
Learn more about USET, Native American history, and Native American Heritage Month.
USET Member Tribal Nations
- Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians ANI’YUNWIYA*
- Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida MIKASUI*
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians CHATA*
- Seminole Tribe of Florida I:LAPONATHLI*
- Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana SITIMAXA
- Seneca Nation of Indians ONONDOWA’GA’
- Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana KOASATI
- Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe AKWESASNE
- Penobscot Indian Nation PANAWAHPSKEK
- Passamaquoddy Tribe – Pleasant Point PESKOTOMUHKATI
- Passamaquoddy Tribe – Indian Township PESKOTOMUHKATI
- Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians METAKSONIKEWIYIK
- Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana YORONIKU – HALAYIHKU
- Poarch Band of Creek Indians MVSKOKE
- Narragansett Indian Tribe NANAANONGSEUK
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation PEQUOT
- Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head AQUINNAH
- Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas ALIBAMU and KOASATI
- Oneida Indian Nation ONYOTA’A:KÀ:
- Aroostook Band of Micmacs MIKMAQ
- Catawba Indian Nation YE ISWAH H’REH
- Jena Band of Choctaw Indians CHAHTA (JENA)
- The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut MAHEEHKANUWAK
- Cayuga Nation GAYOGOHO:NO’
- Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe MÂSEEPEE WÔPANÂAK
- Shinnecock Indian Nation
- Pamunkey Indian Tribe PAMUNKEY
- Rappahannock Tribe RAPPAHANNOCK
- Chickahominy Indian Tribe CHICKAHOMINY
- Chickahominy Indian Tribe – Eastern Division CHICKAHOMINY
- Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe MATTAPONI
- Nansemond Indian Nation NANSEMOND
- Monacan Indian Nation MONACAN
- USET Headquarters
- USET SPF Office
*Denotes Founding Member

Resources
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Articles
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Events
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Initiatives and Calls to Actions
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News
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Podcasts
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Publications
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Recommended Books
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Thanksgiving Day Myth and Facts
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Videos and Films
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574 Federally Recognized Tribal Nations
Articles
- Broken Treaties With Native American Tribes: Timeline - History.com - The treaties were based on the fundamental idea that each tribe was an independent nation, with their own right to self-determination and self-rule. But as white settlers began moving onto Native American lands, this idea came into conflict with the relentless pace of westward expansion—resulting in many broken promises on the part of the U.S. government.
- Explore Native American culture with the following lessons, activities, and resources - National Education Association
- How the Iroquois Confederacy Was Formed: In the story of the Great Law of Peace, Hiawatha and the Peacemaker convince leaders of the Five Nations to literally bury the hatchet. - History.com, November 8, 2021
- Land Acknowledgment: How to Teach Our Kids About Native Americans - MacaroniKid - The first step in honoring and respecting other cultures is to understand the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. It matters because crossing that fine line can perpetuate stereotypes and divide communities.
- The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans
- Myths and Realities of Tribal Sovereignty: The Law and Economics of Indian Self-Rule by Joseph P. Kalt and Joseph William Singer
- Native American Heritage Month - The DC Public Library proudly celebrates Native American Heritage Month this November by sharing events and resources to read, watch, listen to and learn from that honor and pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans
- The Rise of Tribes and the Fall of Federal Indian Law - Arizona State Law Journal
- Sen. Tom Udall on Native American Heritage Month: A Call to Better Respect Tribal Sovereignty - Native News Online
- Time To Fix The Racist Way We Depict Native Americans In The Capitol, Say Lawmakers - HuffPost
- The Wampanoag Side of the First Thanksgiving Story - Indian Country Today
- We Are Still Here - TEDFellowsBlog - In defiance of stereotypes and the history of injustice, these portraits create a new record of Native America
Events
- November 1-30 - Native American Heritage Month Virtual 5K; Run, walk, bike, swim, hop, skip, jump the equivalent of a 5k from wherever you live! You will be joining a National effort to raise funding and awareness for NCUIH’s critical work supporting American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) urban communities. Sign-up
- November 1 at 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm Central/7:30pm - 8:45 pm Eastern - Lecture: Good Medicine: Finding Your Voice After Collective Trauma by Kyle Ethelbah, White Mountain Apache, Director for College Programs, Center for Academic Enrichment & Outreach, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Zoom link
- November 4 at at 1:00 pm Central/2:00 pm Central - Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World USET Watch Party; This documentary tells the story of a profound, essential, and until now, missing chapter in the history of American music: the Indigenous influence. RSVP
- November 6 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Central/11:00 am -4:00 pm Eastern - Reflections of the 16th Century: A Paddle and Outdoor Living Experience. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a free family fun Bronx River paddle through the fall foliage, and explore the traditional lifeways of the Eastern Algonquin peoples.
