the first states to declare a day of honor for Native Americans.
President George H.W. Bush proclaimed November for Native American heritage celebrations in 1990. Since then, each president has declared November as National Native American Heritage Month. You can see President Joe Biden’s proclamation here.
Secretary Deb Haaland
Secretary Deb Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna. In 2020, Secretary Haaland and Sharice Davids became one of the first Native American women to serve in the United States Congress.
Secretary Haaland, a U.S. Representative for New Mexico, focused on critical issues such as missing and murdered indigenous women, climate change, healthcare access, and economic equality. She also served on the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Pueblo of Laguna
In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Deb Haaland as the Secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American to lead a federal department. In this role, she manages federal lands and resources, emphasizing environmental preservation and tribal sovereignty. Secretary Deb Haaland's career is characterized by her dedication to advancing indigenous communities' interests and her commitment to environmental conservation.