In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under varying names , including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”, have been issued each year since 1994. To help you honor this holiday, we’ve put together a list of 5 ways to celebrate.

Make an American Indian Recipe

One of the best ways to learn about a culture is through food. There are endless options when it comes to American Indian recipes, but here are a few that had our team excited to get in the kitchen:

Apache Acorn Cakes

Native Mommy Soup

Algonquin Three Sisters Rice

Amaranth, Quinoa, and Corn Chowder

Manataka Acorn Bread

Discover the Diversity of American Indian Cultures

There are hundreds of tribes across the continent, but most people can’t name more than a few, and even less are represented in the popular culture. Native American Heritage Month is a great opportunity to research your local history and discover which tribes called the land you now live on home.

Read a Book About American Indian History

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown eloquently documents the destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the nineteenth century. The New York Times called the book “Original, remarkable, and finally heartbreaking…Impossible to put down”.

You can find a full list of recommendations at Goodreads

Learn the Real Story of the First Thanksgiving

The story that most of us learned growing up about the first Thanksgiving, during which Indians and Pilgrims came together in 1621 to share a meal, isn’t exactly the correct story.

Visit an American Indian Heritage Site

Much of the US is scattered with beautiful and significant American Indian landmarks. From burial mounds to ruins to museums, there are thousands of locations to to experience Native America. In Cincinnati, where the editors of Family Tree Magazine are based, perhaps the most famous location is Serpent Mound. If you’re looking for a great way to educate your family and yourself, take some time to locate a landmark near you and spend a day learning about American Indian History.

More Resources

Free Download: Trace Your Native American Ancestry

Official Native American Heritage Month Website

Begin Researching Your American Indian Heritage

Native American Genealogy Premium Bundle