We observe Native American Heritage Month in November to recognize the achievements and contributions of Native Americans. In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.
At Merced College, we want to formally and with great respect acknowledge that we are on the traditional lands of the Yokuts Nation. Merced College is built on the unceded ancestral lands of these indigenous tribes. Thank you for letting us honor them and give our thanks to their ancestors and descendants for their constant and careful stewardship of this land.
"More than five million people in the U.S. claim some form of Native American identity, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. November is Native American Heritage Month and host Michel Martin kicks it off with the first in a series of conversations with author Anton Treuer. He talks about who is Native American and how that identity is determined."
The transcript of this episode is also available.
"Who Is Native American, And Who Decides That?" (17 minutes) is an episode of NPR's Tell Me More podcast from 2012.
