Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month honors indigenous peoples living in the United States before the arrival of Europeans. Throughout November, PBS KIDS will celebrate with all new episodes of Molly of Denali! The premiere features Elizabeth Peratovich, Alaska Native Civil Rights leader, as she teaches Molly about diversity and the history of indigenous people in the United States.

Check the schedules for Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and our CPTV Spirit channel for more programming that celebrates the culture, accomplishments, and contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in a special collection of films, short stories, and learning resources.

Photo of a family of Native American heritage picnicking in a grassy area and smiling. The photo is overlaid with text reading Learning Snacks: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month.

FOR KIDS: GET TO KNOW MOLLY OF DENALI
Meet Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl, who loves exploring with her friends, family, and her dog, Suki. Molly teaches kids all about using maps, guidebooks, websites, and weather reports to solve problems and discover the world around them.

Sled dog missions, working at a trading post, and canoeing quests are all parts of Molly’s adventures. Kids can "Explore with Molly" and play games, watch videos, and talk with her friends as they navigate day-to-day life in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska.

FOR PARENTS: CRAFTS & COOKING WITH MOLLY
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month while creating a recipe book! Try making an Alaskan dish from Molly of Denali’s Recipe Book. There’s space to add your own recipes from your family traditions.

Try designing a Land Acknowledgement poster to learn about and honor the indigenous lands you live on, or create a Yup’ik dance fan.

FOR EDUCATORS: NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Share the history of Native American Heritage Month with your students by watching this video about this observance during the month of November in the United States.

Discuss how you commemorate Native American Heritage Month in your family, school, or community. PBS offers many resources to expand narratives about American history and culture to support your discussions.

Younger students will enjoy discovering the answer to "What makes the sea rise?" while learning about glaciers in Molly of Denali’s native land of Alaska.

For lesson plans on teaching Native American History for older students, visit this link.

THINKALONG - CONSIDER THIS: Should it be easier to vote in the United States?