November 1, 2017
National Native American Heritage Month, observed since 1990, gives Americans the opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and honor the Native People of this land. This year, we celebrate the 27th anniversary of this observance to marvel at their contributions to society, educate ourselves on their heritage and raise awareness about the challenges and triumphs they have endured throughout history.
Native Americans have contributed vastly in the arts, sciences, education, civic leadership, and engineering, just to name a few. They have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces, pioneered many of our medical and vocational innovations, and lead many of the environmental activism being carried out today.
Did you know? There are over 550 federally recognized tribes in America today and currently about 4.5 million Native Americans living in the U.S.
In conjunction with the Federal initiatives provided to our country’s Native People, Benefits.gov offers benefit information on hundreds of programs tailored to the Native American community. These benefit programs span across 17 different federal agencies and are available to those who are eligible. Information on scholarship opportunities, housing assistance, tribe grants, and nutrition assistance can be accessed and researched on our site. You can browse these benefits and more by visiting the American Indian/Alaska Native category or take a look at our Native American user guide (PDF). As always, to view benefit programs you may be eligible for, we recommend completing the Benefit Finder questionnaire.
We hope this month can be an opportunity for all Americans to become more educated about issues involving Native Americans and indigenous people worldwide. For more information about National Native American Heritage Month, please visit NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov.
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