November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, a time to honor the cultures, histories, and contributions of Indigenous communities. What began as "American Indian Week" in 1986 has grown into a month-long recognition celebrated each year.
This month, PBS NC highlights the ways Native communities are shaping science and the arts, blending tradition with modern innovation. Watch stories from a collection of documentaries and shows that offer a look into these contributions on PBS NC and the PBS app.
North Carolina is home to eight Native American tribes. One of them is the Eastern Band of Cherokee Natives.
The Cherokee have inhabited North Carolina for at least ten thousand years. Their territory once extended north to the Ohio River and south to Alabama.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Natives make their home on the Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina.
PBS North Carolina celebrates the Cherokee and all Indigenous peoples in honor of Native American Heritage Month.
Aaju Peter is a renowned Inuit lawyer and activist who defends the human rights of Indigenous peoples. She's a fierce protector of her ancestral lands in the Arctic and works to bring her colonizers to justice. As Aaju launches an inspiring effort to establish an Indigenous forum, she also embarks upon a deeply personal journey to mend her own wounds, including the unexpected passing of her son.
Watch POV's "Twice Colonized" on the PBS app.
Celebrate incredible art and artifacts from Indigenous creators and history makers. Was a Sioux beaded vest, ca. 1876, a Ruth Muskrat Bronson archive, or a Carrie Bethel basket the top $75,000 to $150, 000 find?
Watch Antique Roadshow's "Celebrating Native American Heritage," streaming now on the PBS app.
A documentary from filmmaker Leya Hale, The Electric Indian follows Ojibwe hockey legend, Henry Boucha. A stand-out hockey star from Warroad, Minnesota, Boucha impressed on the ice from the 1969 Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament to the 1972 Olympics to the NHL, but an on-ice assault and injury ended his athletic career that unexpectedly led to a journey of healing and cultural reclamation.
Watch The Electric Indian, streaming now the PBS app.
Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers follows Lidia across America as meeting chefs, farmers, and entrepreneurs hard at work trying to change, not only what’s available, but the way Americans think about food in the future. “It’s also critical to remember the energy and water it takes to grow, transport and package the foods we eat”, says Lidia, “We all have the ability to be Changemakers."
Watch Lidia Celebrates America's "Changemakers," streaming now on the PBS app.
In a journey of reconnection, filmmaker Steven Tallas explores the hogan—a small, unassuming traditional structure found across the Navajo Nation. Remaining cool in the summers and warm in the winters, this short film revisits the hogan amidst a warming American southwest.
Watch NOVA's "Standing the Heat," streaming now on the PBS app.
This Lumbee family farm uses sustainable farming and herbal medicine practices to preserve their Native American heritage. They grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs using natural fertilizers and pest control methods. The farm provides fresh food to the community and educates others about sustainable farming and holistic health.
Hunting whales is a matter of life or death for the residents of St. Lawrence. When a shy Alaska Native teen becomes the youngest person ever to harpoon a whale for his village, his family is blindsided by thousands of keyboard activists brutally attacking him online—without full perspective on the importance of the hunt to his community's well-being.
Watch more from Independent Lens, streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.
Honoring Indigenous innovation with modern insight & culture.
An entertaining, informative series that celebrates Native American culture and heritage.
This series chronicles the social climate in Native America and history of tribal nations.
Take a trip up north with these local stories from Alaska Public Media.
Season 2 of Native America is a groundbreaking portrait of contemporary Indian Country. This four-part Native-directed series reveals the beauty and power of today’s Indigenous world. Smashing stereotypes, it follows the brilliant engineers, bold politicians and cutting-edge artists who draw upon Native tradition to build a better 21st century.
Watch Native America, streaming now and on the PBS App.
Ancient clues and modern science answer the question: who were America’s First Peoples?
Learn more about #LandBack, an Indigenous-led environmental, cultural and political movement that seeks to place Indigenous land back in Indigenous hands.
Watch Above the Noise, streaming now on the PBS App.
LEARN MORE FROM PBSThe Land Back movement seeks to reclaim ancestral lands, with the goal of reinstating Indigenous governance over these territories. In essence, it’s about returning Indigenous land to its rightful owners. This concept has deep historical roots and has gained increased visibility on social media in recent years, notably following the No Access Dakota Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. |
Luke Swimmer, the force behind Buffalotown Clothing, celebrates Cherokee culture and pride in his eye-catching designs. Started in 2017 and now sold in stores like REI, Buffalotown Clothing blends contemporary fashion and pop culture with designs inspired by Indigenous art and life. (This video displays an incorrect spelling of Tabytha Swimmer’s name. We apologize for this oversight.)
Watch more from My Home, NC, streaming now on the PBS App.
Filmmaker Brooke Pepion Swaney profiles independent film actress Lily Gladstone as she prepares for the release of Killers of the Flower Moon. Drawing from her childhood on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and her peripatetic life as a professional actor, Gladstone learns to stand on her own two feet in order to make her voice heard.
Watch more from American Masters, streaming now on the PBS App.
Native American vocalist and lap steel guitarist Pura Fé has both Tuscarora and Taino blood in her veins and generations of ancestors in her voice. She shares her personal background and musical journey in an episode that culminates in a Silkroad Ensemble performance of her song “Mahk Jchi.”
Watch more from My Music with Rhiannon Giddens, streaming now on the PBS App with PBS NC Passport.
Charly Lowry is an indigenous singer and songwriter of Lumbee/Tuscarora descent whose native American roots and experiences inform her music. Host Rhiannon Giddens visits Charly’s tribal homeland of Robeson County, NC for songs and conversation.
Watch more from My Music with Rhiannon Giddens, streaming now on the PBS App with PBS NC Passport.
In partnership with electronic music pioneers The Halluci Nation, R&B artist Martha Redbone, and performance artist Ty Defoe, The Kennedy Center explores the impact and evolution of indigenous performing arts cultures.
Watch more from Next at the Kennedy Center, streaming now on the PBS App with PBS NC Passport.
The dramatic story of how America’s national mammal, once numbering in the tens of millions and sustaining the Native people of the Great Plains for untold generations, was driven to the brink of extinction. Ken Burns recounts the collision––and tragic consequences––of two opposing views of the natural world.
Watch The American Buffalo, streaming now on the PBS App with PBS NC Passport.
NC Weekend highlights North Carolina businesses and experiences, including those owned and operated by Indigenous people from the state. Explore this collection of featured stories to discover the rich culture of Cherokee and Coharie Native Americans.
Watch new episodes of NC Weekend Thursdays at 9 PM on PBS NC and on the PBS App.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual is an art collective for Cherokee artists.
Exploring Chinle, Arizona, Jesus Trejo connects with Native American comic and actor Tatanka Means. Tatanka delves into his upbringing on the reservation, using humor to illuminate the enduring challenges faced by Indigenous communities nationwide.
Watch more from Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo, streaming now on the PBS App.
The daily adventures of 10-year-old Alaska native Molly Mabray, her family, her dog Suki and her friends Tooey and Trini.
Watch Molly of Denali, streaming now on PBSKIDS.org and on Rootle PBS KIDS.
Inspired by Molly of Denali, the “Awesome Alaskan Kids” short series shows real kids from across Alaska filming their own vlogs. Each kid shares a unique perspective, culture and adventure as Alaskans and Alaska Natives.
Rootle Ambassador Dr. Connie Locklear of Robeson County shares tips for educators during Native American Heritage Month.
Explore new reads from Native authors and illustrators. Discover family-friendly books that showcase contemporary Native American life, highlighting Native children and families.
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