Native American Heritage Month

History

Did you know that what started in an effort to have one day of recognition for the contributions of Native Americans to the growth and establishment of the United States, ended up in an entire month being dedicated to that purpose? In 1915, an Arapahoe man named Reverend Sherman Coolidge, after working together with the American Indian Association, issued a proclamation that the second Saturday of each May should be designate as "American Indian Day." This proclamation also contained the first appeal for Indians to be recognized as citizens.

"American Indian Day" was never adopted, and there would be no official day, or month, until President George H. W. Bush designated November as "National American Indian Heritage Month" in 1990. Since then, the name has changed to "Native American Heritage Month., opens a new window"  

Books

For Adults:

Fiction

• Read science fiction and fantasy by indigenous authors.
• Find your next great read with fiction from an Indigenous author.
• Learn more about the Native American experience in the 20th and 21st centuries with contemporary Native American writers.

Nonficiton

• Try ingredients that are native to the Americas with one of these amazing Indigenous cookbooks.
• Learn about Indigenous Tribes in our area. 
• Explore the vast array of Indigenous voices defining contemporary poetry.
• Explore the experiences of North American Indigenous peoples through memoirs and biographies by Indigenous authors.
• These books paint a more accurate picture of the Native American experience.

Digital Collection

• Read powerful fiction and nonfiction stories of Native Americans with these collections of audiobooks, opens a new window and eBooks, opens a new window on hoopla.

For Teens:

• Check out this list to see famous Native American authors and their incredible stories!
• Dig into these books by and about Native Americans available through OverDrive, opens a new window.
• Try a Graphic Novel featuring Native American and Indigenous characters.

For Kids:

• Find ways to Introduce Children to Native America with this list of diverse books.
• Explore Books for Young Readers and #OwnVoices Native American Books for Kids to find picture books and junior fiction books written by Native American authors and illustrators.

• Watch a cinematic work from Indigenous filmmakers.
• Browse films on Kanopy, opens a new window that celebrate the rich and diverse cultures and traditions of Native Americans.

Music

Music plays an integral role in the life of Native Americans and many different instruments are used including drums, flutes and other percussion instruments. Listen to some of the traditional music of Native Americans with this collection of streaming music on hoopla, opens a new window.

Online Resources

Pinterest board, opens a new window of resources and items from the Library of Congress collections.

American Indian and Alaskan Native records, opens a new window in the National Archives for research on family members, tribes, treaties and more.

Local History

Native Americans have a rich history in Colorado. In fact, Arapahoe County was named after the Arapaho Indians who, along with the Cheyenne, occupied most of Colorado when it was only a territory. 

Learn more about the Arapaho and other Native American tribes in Colorado.

Explore more with CultureGrams, opens a new window and World Book Encyclopedia, opens a new window online.

Experiences

Discover Native Colorado and all the remarkable places you can visit in our state.

Denver Art Museum's American Indian collection, opens a new window represents the artistic works of nearly all tribes across North America and Canada. Across the street, you will find Native American Trading Company, opens a new window which holds a gallery of Southwest and Native American art. 

At the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, you can experience the diversity among Native American groups by visiting the North American Indian Cultures, opens a new window exhibit. (Get your free museum pass).

Each year, the Denver March Powwow, opens a new window features dancing, singling, storytelling, food and art from close to 100 tribes in the US and Canada.