Guilford County government wants everyone to know that you don’t have to be a Native American to participate in National Native American Heritage Month – which is this November. The county’s website has a banner headline announcing the celebration of the heritage and the history, and provides information on several ways that people in the community can take part.

National Native American Heritage Month is also sometimes known as “American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month,” and ,according to stats from the NC Commission of Indian Affairs, “North Carolina’s American Indian population totals more than 130,032, giving the state the largest American Indian population east of the Mississippi and the eighth largest in the nation.”

North Carolina is also home to eight state-recognized tribes.

According to Guilford County officials, this month also “serves as a time to educate about the challenges, resilience, and ongoing struggles that Native Americans face, including issues related to sovereignty, land rights, healthcare, and education.”

All across the county and the state in late November – and in early December, as well – there will be events, activities, and educational programs intended to promote a better understanding of Native American culture and the history of tribes in the state.

Here are few of those events…

  • 28th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. Saturday, Nov. 18. All-day long. NC Museum of History at 5 E. Edenton St. in Raleigh. It will be hosted by NC Commission of Affairs and North Carolina American Indian Commission
  • High Point Public Library: Film and Lecture Series. Tuesday, Nov. 21. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. High Point Library at 901 N. Main St. in High Point. This will also be hosted by the NC Commission of Affairs and North Carolina American Indian Commission.
  • Western Guilford Middle School: Native American Heritage Month Celebration. Wednesday, Nov. 29. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Western Guilford Middle School at 401 College Road in Greensboro.This celebration will be hosted by Guilford County Schools.
  • NC Commission of Indian Affairs Quarterly Meeting (Virtual event). Friday, Dec. 1. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is being hosted by the NC Commission of Indian Affairs.

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