I’ve heard of a “Day of the Cowboy,” but is there a “Day of the Native American?”

I’ve heard of a “Day of the Cowboy,” but is there a “Day of the Native American?”

Harvey Scott

Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Actually, there is. And it dates back to  1914, when Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfoot tribe, rode horseback from state to state in the hope of gaining support for a day of tribute.

The following year, Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a member of the Seneca tribe, persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to designate a day of recognition for Indians. In 1916, New York was the first state to observe American Indian Day. Over the years, other states followed suit.

In 1976, a U.S. Senate resolution authorized our president to declare a Native American Awareness Week. That was expanded to a month in 1990. It is celebrated in November.