Native American Heritage Month
The purpose of Native American Heritage Month is to recognize the significant contributions that the first Americans made to the establishment & growth of the U.S.
The term "Indian" originated with Christopher Columbus who thought he had landed in the East Indies. He called the indigenous people "Indians. Half of the names of U.S. states are derived from Amerindian words, such as Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri
The Indian Citizenship Act (Snyder Act) of 1924 granted full U.S. citizenship to America's indigenous peoples. It was enacted in part due to the recognition of thousands of Native Americans who served in WWI.
Native Americans have been living on the American continent since about 12,000 B.C. They were not a single nation but a rich variety of cultures, peoples, and languages. Some historians believe people have been living in South America for more than 30,000 years
