How to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Work?

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time dedicated to celebrating and honoring the enduring traditions, vibrant cultures, and impactful contributions of America’s Indigenous people. Sure, your room might have a dreamcatcher hanging or you’ve seen iconic totem poles, but there is so much more to discover about this remarkable community. At work, themed team-building activities can be a powerful way to explore their cultural legacy together. As advocates of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we believe these celebrations also strengthen workplace connections. That’s why we’ve gathered some meaningful ideas on how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work with authenticity and respect. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss:

• What is Native American Heritage Month?
• Why celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work?
• How to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Work?
• Native American Heritage Month ideas for remote teams.
• Native American Heritage Month Celebration ideas for in-person teams.

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What is Native American Heritage Month? 

Native American Heritage Month, celebrated every November, honors the rich history of the American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. This occasion was officially designated in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush to recognize the rich culture, traditions, and contributions of the Native Americans. During this month, people participate in Powwows, drum circles, creative workshops, and other cultural activities to commemorate the occasion. 

Why Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Work?

Native American Heritage Month offers a meaningful opportunity for teams to acknowledge and appreciate the legacy and contributions of the Indigenous Peoples. Here are a few reasons why you should celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work. 

• Honor Indigenous Contributions: Sharing stories, experiences, and achievements helps teams appreciate their lasting impact on society. 

• Promote Cultural Awareness: Inclusive workshops, games, and activities give employees a chance to learn about Indigenous history, traditions, and perspectives. 

• Support Diversity and Inclusion: Creates a safe space for teams to discuss cultural identity and share perspectives in an inclusive setting. 

• Strengthen Team Connection: Native American Heritage Month celebrations can build empathy, understanding, and create a diverse workplace culture. 

How to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Work?

Ideas for Native American Heritage Month celebrations should be inclusive, meaningful, and highlight the rich culture and traditions of the community and its Indigenous people. Here are workplace ideas on how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work for both remote and in-person teams. 

Native American Heritage Month Ideas for Remote Teams

From cultural games to virtual workshops that highlight the traditions of Indigenous Peoples, here are remote-friendly ideas on how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work virtually. 

1. Cultural Quizzathon 

Did you know that there are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the US? Or did you know Native Americans were the first to cultivate over 60% of today’s global food supply? Join a Native American Heritage Month trivia with your team to learn more such facts and explore the rich history of the Indigenous peoples. You can create a list of questions that covers topics like history, languages, cultural practices, art, and contributions to explore the community’s cultural heritage. For a more engaging experience, consider hiring a professional host to lead the session, track scores, and share interesting facts. 

Last year, we participated in a hosted session and had a fun time answering interesting questions. Here are a few categories we tried, and you can have a go at –  

• Round 1, History and Heritage: Answer questions about origin, historic events, and important milestones. 

• Round 2, Cultural Practices and Traditions: Tackle questions related to Powwows, ceremonial dances, drum circles, and more. 

• Round 3, Art and Crafts: Explore questions about traditional crafts, beadwork, pottery, weaving, and the works of modern Native American artists.  

• Round 4, Audio Visual: Guess the names of various artists, pioneers, books, movies, and more, from short clips or visuals. 

Pro Tip: Award digital certificates or badges to the winners and runners-up to appreciate their efforts. 

2. Themed Cookie Decorating 

When teams explore how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work, the goal should be to strike a balance between cultural appreciation and engaging experiences. A themed cookie decorating session is a perfect choice for teams to explore the Indigenous traditions in a creative way. Team members can transform plain cookies into vibrant treats by incorporating cultural symbols that represent the rich cultural heritage of the community. Designs can include dreamcatchers, totem poles, arrows, medicine wheels, feathers, and more. To host the activity, you can hire a professional or book slots for a hosted class with event kits for a seamless experience.

Here are a few ways to make the experience more meaningful:

• Show and Tell: Encourage participants to show their decorated cookies and share the meaning behind their chosen symbol.

• Competitive Element: Spice things up with a cookie decorating competition and award creative titles to the best ones. 

• Digital Gallery: Take pictures of the creations and upload them to a shared gallery for team members to explore and appreciate each other’s efforts.

