Sacramento, California – November 12, 2026 — Native American Heritage Month, celebrated every November, is a time to recognize Indigenous peoples’ histories and contributions and to celebrate the many distinct American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultures and traditions across the country. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness of issues affecting Native communities.
This year’s Native American Heritage Month feels especially meaningful due to several historic election victories. Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) was elected governor of New Mexico, while Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) was voted into the U.S. Senate and Claire Valdez (Ysleta del Sur Pueblo) was chosen to represent New York in Congress. This is the first time a Native American woman has been selected for these roles.
During these moments of celebration and recognition, however, we must also make room to speak about the struggles Native communities continue to face. Native people have and continue to endure harm caused by colonial violence and policies, such as boarding schools, the forced removal and relocation of Native people, and forced sterilization. We can still see the effects of these policies today. The Native Youth Sexual Health Network’s You Are Made of Medicine: A Mental Health Peer Support Manual describes colonialism as “the ways that settler governments attempt to control our lands and take power away from our communities.” By this definition, contemporary resource extraction and environmental violence, child apprehension, and the ongoing theft of Indigenous languages are all examples of colonialism at work.
Recent initiatives to rollback policies protecting Native land and communities have been the source of much concern. In a 2025 article titled “Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Are Non-Negotiable: 22 Calls to Action for the Trump Administration on Presidents’ Day,” Cultural Survivor, Inc. names eight alarming actions by our current administration that stand to infringe on Indigenous human rights. Actions such as fund freezes have altered grants and programs that support cultural education and Tribal health. Policies that center resource management and extraction affect Native land and people and even immigration enforcement practices are impacting Native communities.
These modern threats echo a longer history of systemic erasure. The disruption and loss of cultural transmission is a factor that drove the Native American civil rights movement of the ’60s, led by the American Indian Movement (AIM), to push for legislation that allowed Tribes to practice self-determination. While this movement secured critical advancements in education, healthcare, and cultural freedoms, the struggle continues as new injustices emerge. Today, this is evident in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) crisis, which highlights disproportionate violence against Indigenous people, including disappearances, sex trafficking, and systemic negligence by law enforcement. Closely linked to this struggle is the Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement, which addresses the systemic invisibility that fuels both MMIR and the pain of Tribal disenrollment. Together with the LandBack movement, an Indigenous-led framework for cultural resilience, restoration, and collective liberation, these efforts represent a modern fight for justice and autonomy.
Even in the face of these enduring challenges, we continue to see the power of Indigenous leadership and persistence. There were so many historic firsts this past election day, each one serving as a stepping stone for the generations to follow. As we celebrate these victories together, may we continue to learn and grow, stepping into the leadership positions that empower us to create the future we want to see. Whether it be through civic engagement, traditional knowledge keeping, uplifting Native voices, or supporting grassroots movements, every action contributes to our collective resilience and the reclamation of our future.
Sacramento Native American Health Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center committed to continue and share the legacy of a healthy American Indian / Alaska Native community based on cultural values delivered through a traditional, innovative and accessible patient-centered health home. SNAHC offers primary care, oral health, behavioral health, specialty, and supportive services in Midtown and South Sacramento plus a school-based health center. We are open to all, and all are welcome. For more information on SNAHC, visit www.snahc.org or call 916-341-0575 for an appointment.
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