Since 1990, November has been Native American Heritage Month! It serves as a chance to highlight the Native American people, their accomplishments, culture, and history. With that in mind, we'd like to highlight a few notable people of Native American Heritage!

Wes Studi

Wes Studi, military veteran, producer, and actor of Cherokee descent, is known outside of Hollywood as an activist for Indigenous peoples. As a community-driven organization, we applaud those seeking to better their communities.

Makita Wilbur

Makita Wilbur is descended from the Swinomish people. Currently, she works as a photographer and educator. A majority of her work centers on the lives and history of Indigenous people.

Jessie Little Doe Baird

Jessie Little Doe Baird, of the Wampanoag people, is a linguist best known for her advocacy for and work in restoring the Wampanoag language. To this effect, she was the recipient of the MacArthur fellowship. Plus, she teaches the Wampanoag language to Native communities!

Tommy Orange

Tommy Orange is an acclaimed novelist and teacher of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Similar to his contemporaries, his work centers on the lives and history of Indigenous peoples while also shining a light on their accomplishments.

What Native American History Month Means to NWCU

To us at NWCU, Native American Heritage Month is a chance to reflect on the history of and to show support for the accomplishments of Native Americans. There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States. They comprise over seven million individuals, each part of a tapestry that goes back generations.

Immerse yourself in Native American history by visiting tribal museums, official tribal websites like Native Land, a site that shows which tribes are near you and what land they occupy, and keeping an eye out for Native American events in your community.