In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law a joint resolution recognizing November as “National American Indian Heritage Month“, also known as Alaska Native and Native American Heritage Month, in order to recognize the “essential and unique contribution[s]” that Native Americans have made “to our nation . . . [and] to the world”.

The Consortium Library offers many resources to help us celebrate and research the culture, history, trials, and contributions of Alaska Natives and Native Americans. It also collects works by Alaska Native authors and illustrators.

Many resources specific to Alaska are located in the Alaskana collection on the second floor of the library. In addition, there are numerous online resources that SLED provides access to via their list of Native and Indigenous Peoples resources.

If you’re interested in an overview of the many books, e-books, journal articles, DVDs, and streaming videos provided by the Consortium library or in resources about Alaska Native and Native American languages, check out our Alaska Native / Native American Heritage Month Guide.

It is our hope that these resources will assist our community as we grow in awareness of the cultures, traditions, and heritage of indigenous peoples, particularly here in Alaska.