How to Pay Tribute to Native American Heritage Month in Salt Lake

November was officially designated as a heritage month in 1990 to recognize America’s original inhabitants and celebrate their rich culture and contributions, then referred to as National American Indian Heritage Month. However, efforts to pay tribute to Indigenous people started long before.

Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, rode horseback across the U.S. seeking approval for a day to honor Native Americans. In 1915, he presented an endorsement from 24 states to the White House. The first official American Indian Day was declared by the New York state governor in May 1916. President Joe Biden’s 2024 proclamation for this heritage month makes a commitment to work with Native communities to “write a new and better chapter in American history.”

There are 574 federally recognized nations, tribes, and pueblos within the U.S. comprising about 9 million people who identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, Native American, and Indigenous. Self-governance is at the heart of Native people’s ability to protect and enhance the health, safety, and welfare of their communities.

Here are Some Ways to Pay Tribute in Salt Lake

Support Local Organizations

• Restoring Ancestral Winds advocates for the safety and well-being of Indigenous communities through domestic violence education.
• Pandos advocates for environmental and Indigenous rights including murdered and missing Indigenous women and relatives. Utah ranks eighth in the country for the highest number of missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls cases.
• Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake is a community resource and cultural hub for Indigenous people in Salt Lake City.

Read Indigenous Poetry

“No Parole Today” was written by Laura Tohe, poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. The collection of prose and poetry details her experience attending a government boarding school for Indigenous children. The Navajo Nation is a sovereign nation spanning parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and southeastern Utah.

Attend a NAHM Event

• 💗 Foster Care Indigenous Fashion Show | Thursday, Nov. 14 | 7-8 p.m. | $5-$20 | The Leonardo on Thursday, Nov. 14
• 🎭 Comedy Show: Tatanka Means | Thursday, Nov. 21 | 6 p.m. | Free | SLCC South City Campus
• 🩹 Medicine Bag Workshop | Thursday, Nov. 21 | 5:15-7 p.m. | Free | University
• 🍂 Friendsgiving Potluck | Friday, Nov. 22. | 5-7 p.m. | Free | University
• 🏺 Native American Arts Market | Saturday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 24. | Times vary | Free entry | Ballpark
• 🖼️ Indigenous Gallery Walk | Now-Nov. 29 | Various hours | Free | University