Pro Tip: Use symbolic colors like red, black, turquoise, and yellow to decorate your cookies for a meaningful experience. 

3. Patterns of Tradition: Bingo

Native American Heritage Month Bingo can be an engaging way for teams to explore Indigenous culture while enjoying a friendly competition. This can be played using themed digital bingo cards with prompts like ‘Has a dreamcatcher’ or ‘Can Name 3 Native American Influencers’ or ‘Knows the meaning of the Three Sisters crops’. Before the game, you can appoint a dedicated host to call out the prompts and track the progress of the participants. Team members simply need to mark off the related squares as called out by the host, create a winning combination, and shout “Bingo!” to score a win. 

Pro Tip: Select different themes for each round, like trailblazers, pop culture references, or add trivia questions, to keep everyone engaged throughout the game. 

Here’s a sample Native American Heritage Month bingo card for your team:

4. Cultural Quest: Scavenger Hunt

Get your teams to channel their inner scouts or trackers in an engaging virtual Native American Heritage Month scavenger hunt. Teams will follow a trail of clues and hunt for themed items like feathers, dreamcatchers, crops, yarn, and more within their immediate surroundings and then display them online. To elevate the experience, add riddles like ‘I help the birds soar’ or ‘I’m hung by the bed to guard your sleep’ for participants to decode and identify the items before racing to collect them.  

Pro Tip: Create a playlist with songs by Indigenous artists and play it during the hunt to set the mood for the event. 

5. Indigenous Paint Party

Native American tribes have used art as a medium to preserve their traditions and hold deep cultural and spiritual meaning. Hosting an Indigenous paint party for your team offers a great opportunity for them to explore these rich artistic traditions in an inclusive setting. Team members can create paintings inspired by cultural symbols, sacred animals, or nature motifs, while learning the meaning behind each theme in a respectful way. To ensure hassle-free participation, you can deliver painting kits to the participants’ doorsteps or share a list of required supplies in advance. 

Here are a few ideas for your Indigenous paint party:

• Tote Bag Painting: Paint tote bags with culturally significant symbols like dreamcatchers, arrows, feathers, and more to create a symbolic and functional keepsake. 

• Mini Canvas Art: Select a theme and paint mini canvases with meaningful designs to display at home or in the workspace during Native American Heritage Month. 

• Wood Art: Use wood slices as a base for painting cultural designs like the sun, totem poles, or eagles to create a rustic keepsake that celebrates Indigenous traditions. 

Pro Tip: To learn more about Native art and modern-day artists, hire a professional host or book slots for a guided Native American Heritage Month paint party. 

6. Herbal Tea Tasting

Indigenous peoples have long used herbal tea for healing, purification, and social bonding. So, if you’re wondering how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work, consider hosting a herbal tea tasting to appreciate the flavors and highlight these traditions. Team members can sample tea varieties such as cedar, sage, mint, yaupon holly, or berry blends, each with its own unique properties. 

Along the way, they can discuss their first impressions, flavors, and aroma for an interactive experience. You can even bring in an expert to help you select the tea varieties and share the correct methods for brewing and tasting them. 

Pro Tip: Deliver tea tasting kits with essential supplies so team members do not have to source anything in advance. 

Native American Heritage Month Ideas for In-Office Teams

From crafts to storytelling, bring your team together with in-office activities that celebrate Native American culture and strengthen workplace connections. Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work. 

7. Indigenous Cultural Showbiz 

During Native American Heritage Month, your team can host a series of events celebrating traditional music, dance, and cultural traditions. Spread over a few weeks (or consecutive Fridays), employees can participate in different workshops, traditional storytelling sessions, Native-inspired craft making, or cooking demonstrations featuring Indigenous recipes.

Here are a few ideas to plan a meaningful celebration:

• Powwow: Powwows are social gatherings that Indigenous peoples host to educate non-natives about their history and traditions. Teams can host an event with traditional music, dance, and storytelling sessions to explore the rich heritage in a lively setting. 

• Drum Circles: Drum circles represent unity and connection in Indigenous cultures. Teams can bring in experts to host a live demonstration and learn fascinating facts about the tradition. 

