In 1990, November was declared Native American Heritage Month, dedicated to celebrating the rich and diverse cultures of the Native peoples who lived for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived on these lands that would eventually become the United States of America.

At Running Strong for American Indian Youth® we recognize the contributions Native peoples made by tribes across the country from the Shinnecock Indian Nation on eastern Long Island, New York to the Coast Salish of the Pacific Northwest — beginning long before the founding of the U.S.

Native Americans fought alongside European settlers battling the British for independence, and throughout U.S. history the participation rate of Native Americans in military service is higher than for any other ethnic group in the country.

Members from many Indian nations have served with distinction in service to our country including World War I and II; through wartime conflicts of Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq; and thousands more are overseas today sacrificing for the sake of all ourselves.

Today, we at Running Strong want to remind our supporters and all Americans that “Native American History is American History #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth”.