During the month of November, we celebrate the contributions, cultures, and histories of our Native American populations. Native American Heritage Month focuses on the cultures of American Indians and Alaska Natives, groups indigenous to our country. Learning about these cultures allows the American public to understand how these tribal citizens have worked to overcome the unique challenges that they continue to face.
Source: Smithsonian Institution. (2007). Do all Indians live in tipis? Questions & answers from the National Museum of the American Indian. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Joy Harjo is the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate of the United States, appointed in 2019 by Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress. In addition to being a poet, she is an author, activist, educator, musician, playwright, and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Her literary work has been described as Native American Renaissance and consists of poetry, books, and plays, which focus on social justice, the definition of self, and the arts.