Native American Heritage Day
27 November 2026
Native American Heritage Day falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving; in 2026 that is 27 November. It honors the history, cultures and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. It is not a federal holiday: no one gets the day off and federal offices do not close. Congress named it in a joint resolution, H.J. Res. 62, signed on 8 October 2008.
That first law designated 28 November 2008. Its findings said that designating the Friday following Thanksgiving each year would underscore the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Native American governments. The next year a second joint resolution, H.J. Res. 40, was signed on 26 June 2009 as Public Law 111-33, and the Congressional Research Service describes it as designating the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The two laws differ. The 2008 resolution named one date, 28 November 2008. The 2009 resolution is described by the Congressional Research Service as designating the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs says the day is permanently designated each year. Representative Joe Baca of California, who sponsored both, said on the floor in 2009 that limits on commemorative legislation required a new resolution each time.
The day sits inside a larger month. November has been marked as National American Indian Heritage Month since Congress passed Public Law 101-343 in 1990, and presidents have issued proclamations for it every year since the 1990s; the name now used is National Native American Heritage Month. In 2026, Washington lists Native American Heritage Day as a state holiday and Maryland marks American Indian Heritage Day on the same date.
What the day asks for is mostly work in schools. The 2008 resolution encouraged public elementary and secondary schools to teach about Native American achievements and contributions, and the 2009 resolution encouraged federal, state and local governments to hold programs and ceremonies. The date is fixed to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which in 2026 is also Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.
Sources
- Public Law 110-370, “Native American Heritage Day Act of 2008”, 122 Stat. 4035
- H.J. Res. 62, 110th Congress, actions and Senate report
- H.J. Res. 40, 111th Congress, “Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009” (enrolled text)
- Congressional Research Service, “Native American Heritage Month: Fact Sheet” (R44258)
- Library of Congress, “National American Indian Heritage Month: History and Overview”
- Bureau of Indian Affairs, “Native American Heritage Day Today”
- Timeanddate.com, “Holidays and Observances in the United States in 2026”
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