November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly refered to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose (article available here). This is its thirtieth year.
The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
In 1990, Congress passed a bill to designate November as what is now known as Native American Heritage Month and formally acknowledge that "American Indians were the original inhabitants of the lands that now constitute the United States of America."