November 02, 2025
Opinion. This fall, as I’ve introduced myself to college students during lectures, I begin by saying, “I’m here because my grandmother survived an Indian boarding school.”
Currents
EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. — The Cheyenne River Youth Project will commemorate Native American Heritage Month this November with three weeks of youth-centered activities, community gatherings, and cultural programs. From traditional handgames and Lakota trivia to art workshops, a new youth conference, and the popular Thanks for Kids community dinner, the nearly monthlong celebration will honor Lakota heritage while fostering creativity, wellness, and connection.
From Our Partners
The nation’s first Indigenous-focused Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and a corresponding Indigenous concentration in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program will open for applications in 2026 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These groundbreaking graduate programs, offered through the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health , will prepare future leaders to address the health priorities of Indigenous peoples through culturally informed, community-driven solutions.
Palm Desert, California — California Indian Nations College (CINC), the only accredited tribal college in California in decades, is experiencing remarkable growth while making a profound impact on Indigenous education. Since its founding, CINC has served 506 students, providing culturally responsive higher education that empowers Native communities and fosters leadership, academic success, and cultural preservation.
California tribes, lawmakers prepare for wide array of colorful marchers & performers at 2 nd Annual Native American Heritage Month parade down Sacramento’s Capitol Mall to West Steps
Opinion
Opinion. This fall, as I’ve introduced myself to college students during lectures, I begin by saying, “I’m here because my grandmother survived an Indian boarding school.”
Guest Opinion. I am calling on Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to follow Cherokee Nation’s lead and extend a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who will lose food assistance in November.
Sovereignty
The following two perspectives provide two glimpses into the Ottawa (Odawa) tradition and culture of commemorating ancestors during annual Ghost Suppers, held annually during the first week of November. They were written in 1943 and 1992, respectively.
Each November, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States. The month provides time to celebrate and honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.
Education
Three Native women—a president, a professor, and a student—are sharing their personal journeys in higher education in a new book that highlights the experiences of Native women finding place and purpose in academic spaces.
Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives and Tribal Adaptive Organization have announced the winners of the fourth annual Tribal Adaptive Student-Athlete of the Year Award, recognizing two outstanding Native student-athletes with physical disabilities.
Arts & Entertainment
This year, six Chickasaw artists attended the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) annual Santa Fe Indian Market in August. SWAIA is the largest juried First American art show in the world, with more than 100,000 people in attendance annually. Started in 1922, it is also the oldest. Each year they sponsor more than 1,000 First American artists from more than 100 tribal communities in North America and Canada, generating more than $160 million annually in revenues for artists and the community.
ZUNI, N.M. — Representatives from the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, A:shiwi A:wan Museum & Heritage Center, and Zuni Pueblo community joined Indigenous knowledge keepers, culture bearers and leaders from around the world at the 2025 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums, in Cherokee, North Carolina, earlier this month.
Health
Environment
Ten Michigan Tribal Nations have filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Enbridge’s “underhanded procedural tactics” in the ongoing legal fight over the Line 5 oil pipelines.
Alaska Native organizations and tribal governments, in collaboration with the Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), regional nonprofits, and community partners, have launched the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund to deliver immediate and long-term support to communities devastated by Typhoon Halong.