Why is American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month so culturally significant, given the history of Native peoples in the United States?

The month is a time to honor Aboriginal people's significant contributions and to celebrate their rich and varied cultures, customs, and histories. Heritage Month is also an ideal opportunity to teach the general public about tribes, to raise awareness about the particular difficulties that Aboriginal people have encountered in the past and present, and to highlight the ways in which tribal residents have sought to address these challenges.