Native American Heritage Day 2026 is on Friday

About Native American Heritage Day

Native American Heritage Day sets aside one day near the end of November for Americans to learn about the original peoples of the land that is now the United States, and about tribal nations as they exist today. It falls inside Native American Heritage Month and gives schools, governments and families a specific date to focus on Native cultures, languages and achievements.

The day comes from the Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009, a joint resolution (H.J.Res. 40) introduced by Representative Joe Baca of California. Congress passed it in June 2009, and President Barack Obama signed it on June 26, 2009, as Public Law 111-33. The law's findings point to Native Americans' service in the Armed Forces in every conflict since the Revolutionary War, their contributions in fields such as agriculture, medicine, music, language and art, and the value of recognizing tribal governments. It names the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving as the date and encourages public schools to teach about Native Americans' achievements.

The resolution encourages people, all levels of government and interested organizations to mark the day with programs and ceremonies covering the historical and present-day status of tribal governments, Native cultures, traditions and languages. Recent presidential proclamations for Native American Heritage Month also urge Americans to celebrate the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.

The federal law creates a day of recognition, not a federal holiday, so federal offices keep their usual schedules. Because the day shares its date with a major shopping day, it also offers a quieter alternative for families who would rather spend part of the long weekend learning together.

Sources: GovInfo: Public Law 111-33, Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009, Congress.gov: H.J.Res.40 (111th Congress), Federal Register: National Native American Heritage Month, 2024. How we check dates.

How to mark Native American Heritage Day

• Learn which tribal nations' homelands you live on, and read about their history and present-day government from the nation's own website.
• Visit a tribal museum or cultural center, or explore the online collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
• Read a book by a Native author or watch a film by a Native director with family members who are home for the holiday weekend.
• If you shop that day, buy directly from Native artists and Native-owned businesses.
• Talk with children about how the Thanksgiving story is told, using teaching materials developed with Native educators.

Native American Heritage Day dates