Indigenous Peoples of North America

November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
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The native people of this land comprised 500 nations, and their stories are rich and varied; they weave a colorful and reverent tapestry of cultural histories. From their origin stories to their respectful productive relationship with the natural world, their unique traditions, and their social, cultural, political, and spiritual patterns and characteristics identify them as a collective group with deep wisdom that we can learn from to this present day. Through their music and art, we can see a glimpse into their beautiful way of life. Indigenous peoples are the holders of unique languages, knowledge systems and sacred beliefs and possess invaluable knowledge of practices for the sustainable management of natural resources. They have a special relation to and use of their traditional land. Their ancestral land has a fundamental importance for their collective physical and cultural survival as peoples. Indigenous peoples hold their own diverse concepts of development, based on their traditional values, visions, needs and priorities.