RSVP - November 6 at 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm Central/1:30 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern - Voices: An Indigenous Reading Circle; In this Reading and Learning Circle, you will hear from prominent young adult and children's authors about their work and what it means to create space. In this conversation, you will hear from authors Cherie Dimaline, Christy Jordan-Fenton, and David A. Robertson on the power of young adult fiction and the importance of Indigneous storytelling tradition. Register
- November 10 at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Central/7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern - The world premiere of the new Upstander Project film, BOUNTY. Register for free. Here is the synopsis of the film, by Dawn Neptune Adams, Maulian Dana, Adam Mazo, Ben Pender-Cudlip, and Tracy Rector:We are citizens of the Penobscot Nation. For this film, we bring our families to Boston to read our ancestors’ death warrant. This abhorrent proclamation, made in 1755 by the colonial government, paid settlers handsomely to murder Penobscot people. It declared our people enemies and offered different prices for the scalps of children, women, and men. Bounty proclamations like this, some even paid in stolen land, persisted for more than two centuries across what is now the United States.The memory of being hunted is in our blood. We know this to be true, and the science now affirms that trauma can be passed down from generation to generation. In BOUNTY we step into the future together with our children into the colonizer’s hall of injustice, to read their hateful words and tell the truth about what was done to our ancestors. We exercise our power by sharing the horrors of this hard history as an act of resistance, remembrance, and a step toward justice.Join Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana, film participant Dawn Neptune Adams (Penobscot), and filmmaker and Upstander Project director Adam Mazo for a conversation after the film. Learn more about the film at bountyfilm.org.
- November 12-18, 2021 - Watch the Inhabitants documentary
- November 12–18, 2021 - Native Cinema Showcase
- November 16 at 10:00 am Central/11:00 am Eastern - Webinar from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation: "Traditional Gathering Methods of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians" - Register
- November 16 at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern - CMS Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights presents, "“Native Wellness Institute: Historical Trauma and AIAN Resilience”: Gene Tagaban, “One Crazy Raven,” who is a storyteller, speaker, mentor, teacher and counselor of the spirit, as well as a board member and trainer with the Native Wellness Institute. He will speak on historical trauma, healing and resilience. Zoom link
- November 18 at 6:00 pm Central/7:00 pm Eastern - The Jamestown Settlement museum will be hosting a special free public lecture at 7 p.m. given by documentary photographer, Matika Wilbur. As part of the museum’s year-long special exhibition, “FOCUSED: A Century of Virginia Indian Resilience,” Ms. Wilbur will speak on, “Changing the Way We See Native America: Dismantling Native American Stereotypes.” Those wishing to attend this free lecture should be advised that admission is limited. To register, please visit the website for Jamestown Settlement.
- November 20 at 10:00 am Central/11:00 am Eastern - The Martha’s Vineyard Museum is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a presentation on Saturday, Nov. 20 by Darius Coombs, cultural outreach coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag. The event is called Wampanoag and Noepe as One, and it traces the history of the Wampanoag people on the Vineyard, which goes back thousands of years. The event begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday and advance registration is required. The cost is $15/member; $20/non-member. The event can also be viewed virtually by Zoom. For tickets, Zoom links and more information, visit mvmuseum.org or call 508-627-4441.
