November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States, honoring the enduring legacy of Native Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. Current generations are working to honor the legacy of their ancestors through the Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project and We Are Still Here, a short documentary on indigenous youth.
An important element of heritage months is taking time to learn more about different peoples and cultures, historically and today.
Boston Common, for example, was the site of a devastating moment during King Phillip’s War, when the Wampanoag leader Metacom allied with the Nipmuc and Narragansett tribes to form a resistance against English settlers. Their defeat resulted in the executions of approximately 45 Native Americans on Boston Common and the internment of hundreds on Boston Harbor’s Deer Island.
In California, for thousands of years, the sprawling area of the Los Angeles river basin was home to numerous indigenous tribes and communities before the arrival of 44 pobladores (settlers) from Mexico and Spain in 1781. Learn more about the Tongva people.
We encourage you to take a moment this month to explore the resources below and consider the impact of present day communities on the history of Native Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.
Cultural Engagement Center Visit to ICA’s Exhibit “An Indigenous Present” – Monday 11/18
Join Emerson’s Cultural Engagement Center for a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) for the special exhibition An Indigenous Present, a collection of more than 60 contemporary Indigenous artists from across the United States and Canada. The exhibition reimagines Indigenous art, highlighting creativity, community, and cultural continuity.
Tours are limited to 19 participants. Register with the Cultural Engagement Center to reserve a spot.
Monday, November 18
Meet at the ICA, 25 Harbor Shore Dr, Boston, for one of two sessions:
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- Morning Tour: 10:00 a.m.
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- Afternoon Tour: 2:00 p.m.
Stay Tuned for “The Unspoken Treaty: The Pattern, Impact, and Disruption of Silencing Native Voices”
Launching November 2025, Emerson’s HowlRound Theatre Commons presents a new essay series curated by Indigenous playwright Tara Moses. There’s a pattern in the American theatre that mirrors centuries of broken treaties, forgotten promises, and surface-level gestures of inclusion. The Unspoken Treaty series aims to expose how theatre’s complicity in cultural silencing extends far beyond simple oversight.
Tara Moses (she/her) is a director, playwright, co-founder of Groundwater Arts, and citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma whose work unapologetically focuses on decolonization, Tribal Sovereignty, and equity for Native artists in the theatre.
HowlRound, part of Emerson College’s Office of the Arts, is a free and open platform for theatremakers worldwide that amplifies progressive, disruptive ideas about the art form and facilitates connection between diverse practitioners.
Events
Massachusetts Events
National Day of Mourning, November 27
An annual tradition since 1970, National Day of Mourning is a solemn and spiritual day. Organized by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE) the annual observance includes a march through the historic district of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Thursday, November 27 at 12pm
Cole’s Hill, Plymouth, MA
Celebrate! with Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers
The Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers share stories of their history and modern culture in an educational program that culminates with a full-audience dance in honor of Native American Heritage Month.
Friday, November 28, 10:30 a.m.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Register through EventBrite.
Boston Public Library Events
Visit the Boston Public Library to join a book club or take a Native American Cuisine cooking class in honor of Native American Heritage Month throughout November.
California Events
LA Skins Fest
The annual LA Skins Fest Native American Film Festival was founded in 2007 and takes place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Join this multi-day multicultural event celebrating the art of film, TV, and new media of Native American and Indigenous creatives.
November 19-23
TCL Chinese Theatre 6
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Resources
Indian Country Today: Indigenous news and stories
Iwasaki Library: Guide to Native American Heritage Month
New England Aquarium: The Indigenous History of Boston Harbor
National Museum of the American Indian: Native Knowledge 360°