Celebrating the diverse histories, cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples.  

This month, we celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions, histories and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples in the United States. 

UW Medicine’s Native American Heritage Month flag raising will take place on Nov. 3 at noon on all hospital campuses. UW Medicine continues to address policies and practices to focus on equity and social and health justice as we strive to become an anti-racist organization. UW Medicine’s Office of Healthcare Equity offers regular events, talks and training on the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice. 

The UW Center for Indigenous Health provides outreach, mentorship, community building, research support and career guidance to Indigenous students and faculty. It also sponsors specialized programs with the goal of sparking interest in Indigenous children today to become physicians and pursue academic careers tomorrow.  The UW School of Medicine Association of Native American Medical Students provides support, community and a resource network for enrolled American Indian/Alaska Native students. 

The history behind recognition 

The story of Native American Heritage Month begins long before its official recognition. While the United States government would, in time, recognize November as a period to honor Native American peoples, the traditions of gathering, storytelling and passing down histories existed centuries before the designation. 

Native American communities have persistently sought acknowledgment of their contributions and active presence in the United States. In 1914, Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, rode horseback across the country, gathering endorsements from 24 state governments to establish a day honoring Indigenous peoples. However, the federal government did not endorse the day.  

A year later, Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a member of the Seneca Nation, persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to dedicate a day to the “First Americans.” This was significant yet limited in scope. 

Indigenous leaders and allies continued to push for recognition through activism, treaty rights movements and the Alcatraz occupation. While some states established their own days of acknowledgment, it wasn’t until 1976 that President Ford dedicated a week in October to “Native American Awareness Week.” In 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution marking November as Native American Heritage Month. 

Native American Heritage Month represents more than a federal designation. It is a time to honor Indigenous history and traditions that remain alive today despite systematic attempts at erasure. It is a time to celebrate today’s Native American cultures and recognize ongoing challenges facing Indigenous peoples. And it is a time to reclaim narratives from centuries of misrepresentation and to educate others about Native American contributions — past and present. 

Indigenous peoples of Washington state 

There are 29 federally recognized tribes in the state of Washington, along with some that have yet to receive federal recognition, such as the Duwamish. Indigenous peoples in Washington have a rich cultural history that predates European settlement by thousands of years. Despite the impacts of colonization, including displacement and treaties that undermined their sovereignty, Indigenous communities and people in Washington have maintained traditions, languages and cultural practices and engaged in political and environmental advocacy to protect their ancestral lands and rights.  

Tribes and Washington State, through the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs, operate on a government-to-government relationship on issues such as economic development, Indian Child Welfare, environmental issues such as climate change and the co-management and protection of Treaty Reserved Rights, including salmon, hunting, water and habitat protection. 

Additional resources 

• Discover how the UW Medicine Center for Indigenous Health is building community and improving health. 

• Learn how the Indian Health Pathway provides an avenue for Native medical students to stay connected to their communities. 

• Explore how the UW School of Social Work’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute supports Indigenous health and decolonizes scientific research. 

• Learn about UW’s American Indian Studies and the UW Office of Tribal Relations. 

• Read about the UW Medicine rheumatologists who participated in a recent Blackfeet Nation Arthritis & Rheumatic Diseases Conference. 

• Read “Native American Cultural Heritage Guide” by Visit Seattle. 

• Read “Two-Spirit” by Indian Health Service to learn more about the Two-Spirit community. 

• Take the Indigenous Walking Tour around the UW campus and learn the significance of local places to Indigenous peoples. Also, visit the UW wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, one of the stops on the tour. 

• Visit the United Indians Native Art Market to support Native artisans. 

• Support other Native-owned businesses. 

• Visit the Burke Museum to learn about Northwest Native art and cultures and learn more about how the museum cultivates an ethical relationship with local tribal communities. 

• Watch “Lushootseed, Seattle’s original language” on Seattle Channel 

• Listen to “Living Nations, Living Words,” a collection of contemporary Native poetry curated by poet laureate Joy Harjo and the Library of Congress. 

• Watch PBS programming specific to the cultural observance. 

• Explore the map created by Native Land Digital and learn about the Indigenous history of the land and the impact of colonialism. 

• Watch this video project, ‘On Our Terms’ created by the Burke Museum that discusses common DEIA terms defined by the communities they impact.  

• Watch this conversation ‘Communal Knowledge Sharing: A Conversation on Land Acknowledgements’ hosted by the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and the UW External Tribal Relations office.