- November 23 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern - CMS Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights presents, “Native Cuisine with Chef Craig”: Nephi Craig, who is an Apache chef and the Native American Culinary Association founder. His goal is to use food as medicine for his Native people. He will speak on Native American cuisines and food practices. Zoom link
- November 29 at 12:00 pm Eastern - House Committee on Natural Resources and the Library of Congress will host a virtual event to commemorate Native American Heritage Month. Zoom link
- November 30 at 3:00 pm Eastern - The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) is celebrating National Native American Heritage Month! OELA is hosting a panel discussion and audience Q&A with award-winning authors whose work highlights the diversity of heroes and heroines within the Native American community. Register
- Smithsonian Native American Indian Museum events
Initiatives and Calls to Actions
- Change the Narrative
- A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement - Native Governance Center
- Why Give An Indigenous Land Acknowledgment (and How to Make It Matter) - American Indian College Fund
- Native Knowledge 360° Educational Initiative
- Reclaiming Native Truth – IllumiNative
- Remove the Stain- Request for President Biden to Rescind Wounded Knee Massacre Medal of Honor
News
- This tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later. - Washington Post 11/4/2021
- DOD Honors Native Americans and Their Many Contributions to the Nation
- President Biden's Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month 2021
Podcasts
- All My Relations - Each episode delves into a different topic facing Native people today.
- This American Life has done a number of stories centered on Native American issues: Little War on the Prairie, Trail of Tears and A mess to Be Reckoned With.
- Media Indigena discusses current Indigenous current affairs.
- Native Opinion - hosted by Michael Kickingbear Johnson (Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation) and David Greyowl (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
- Toasted Sister - is a podcast focused on Native American food.
- U. Wisc. Law Review Podcast on the Indian Law Restatement by Matthew L.M. Fletcher.
Publications
- Activist Chase Iron Eyes to Pope Francis: Revoke the Doctrine of Discovery
- BROKEN PROMISES: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans - U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
- Deconstructing the Doctrine of Discovery
- Doctrine of Discovery
- A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs In Indian Country - U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
- USET 50th Anniversary Educational White Book - Discover 50 Years of USET
- USET Synopsis of Tribal Nation - U.S. Diplomatic Relations
- Virtual Resources for Schools, Teachers, Parents and Students - From National Indian Education Association
Recommended Books
- "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" by Charles C. Mann (2006).
- "Black Elk Speaks" by J. Neihardt (2014).
- "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Kimmerer (2013).
- "Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades (Indians of the Southeast)" by Buffalo Tiger and Harry A. Kersey Jr. (2008)
- "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West" by Dee Brown (1970).
- "Ceremony" by Leslie Marmon Silko (1977).
- "Code Talker" by Chester Nez (2011).
- "Crazy" by Joy Harjo.
- "Custer Died For Your Sins" by Vine Deloria, Jr. (1988).
- "Even As We Breathe" by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (2020).
- "Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask" by Anton Treuer (2012).
- "Fire Keeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley (2021).
- "Firsting and Lasting: Writing Indians out of Existence in New England" by Jean M. O’Brien (2010).
- "Forgotten Founders: How the American Indian Helped Shape Democracy" by Bruce E. Johansen (1982).
- "Heart Berries" by Terese Marie Mailhot (2018).
- "House Made of Dawn" by N. Scott Momaday.
- "If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving" by Chris Newell (2021).
- "Killers of The Flower Moon" by David Grann (2017).
- "Killing the White Man's Indian: Reinventing Native Americans at the End of the Twentieth Century" by Fergus Bordewich (1997).
- "The Life and Traditions of the Red Man: A rediscovered treasure of Native American literature" by Joseph Nicolar (2007).
- "Lost Bird of Wounded Knee" by Renee Sansom Flood (1995).
- "Love Medicine"(1984) and "The Round House" (2013) by Louise Erdrich.
- “Medicine Trail: The Life and Lessons of Gladys Tantaquidgeon” by Melissa Jayne Fawcett (2000)
- "Motorcycles & Sweetgrass" by Drew Hayden Taylor (2010).
- "Reservation "Capitalism" by Robert J. Miller (2012).
- "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich (2013).
- "Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation" by Peter Cozzens (2020).
- "There, There" by Tommy Orange (2018).
- "Unsettling Truths" by Mark Charles (2019).
- "Winter In the Blood" by James Welch (1974).
- "Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country" by Sierra Crane Murdoch (2020).
Children's Books
- "Bowwow Powwow" by Brenda J. Child (2018).
- “Cranberry Day: A Wampanoag Harvest Celebration” by Jannette Vanderhoop (2002).
