11/07/2025
Each November, we pause to recognize and honor Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and significant contributions of Native peoples. Native Nations have thrived on this land for thousands of years, and today, more than 575 federally recognized Tribal Nations continue to uphold their sovereignty and traditions. This year, we celebrate under the theme: "Native American Legacies: Stories of Strength and Survival." It emphasizes the enduring resilience of Indigenous peoples. Over centuries, Native communities have faced policies designed to erase their identities and forcibly assimilate them. Despite this, they have found the unwavering strength to maintain their cultures, languages in preserving sacred lands, leading in areas like environmental stewardship and governance and in passing down invaluable legacies of survival, strength, and sovereignty to Indigenous youth.
These stories are more than just histories of survival—they are examples of the strength Native communities. For centuries, Native Nations have maintained their rights to self-governance, rooted in treaties that continue to affirm their sovereign status within the U.S. political framework. These legacies of strength highlight that Native peoples are not only survivors of historical injustices but leaders in shaping the future.
