Native American Day

Holiday honoring Native American cultures

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Native American Day is a holiday observed in several US states in celebration of Native American culture. In California and Nevada, the holiday is designated on the fourth Friday of September, whereas in South Dakota and Wisconsin, it falls on the second Monday of October. Within each of these states, Native American Day honors the cultural contributions of Native American communities to the respective state's history, as well as to the overall country. The state of Washington celebrates Native American Heritage Day on the Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November. The state of Tennessee observes a similar American Indian Day each year on the fourth Monday of September. President George W. Bush signed into law legislation introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-Calif.), to designate the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.

## California

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Native American Day (CA)

Observed by| California
Type| Historical
Significance| A day in honor of Native Americans
Date| Fourth Friday in September
2024 date| September 27  (2024-09-27)
2025 date| September 26  (2025-09-26)
2026 date| September 25  (2026-09-25)
2027 date| September 24  (2027-09-24)
Frequency| annual

In 1939, Governor Culbert Olson declared October 1 to be "Indian Day", making California the first state to honor this holiday. In 1968, Governor Ronald Reagan signed a resolution calling for a holiday called American Indian Day, to be held the Fourth Friday in September. In 1998, the California Assembly passed AB 1953, which made Native American Day an official state holiday, designated annually on the fourth Friday in September. In 2021, the State of California amended section 135 of the Code of Civil Procedure (effective January 1, 2022),[1] making Native American Day a judicial holiday; Columbus Day remains on the list of holidays in Government Code 6700,[2] but it is no longer a judicial holiday.

## Nevada

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In 1997, the state of Nevada also declared the Fourth Friday of September as Native American Day.[3]

## South Dakota

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Native American Day (SD)

Observed by| South Dakota
Type| Historical
Significance| A day in honor of Native Americans
Date| Second Monday in October
2024 date| October 14  (2024-10-14)
2025 date| October 13  (2025-10-13)
2026 date| October 12  (2026-10-12)
2027 date| October 11  (2027-10-11)
Frequency| annual

In 1989, the South Dakota legislature unanimously passed legislation proposed by Governor George S. Mickelson to proclaim 1990 as the "Year of Reconciliation" between Native Americans and whites, to change Columbus Day to Native American Day and to make Martin Luther King's birthday into a state holiday.[4] Since 1990, the second Monday in October has been celebrated as Native American Day in South Dakota.

On October 3, 2017, The Proclamation of Native American day was announced by the Mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Accepting the Proclamation would be the Lakota-Dakota-Nakota representatives of Sioux Falls.

South Dakota and Vermont, which celebrates Indigenous Peoples' Day, are the only states to practice non-observance of the federal holiday of Columbus Day.

## Tennessee

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American Indian Day (TN)

Observed by| Tennessee
Type| Historical
Significance| A day in honor of Native Americans
Date| Fourth Monday in September
2024 date| September 23  (2024-09-23)
2025 date| September 22  (2025-09-22)
2026 date| September 28  (2026-09-28)
2027 date| September 27  (2027-09-27)
Frequency| Annual

In 1994, the state General Assembly established the "fourth Monday in September of each year" to be especially observed in Tennessee as "American Indian Day" (TCA 15-2-106), "to recognize the contributions of American Indians with suitable ceremony and fellowship designed to promote greater understanding and brotherhood between American Indians and the non-Indian people of the state of Tennessee".

## Washington

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In 2014, the Washington state Legislature designated the Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November, currently a state legal and school holiday" to be recognized and honored as "Native American Heritage Day." (RCW 1.16.050), " recognize and honor Washington state's proud and resonant Native American heritage".

## See also

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* Indigenous Peoples' Day
* Native American Heritage Day
* Native American Indian Heritage Month
* Opposition to Columbus celebrations
* Indigenous Peoples Day

## References

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1. ^ "Law section".
2. ^ "Law section".
3. ^ "Section 1. NRS 236.040". Laws of the State of Nevada. 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
4. ^ ""Governor George S. Mickelson"" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society, history.sd.gov.

## External links

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### California

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* The text of the 1998 bill

### South Dakota

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* South Dakota legislation Archived 2007-04-14 at the Wayback Machine.
* South Dakota holiday legislation

* v
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* e

Federal holidays in the United States

Current|

* New Year's Day
* Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
* Washington's Birthday
* Memorial Day
* Juneteenth
* Independence Day
* Labor Day
* Columbus Day
* Veterans Day
* Thanksgiving Day
* Christmas Day

Proposed|

* VE Day (1945)
* Victory Day (1950)
* Flag Day (1950)
* Election Day/Democracy Day (1993, 2005, 2014)
* Malcolm X Day (1993–1994)
* Cesar Chavez Day (2008)
* Susan B. Anthony Day (2011)
* Native American Day (2013)
* Patriot Day (2021)
* Rosa Parks Day (2021)

