UMUC
OFFICE OF DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

Heritage Month - November

National Native American Indian Heritage Month

The term "American Indian" incorporates hundreds of different tribes and approximately 250 languages. Starting in 1976 as Native American Awareness Week, the period was expanded by Congress and approved by President Bush in August 1990 by designating the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. In his proclamation for 1996, President Clinton noted, "Throughout our history, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have been an integral part of the American character. Against all odds, America's first peoples have endured, and they remain a vital cultural, political, social, and moral presence."

Celebrating American Indian Heritage Month View the full size poster
[PDF - 352 Kb]
National Native American Heritage Month Proclamation View the full size 2009 Proclamation
[PDF - 2.09 Mb]