- “Fighting Eagles/Dear and Turtle” by Sesostrie Youchigant to Mary Haas (2011).
- “Flip and Flop” by Leslie Pearson (2019).
- "Frybread" by Kevin Noble Maillard (2019).
- "An Indigenous Peoples’ History for Young People" by Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza (2019).
- "Journey of the Freckled Indians" by Alyssa London (2020).
- "Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie (2016).
- "We Are the Water Protectors" by Carole Lindstrom (2020).
Thanksgiving Day Myths and Facts
- The (Real) Story of Thanksgiving - NBC New York
- The Indigenous Stories Glossed Over in the Typical 'First Thanksgiving' Story - NPR
- Thanksgiving is a Year-Round Practice of Giving Thanks - NPR
- The Myth of Thanksgiving - Washington Post
- The Wampanoag Side of the First Thanksgiving Story - Indian Country Today
- This tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later. - Washington Post 11/4/2021
- Thanksgiving Myth Creates Fairytale of Land Theft, Betrayal, Genocide - Indian Country Today
- The Truth About Thanksgiving: What They Never Taught You in School - HuffPost
Videos and Films
- Amá (2019)
- Americana Indian — thinking twice about images that matter - Nancy Marie Mithlo at EDxABQWomen
- America’s Native Prisoners of War - Aaron Huey TED Talk
- The Canary Effect (2006)
- The Capitol Through Her Eyes Secretary Deb Haaland Video
- Congressman Cole speaks on Tribal Sovereignty
- Dawnland (2018)
- Department of Interior Celebrates National Native American Heritage Month (2021)
- For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning - CNN Video
- Gather (2020) - now available on Netflix
- Impact Week 2019 USET EOC Panel Discussion
During March of 2019 at the annual USET SPF Impact Week meeting in Washington, DC, the USET and USET SPF Executive Officers discussed current issues impacting Indian Country and the 50th anniversary of USET - Kihtahkomikumon (Our Land) - #IsLandBack in Passamaquoddy Territory
- The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo (2009)
- Native American Heritage Month 2020 - In November 2020, USET Tribal Leaders and individuals across the USET family participated in a 2020 USET/USET SPF Spotlight video series in which they answered the question, "What does Native American Heritage Month mean to you?"
- Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Citizen and USET/USET SPF Executive Director Kitcki A Carroll (11/30/20)
- Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Citizen and USET Tribal Climate Science Liaison Dr. Casey Thornbrugh (11/27/20)
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler (11/25/20)
- Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut Citizen and USET SPF Policy and Legislative Affairs Director Liz Malerba (11/23/20)
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Nation Citizen and Indian Health Service Nashville Area Office Director Dr. Beverly Cotton. (11/20/20)
- USET’s Economic Development program to recognize and bring greater visibility to USET member Tribal Nation businesses during Native American Heritage Month. While we are elevating these businesses today, please remember to support them throughout the year. (11/18/20)
- Penobscot Indian Nation Citizen and USET Office of Environmental Resource Management Director Jerry Pardilla (11/16/20)
- Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut Chief and USET/USET SPF Secretary Lynn Many Hearts Malerba (11/13/20)
- Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Citizen and USET Veterans Affairs Committee Chairperson Sam Lambert (11/11/20)
- Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Chairwoman Cecilia Flores (11/09/20)
- Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Chairman Marshall Pierite (11/06/20)
- Jena Band of Choctaw Indians Chief B Cheryl Smith, USET/USET SPF Treasurer (11/04/20)
- Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter (11/02/20)
- Our Spirits Don't Speak English (2008)
- Our Sisters In Spirit (MMIWG Documentary) (2018)
- THE PENOBSCOT - Ancestral River, Contested Territory
- The People's Protectors - Four Native American veterans reflect on their experiences in during the Vietnam War (2021)
- Project Chariot (2013)
- Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
- Savage Land (available for preorder on November 5 at 6:00 pm Central)
- Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference 2021 - conference speaker sessions
- Thanksgiving ‘National Day Of Mourning’ For Some
- Unspoken: America’s Native American Boarding Schools
- Video Featuring USET SPF Secretary/Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut Chief Many Hearts Lynn Malerba - Discussion on Broken Promises Report
- The Warrior Tradition - Films on PBS
The 574 Federally Recognized Tribal Nations