Related|

* Uniform Monday Holiday Act

* v
* t
* e

Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States

January|

* New Year's Day (federal)
* Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (federal)

* Birthday of Eugenio María de Hostos (PR)
* Confederate Heroes Day (TX)
* Eve of Three Kings' Day (PR, religious)
* Feast of Epiphany / Feast of Theophany (religious)
* Fred Korematsu Day (AZ, CA, FL, HI, VA)
* Idaho Human Rights Day (ID)
* Inauguration Day (federal quadrennial)
* Kansas Day (KS)
* Makar Sankranti / Pongal (religious)
* Robert E. Lee Day (FL)
* Stephen Foster Memorial Day (36)
* The Eighth (LA)
* Three Kings' Day (PR, VI, religious)
* World Religion Day (religious)

January–February|

* Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year (NY, cultural, religious)
* Vasant Panchami (religious)

February
American Heart Month
Black History Month|

* Washington's Birthday (federal)
* Valentine's Day

* Birthday of Luis Muñoz Marín (PR)
* Candlemas (religious)
* Charles Darwin Day / Darwin Day (CA, DE)
* Day of Remembrance (CA, OR, WA, cultural)
* Georgia Day (GA)
* Groundhog Day
* Imbolc (religious)
* Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NY, WV)
* National Girls and Women in Sports Day
* National Freedom Day (36)
* Nirvana Day (religious)
* Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (religious)
* Promised Reformer Day (religious)
* Ronald Reagan Day (CA)
* Rosa Parks Day (CA, MO)
* Saviours' Day (religious)
* Susan B. Anthony Day (CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal)
* Tu B’shvat (religious)

February–March|

* Mardi Gras

* Ash Wednesday (PR, religious)
* Carnival (PR, VI, religious)
* Clean Monday (religious)
* Courir de Mardi Gras (religious)
* Intercalary Days (religious)
* Mahashivaratri (religious)
* Purim (religious)
* Shrove Tuesday (religious)
* Super Tuesday

March
Irish-American Heritage Month
Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Women's History Month|

* Saint Patrick's Day (ethnic)
* Spring break (week)

* Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos (religious)
* Casimir Pulaski Day (IL)
* Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal)
* Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico (PR, cultural)
* Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA)
* Harriet Tubman Day (NY)
* Hola Mohalla (religious)
* Holi (NY, religious)
* Lailat al-Mi'raj (religious)
* Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, VA, cultural)
* Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA)
* Maryland Day (MD)
* Medal of Honor Day
* National Poison Prevention Week (week)
* Nowruz (cultural, religious)
* Ostara (religious)
* Pi Day
* Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI)
* Promised Messiah Day (religious)
* Saint Joseph's Day (religious)
* Seward's Day (AK)
* Texas Independence Day (TX)
* Town Meeting Day (VT)
* Transfer Day (VI)
* U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day (36)
* Trans Day of Visibility (cultural)

March–April|

* Easter (religious)

* Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious)
* Hanuman Jayanti (religious)
* Holy Thursday (PR, VI, religious)
* Holy Week (PR, religious, week)
* Lazarus Saturday (religious)
* Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (religious)
* Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year (religious)
* Palm Sunday (PR, religious)
* Passover (religious, week)
* Easter Monday / Bright Monday (VI, religious)
* Ramnavami (religious)
* Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi (religious)

April
Arab American Heritage Month
Confederate History Month|

* 420
* April Fools' Day
* Arbor Day
* Birthday of José de Diego (PR)
* Confederate Memorial Day (AL, MS)
* Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week)
* DNA Day
* Earth Day
* Emancipation Day (cultural)
* Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (AL)
* Lag B’Omer (religious)
* Last Friday of Great Lent (religious)
* National First Ladies Day
* Pascua Florida (FL)
* Patriots' Day (MA, ME)
* Ridván (religious)
* San Jacinto Day (TX)
* Siblings Day
* Walpurgis Night (religious)
* Yom Ha'atzmaut (cultural, religious)

May
Asian American and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Military Appreciation Month

* Memorial Day (federal)
* Mother's Day (36)
* Cinco de Mayo

* Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious)
* Ascension of Our Lord (religious)
* Caliphate Day (religious)
* Declaration of the Bab (religious)
* Harvey Milk Day (CA)
* International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state)
* Law Day (36)
* Loyalty Day (36)
* Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal)
* Military Spouse Day
* National Day of Prayer (36)
* National Day of Reason
* National Defense Transportation Day (36)
* National Maritime Day (36)
* Peace Officers Memorial Day (36)
* Pentecost (religious)
* Shavuot (religious)
* Truman Day (MO)
* Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)

June
Pride Month|

* Juneteenth (federal, cultural)
* Father's Day (36)

* Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA)
* Carolina Day (SC)
* Don Young Day (AK)
* Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious)
* Flag Day (36, proposed federal)
* Helen Keller Day (PA)
* Honor America Days (3 weeks)
* Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL)
* Kamehameha Day (HI)
* Litha (religious)
* Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious)
* Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural)
* Senior Week (week)
* Saint John's Day (PR, religious)
* West Virginia Day (WV)

July|

* Independence Day (federal)

* Asalha Puja Day (religious)
* Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR)
* Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR)
* Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural)
* Guru Purnima (religious)
* Khordad Sal (religious)
* Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural)
* Martyrdom of the Báb (religious)
* Parents' Day (36)
* Pioneer Day (UT)
* Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)

July–August|

* Summer vacation
* Tisha B'Av (religious)

August|

* American Family Day (AZ)
* Barack Obama Day in Illinois (IL)
* Bennington Battle Day (VT)
* Dormition of the Theotokos (religious)
* Eid-e-Ghadeer (religious)
* Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (religious)
* Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (religious)
* Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI)
* Krishna Janmashtami (religious)
* Lammas (religious)
* Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX)
* Naga Panchami (religious)
* National Aviation Day (36)
* Paryushana (religious)
* Raksha Bandhan (religious)
* Transfiguration of the Lord (religious)
* Victory Day (RI)
* Women's Equality Day (36)

September
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Gospel Music Heritage Month|

* Labor Day (federal)

* Brazilian Day (NY, cultural)
* California Admission Day (CA)
* Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36)
* Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (36)
* Constitution Week
* Defenders Day (MD)
* Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious)
* Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious)
* Ganesh Chaturthi (religious)
* Gold Star Mother's Day (36)
* His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious)
* Mabon (religious)
* National Grandparents Day (36)
* National Payroll Week (week)
* Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious)
* Native American Day (proposed federal)
* Patriot Day (36)
* Von Steuben Day

September–October
Hispanic Heritage Month|

* Chehlum Imam Hussain (religious)
* Oktoberfest
* Pitri Paksha (religious)
* Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (TX, NY, religious)
* Shemini Atzeret (religious)
* Simchat Torah (religious)
* Vijaya Dashami (religious)
* Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement (TX, NY, religious)

October
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Disability Employment Awareness Month
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
Filipino American History Month
LGBT History Month|

* Columbus Day (federal)
* Halloween

* Alaska Day (AK)
* Child Health Day (36)
* General Pulaski Memorial Day
* German-American Day
* Indigenous Peoples' Day
* International Day of Non-Violence
* Leif Erikson Day (36)
* Missouri Day (MO)
* Nanomonestotse (cultural)
* National School Lunch Week (week)
* Native American Day in South Dakota (SD)
* Nevada Day (NV)
* Spirit Day (cultural)
* Sweetest Day
* Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week)
* Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI)
* White Cane Safety Day (36)

October–November|

* Birth of the Báb (religious)
* Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (religious)
* Day of the Dead (VI)
* Diwali (NY, religious)
* Mawlid al-Nabi (religious)

November
Native American Indian Heritage Month|

* Veterans Day (federal)
* Thanksgiving (federal)

* Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious)
* All Saints' Day (religious)
* Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious)
* Beltane / Samhain (religious)
* Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL)
* D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI)
* Day after Thanksgiving (24)
* Day of the Covenant (religious)
* Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR)
* Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal)
* Family Day (NV)
* Friendsgiving
* Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious)
* Hanukkah (religious)
* Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural)
* Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious)
* Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural)
* Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious)
* Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural)
* Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)

December|

* Christmas (religious, federal)
* New Year's Eve

* Advent Sunday (religious)
* Alabama Day (AL)
* Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious)
* Bodhi Day (religious)
* Chalica (religious)
* Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI)
* Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI)
* Festivus
* HumanLight
* Hanukkah (religious, week)
* Immaculate Conception (religious)
* Indiana Day (IN)
* Kwanzaa (cultural, week)
* Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious)
* National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36)
* Nativity of Jesus (religious)
* Old Year's Night (VI)
* Pan American Aviation Day (36)
* Pancha Ganapati (religious, week)
* Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR)
* Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious)
* Wright Brothers Day (36)
* Yule (religious)
* Zartosht No-Diso (religious)

Varies (year round)|

* Eid al-Adha (NY, religious)
* Eid al-Fitr (NY, religious)
* Islamic New Year (religious)
* Yawm al-Arafa (religious)
* Hajj (religious)
* Laylat al-Qadr (religious)
* Navaratri (religious, four times a year)
* Obon (religious)
* Onam (religious)
* Ramadan (religious, month)
* Ghost Festival (religious)
* Yawm Aashura (religious)

Legend:

(federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies

See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, Public holidays in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
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