Native American & Alaska Native Heritage Month

Celebrate Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month this November with illuminating stories and films from PBS NC. Explore documentaries like The American Buffalo by Ken Burns and the new drama series Little Bird, which tells the story of Bezhig Little Bird, a young girl forcibly taken from Long Pine Reserve and adopted into a Jewish family. Additionally, learn more about the rich experiences of Indigenous people from North Carolina through NC Weekend shorts. Also, take a deep dive into the Land Back Movement, a crucial initiative dedicated to reclaiming ancestral lands and restoring Indigenous governance.
Watch and take in the remarkable legacy and ongoing contributions of Native American and Indigenous communities on PBS NC and the free PBS App.
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 Tuesdays at 9 PM on PBS NC, and streaming online and on the PBS App.
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 now online or on the PBS App.
This drama series follows the story of Bezhig Little Bird, who was forcibly removed from Long Pine Reserve as a child, adopted by a Jewish family in Montreal and renamed Esther Rosenblum. Eighteen years later, she embarks on a journey to unravel her history. Through an epic journey of connection and self-discovery, Bezhig Little Bird begins to find her lost family and put the pieces of her fragmented past back together.
Watch Little Bird now online or on the PBS App.
This documentary probes a passionate dispute over historic murals at a public high school depicting the life of George Washington: enslaver, general, land speculator, president and a man Seneca leaders called “town destroyer.” The controversy becomes a touchstone for a national debate over public art and historic memory in a time of racial reckoning.
Town Destroyer from America ReFramed premieres Thursday, 11/2, only on the PBS App.
Discover how Indigenous innovation and technology allows Indigenous communities to survive and thrive now and across the centuries. Our host, Cheyenne Bearfoot, will explore various native and Indigenous identities across the globe in order to unravel stereotypes that have diminished innovations made by Indigenous peoples.
NC Bookwatch host DG Martin sits down with Malinda Maynor Lowery to discuss her 2018 book The Lumbee Indians. Dr. Lowery wrote this book to help non-historians better understand the history of this deeply rooted NC tribe and its community.
Watch NC Bookwatch now online or on the PBS App.
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.
The 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.
Learn more from the stories below and on pbs.org.
Native American communities are grappling with the fallout of government policies that separated Native children from their families and stripped them of their culture—first at boarding schools and later in white adoptive and foster homes. On June 15, 2023, the Supreme Court rejected challenges to Indian Child Welfare Act, a victory for Native communities working to overcome generations of trauma.
Generations Stolen is available to stream now with Passport. Watch more from Local, USA now online or on the PBS App.
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 now online or on the PBS App.
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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