Native American Heritage Month, also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers and settlers of the United States.
According to the National Congress for American Indians, "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."
Native America is a new four-part series airing on PBS from Oct. 23 - Nov. 13. This series explores the culture and history of America's First Peoples over the past 15,000 years. For more information, visit the program's website.