How to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work

New York was the first state to declare an official period for commemorating Native peoples, with the first American Indian Day held on the second Saturday in May 1916. President Gerald Ford later declared Native American Awareness Week in October 1976. Today, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, or American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, to recognize the traditions and contributions of Indigenous peoples throughout history. In 1990, then-president George H. Bush declared November National Native American Heritage Month to honor and recognize Native American peoples, their struggles, and their triumphs.

It’s a time to acknowledge and celebrate the diverse traditions, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples from all different tribes across the nation. When you take part in learning about and furthering the education and support of Native American heritage at work, you can help foster an inclusive and diverse environment with your colleagues. Here are some ideas to help you and your coworkers celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work.

The importance of honoring Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month is especially important for recognizing not just the rich traditions, cultures, and achievements of American Indians and Alaska Natives but also the unique challenges and hardships faced by Indigenous peoples over the generations. There are currently 574 federally recognized Native tribes and villages and more than six million Native Americans in the United States. However, Indigenous peoples are still hugely underrepresented.

With Native American Heritage Month officially recognized, it’s especially important to learn about historical trauma and understand how it has affected Native populations. With the right resources and open communication in the workplace, you can help your colleagues learn more about these unique cultures and traditions and contribute to the ongoing support of Indigenous communities.

How to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work

There are tons of online resources you can use to collaborate with your team and find ways to honor the rich history and traditions of Native peoples. Whether it involves sharing what you learn with your coworkers or bringing in Indigenous art and music, here are some great ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work:

Learn and spread awareness

One of the best ways to celebrate the month is to learn about the cultures and achievements of Native peoples. Find resources through museums, universities, colleges, or even right in your own community. Get to know the tribes who are Natives of the local land. Involve your coworkers and celebrate by sharing the information you learn about different Indigenous cultures, especially local traditions. Here are a few resources that cover the rich history and traditions of Indigenous peoples and Native American Heritage Month:

• U.S. Courts
• First Nations Knowledge Center
• Native American Heritage Month

Sample indigenous art and music in the office

Bring art to the office, or if you’re working from home, bring it to your workspace. Music and art are already proven to soothe the soul, and the traditions and cultures of Indigenous peoples have a rich history of unique art and music. Get your coworkers involved and create a work playlist of traditional Native music and sounds. Another great way to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with art and music is to donate to museums, learning centers, and Native organizations. Contributions to these institutions can be extremely helpful in supporting the art and music of Native peoples.

Get involved

Get involved in the community through events, workshops, or learning centers at local schools. Encourage your coworkers to look beyond the workplace and find ways to volunteer, donate, or contribute to the observance of Native American Heritage Month. Consider attending events that support initiatives for improving Native diversity and representation in the professional space. Depending on your location, you may find industry conferences and workshops specifically focused on Indigenous peoples and their contributions and accomplishments to your field.

Create a donation initiative

Consider organizing an initiative to contribute to a national or local Native American organization. Nonprofits, small businesses, and community-led initiatives usually welcome donations from individuals and businesses. If you can, get your team on board with contributing to two or three different organizations. Here are several places to start:

• Native American Rights Fund
• Native Americans in Philanthropy
• First Nations Development Institute
• American Indian College Fund

Celebrate your Indigenous colleagues

Celebrate those colleagues who are part of the Native American community. Ask about their heritage and honor their culture’s traditions and achievements. If you don’t have some already, consider collaborating with management to implement diversity and inclusion efforts in your workplace. Communicate with your team and get input on ideas to celebrate and recognize these teammates at work.

Host a speaking event or form a discussion group

Another way to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work is to host a speaking event. It could be directly related to diversity, equity, and inclusion topics or encourage awareness and education in general. Similarly, consider forming a discussion group to meet over lunch and discuss topics of Indigenous cultures, including their contributions to your field of work.

Form an employee resource group

An ERG is a voluntary, employee-led group with the goal of cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment around a topic aligned with your organization’s mission and values. While ERGs can be formed for many different causes, starting one to honor American Indian and Alaska Native traditions and cultural diversity is a highly effective way to engage in conversations that educate, inform, and bring awareness of the unique contributions and challenges of Native professionals.

Your ERG would serve as a safe and inclusive environment for you and your coworkers to share, ask questions, and provide support to Native American team members. Then, you can inform other teams across your organization of your ERG and invite allies to join and further diversity and inclusion initiatives for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals.

“Native American Heritage Month is especially important for recognizing not just the rich traditions, cultures, and achievements of American Indians and Alaska Natives but also the unique challenges and hardships faced by Indigenous peoples over the generations.”

Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion during Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month is also an excellent time to continue learning and applying diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies at work. Learn about coworkers who are members of Indigenous tribes and find ways to support local initiatives in the community. You might also consider asking management to integrate a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan specifically in support of Native populations.

With more awareness, understanding, and empathy, you’ll be able to build stronger work relationships and better understand where and how you can help improve diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at work.

More tips on celebrating diversity at work:

Native American Heritage Month isn’t the only time to honor diversity. Here are some ideas to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at work next May.

Getting ready for a job interview? Here are 10 must-ask questions to assess diversity, equity, and inclusion during an interview.

Are you looking for a diverse work environment in your job search? Here’s how employers are approaching diversity in hiring.