Best Places to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month

by Noreen Kompanik
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Wed November 4, 2026

Native American Heritage Month, celebrated each November, was established by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 to honor the many ways Native American heritage is woven into the fabric of the nation. From Indigenous chronicles and tribal sovereignty to cultural traditions, languages, artistic achievements and Native American and Alaska Native people, these are the travel destinations that best explore and celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Taos Pueblo

Ringed by the soaring peaks and sagebrush plains of New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this authentic living Native American community with no electricity or running water has been inhabited for over 1,000 years. Designated both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark, this sacred ground is best experienced by tour. Visitors can share in the ancient art of breadmaking using hornos, outdoor wood-fired ovens made of adobe mud (a mix of local dirt, straw and water).

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Situated entirely within the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona, this spectacular canyon is home to the Diné people who continue to live and grow crops here after living in the canyons for nearly thousands of years. Towering sandstone walls, ancient cliff dwellings and Navajo history make it a compelling destination for exploring the relationship between people and their ancestral land. Unlike many archeological parks, Canyon de Chelly provides an opportunity for visitors to learn from native guides and understand Indigenous heritage as a living tradition rather than something confined to a museum or pages of a history book.

Saxman Native Village

Located in the Tlingit community just south of Ketchikan, Alaska, Saxman Native Village is known for its remarkable collection of totem poles (the largest gathering in the world), traditional clan houses and exquisite carving tradition. Historic totems preserve Tlingit clan crests, histories and stories. A live show at the Beaver Clan House introduces visitors to its culture with traditional Tlingit song and dance performances with vibrant costumes and Tlingit chants that include both children and adults.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Extraordinary sandstone formations make Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park instantly recognizable as a unique American landscape. Known in Navajo as Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, Monument Valley lies within the Navajo Nation along the Arizona-Utah border. The tribal park encompasses over 90,000 acres and was established in 1958 by the Navajo Tribal Council, making it a landmark in Indigenous-led conservation. The Diné have longstanding cultural, spiritual, and historical ties to the Monument Valley region. Its mountains, rock formations, and open desert are part of a living landscape connected to stories, identity, and traditional knowledge.

First Americans Museum

The First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City is dedicated to the histories, traditions and living cultures of Oklahoma’s 39 distinct Tribal Nations. The 175,000-square-foot-venue opened in September 2021 with a purpose of combining Indigenous storytelling, contemporary art, historical collections and immersive exhibits. Likely the museum’s most distinctive feature is the Hall of the People, a soaring 110-foot-tall gathering space inspired by Wichita grass lodges.

Mesa Verde National Park

Located in Colorado, Mesa Verde was a sacred place for ancestral Puebloan people for over 700 years. They also left behind some of the best-preserved habitation sites in the country. The National Park Service established Mesa Verde as a National Park in 1906 to preserve and protect the rich cultural heritage of 26 Pueblos and tribes, offering visitors a spectacular window into the past. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park in southern Colorado contains nearly 5,000 archeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings. Guests can even book an interpretive tour to deep-dive this amazing historic site.

Walnut Canyon National Monument

There’s nothing like walking in the shoes (or moccasins) of our Native Americans. Flagstaff, Arizona is in the heart of the Colorado Plateau, a region renowned for its rich Native American history. Evidence of the earliest native cultures can be found in the ancient ruins and cliff dwellings of the majestic Walnut Canyon National Monument and the rock-walled pueblos of Wupatki National Monument. Ancient Sinagua and Anasazi tribes inhabited these lands more than 800 years ago. Visitors can get up close and personal with awe-inspiring historic sites and feel the spirit of these early Americans while surrounded by the grandiose beauty of the Colorado Plateau.

Indian Pueblo Center

Considered the largest powwow in North America, Albuquerque's annual Gathering of Nations in April of each year brings together tribes and visitors from all over the U.S. and Canada. Hundreds of indigenous tribes attend the two-day event celebrating Native culture and its sense of community. Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, open year-round, is a gateway to the 19 Pueblo tribes of New Mexico. This impressive museum highlights Pueblo culture from ancient origins to the present telling the compelling story of the New Mexican Pueblo people through its many inspirational exhibits and events.

Cherokee

Situated in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, Cherokee offers many ways for visitors to learn about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians through cultural attractions, storytelling, history and traditional arts. The Museum of the Cherokee People offers an impressive introduction to history, especially addressing the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their southeastern homelands in the 1830, an event long remembered as the Trail of Tears.

Chief Plenty Coups-Crow once said, “The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the dust and blood of our ancestors.” To have the opportunity to visit these amazing destinations celebrating Native American Heritage Month is a blessing and a privilege.

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