Wilson Community College is proud to celebrate Native American Heritage Month during the month of November.
Check back throughout the month for more facts.
Library Resources
The A. Dwight Johnson Learning Resource Center has a variety of resources showcasing Native American Heritage Month. Visit the Library to check out one of our titles, or peruse the digital resources at the link below.
Interesting Facts
- In mid-October 1976, President Gerald R. Ford proclaimed the first national, week-long observance for American Indians: “Native American Awareness Week.” Read more about how this observance began.
- The first year of dedicating November as “National American Indian Heritage Month” was in 1990, proclaimed by President George H.W. Bush, and has continued each year under subsequent presidents. Read more about Native American Heritage Month.
- There were 99,541 American Indians located in the state of North Carolina when the 2000 US Census was conducted. North Carolina is home to the largest population of American Indians east of the Mississippi River. FAQs about American Indians.
- There are eight (8) state-recognized tribes located in North Carolina: the Coharie, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Haliwa-Saponi, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Meherrin, the Sappony, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and the Waccamaw Siouan. The Eastern Band of Cherokee is fully recognized by the federal government. The Lumbee tribe has partial federal recognition as a result of the Lumbee Act of 1956. FAQs about American Indians.