• Stomp Dance: Stomp dance holds deep cultural significance, especially for the Eastern Woodland and Southeastern tribes, and is performed to celebrate the traditional Harvest season. Teams can invite someone from the community to learn this dance and explore its cultural significance further. 

Pro Tip: Decorate the designated area or venue with traditional elements like dreamcatchers, woven basket centerpieces, and other cultural symbols for a more immersive experience. 

8. Craft Stations

Crafts are deeply rooted in Native American culture, playing a vital role in preserving traditions, stories, and knowledge across generations. Setting up craft stations at the workplace is a meaningful way for teams to get hands-on experience and learn about traditional craftwork. You can invite an expert to guide the participants throughout the session and share the symbolic meanings behind each craft and pattern. 

Here are a few ideas for teams to explore:

• Dreamcatcher Workshop: Dreamcatchers originated with the Ojibwe tribe and are believed to filter out bad dreams. With a few basic supplies, such as hoops, strings, and feathers, team members can learn how to create custom dreamcatchers, ready to hang by their beds. 

• Beaded Bracelets: Beadwork is a cherished art form among Indigenous peoples, symbolizing cultural identity, storytelling, and spiritual connection. You can use beads of your choice to create bracelets with symbolic patterns to honor their rich heritage. 

• Pottery Session: Pottery holds significant importance among Native Americans, symbolizing practical necessity and serving various purposes, including cooking, storage, and ceremonial use. Team members can use clay, carving tools, and paints to create and decorate their own pots for a meaningful experience. 

Pro Tip: Share a list of supplies required for the event with the participants in advance so they can prep accordingly. 

9. Native American Potluck

Many Native American tribes comprise a diverse community, and each has its own distinct cuisine. This Native American Heritage Month, you and your team can come together to host a potluck and explore Indigenous flavors together. Teams can decide on a menu, select any item from the list, and bring it to the workplace on the designated event day. 

They can choose between traditional dishes like frybread, Three Sisters Stew (corn, beans, and squash), wild rice salad, or berry desserts to explore the rich culinary heritage. For a more insightful experience, ask participants to include a short note about the chosen dish for everyone to read while sampling it.

Pro Tip: Label dishes with the list of ingredients to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. 

10. Donation Drives 

Donation drives are a meaningful way to acknowledge Native American Heritage Month. They create an opportunity for teams to give back to Indigenous communities and support their causes. This can be achieved through monetary and in-kind donations, volunteer hours, or fundraising events, depending on your team’s preferences. 

Here are a few not-for-profit organizations to help teams plan their donation drives:

• Native American Rights Fund (NARF): Provides legal representation to Native American tribes, organizations, and individuals. 

• Native American Heritage Association (NAHA): Helps Native American families in need living on the reservations of South Dakota. 

• Native Wellness: Promotes the well-being of native people through structured training and culturally rooted programs. 

• Association of American Indian Affairs: Hosts programs focused on cultural sovereignty, youth empowerment, and building allyship.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to host virtual Native American Heritage Month celebrations? 

To host Native American Heritage Month celebrations virtually, select an online video conferencing platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Create a list of ideas for Native American Heritage Month, including inclusive games, activities, and creative workshops. Bring in an expert host to lead the session. Send out meeting invites with all the necessary details so everyone can join the event. Alternatively, opt for a team-building company to enjoy a fully-hosted experience. 

What are some good Native American Heritage Month celebration ideas?

Craft sessions, pottery,  film screenings, book clubs, and traditional potlucks are some ideas on how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month at work. 

What are some good Native American Heritage Month ideas to celebrate virtually? 

Virtual trivia, scavenger hunt, cookie decorating, and herbal tea tasting are some good ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month virtually. 

What are some Native American Heritage Month movies?

Smoke Signals, The Dead Indian and the Living Cowboy, Wind River, and Hostiles are some of the good movies to watch during Native American Heritage Month. 

What are some traditional crafts for Native American Heritage Month? 

Dreamcatchers, pottery, beadwork, and basket weaving are some traditional crafts associated with Native American Heritage Month.