The month is an opportunity to spread awareness of Indigenous history and contemporary Native issues and to highlight Native Americans who enrich our culture. National Native American Heritage Month, as it is officially called, is the culmination of a centuries-long effort to establish recognition for the substantial contributions of Indigenous peoples. Dr. Arthur Caswell Parker, a Cattaraugus Seneca Indian, historian, anthropologist, and author from New York state, was an early proponent of establishing a day to honor Native Americans.