Native American Heritage Month 2026

This month, we recognize the many contributions of Notre Dame’s Indigenous community members.

About the observance

Native American Heritage Month, observed annually during the month of November, is a time to honor the cultures, traditions, and languages of those of Native American and Alaska Native heritage. While often framed in a historical context, Native peoples and communities continue to exist, evolve, and thrive across the nation.

In addition to Native American, terms like American Indian, Indian, Native, First Nations and First Peoples are used interchangeably in North America. When referencing a particular community, words like band, village, tribe, or nation may be used. The Native American story is rich and complex. American Indians have called the Western Hemisphere for at least 15,000–20,000 years, according to the National Museum of the American Indian.

Despite making up a relatively small percentage of the U.S. population, Native Americans have made a large contribution to U.S. society, including agricultural and medical innovations, military intelligence, sports, and the English language. Due to this impact, Congress passed a resolution in 1976 designating a week in October as Native American Awareness Week. The commemoration shifted to November in 1990 because the month concludes the traditional harvest season and was generally a time of thanksgiving and celebration for American Indians.

Notre Dame news and media

• Braiding history in Ribbon Town: Institute for Social Concerns mural collaboration showcases longstanding relationship with Pokagon Band of Potawatomi (October 2026)

• Notre Dame's history with Native peoples (June 2026)

• First comprehensive look at breast cancer in Native American women reveals key genetic differences (May 2026)

• Literatures of Annihilation, Exile, and Resistance series: On love, loss, and ancestral lands (May 2026)

• Researching for the common good: Kylan Hinegardner (July 2025)

• 49 Native American middle-schoolers make a pilgrimage to Notre Dame (April 2025)

• American Indian Catholic Schools Network secures $1 million grant from the Better Way Foundation to advance mission of Indigenous Catholic education (March 2025)

• Researching for the common good: Nate Kroeze (September 2024)

• Notre Dame Law students champion civil rights and liberties this summer with the ACLU (August 2024)

• ‘We survived’: David Martin, IRR artist-in-residence, celebrates Potawatomi resilience through dancing, painting (February 2024)

• For Ashlee Bird, Native American video game designer, better representation on screen fosters brighter future (November 2023)

• The Creator's Game: Lacrosse (May 2023)

• Religious Liberty Clinic participates in oral argument to defend Oak Flat (May 2023)

• Pokagon Art Collection opens with celebration and collaboration (March 2023)

• Native American perspectives on human dignity (April 2022)

• Fighting to build on tradition (November 2019)

• Native justice served in "Mass for the Oppressed" (November 2016)

• Alumnus wins prize for documentary on cancer-surviving sled dog racer (October 2015)

Notre Dame units, departments, and organizations

• Indigenous Faculty and Staff employee resource group

• Native American Student Association of Notre Dame

• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native American in Science at the University of Notre Dame

• Native American Law Students Association

• Native American Alumni

• Native American Initiatives

• American Indian Catholic Schools Network

• Indigenous Art of the Americas

Additional resources

• November Marks National Native American Heritage Month (Native News Online)

• 10 Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month (Google Arts & Culture)

• Native Knowledge 360° Essential Understandings about American Indians (National Museum of the American Indian)

• How an Unremarkable ‘Brunch in the Forest’ Turned Into the Thanksgiving We Know (Smithsonian Magazine)

• Native American Heritage Month Fun Facts (census.gov)

• Video—What Does it Mean to be a Federally Recognized Tribe? (PBS Origins)

• Native American books (First Nations Development Institute)

• Video—Pokagon Band of Potawatomi: A Song for Everything (PBS Michiana)

• Pokagon Band of Potawatomi website

Originally published by Cidni Sanders at weareall.nd.edu on November 02, 2026.