Miccosukee Indian Village
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time dedicated to honoring the diverse cultural, historical and societal contributions of Indigenous peoples across the United States.
The observance traces back to 1976, when Cherokee/Osage physicist Jerry C. Elliott–High Eagle, one of the first Native Americans to work at NASA, authored the first Native American Awareness Week legislation. It was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Gerald R. Ford.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed November 23–30 “American Indian Week.”
Momentum grew, and in 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed legislation designating November National American Indian Heritage Month. The bill encouraged federal, state and local governments — as well as schools and organizations — to recognize the month with educational programs, ceremonies and cultural activities.
In Florida, the month highlights the deep history of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Clewiston and the Miccosukee Indian Village in Miami are two great places to explore the state’s Indigenous heritage.