American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month takes place annually in November to formally acknowledging the important contributions made by the country's Indigenous people.
The USA includes 574 federally recognized, sovereign nations, each with its own history, culture, language and customs.
One of earliest recorded attempts to create a day of recognition for the contributions of First Americans, dates back to 1912, when Dr. Arthur Caswell Parker (Seneca Nation), who founded several Indian rights organisations, persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to recognize First Americans Day, which they did for three years.
In 1915, Red Fox James (Blackfeet) rode his horse around the country to ultimately secure endorsements from 24 state governments in favour of a day honoring American Indians.
www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov
The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association promotes travel and tourism as a significant economic resource for tribal nations.
It encourages travellers interested in tribal tourism to research to find experiences, ideas and inspiration.
To showcase the variety of Native American communities and cultures, Visit The USA highlights six diverse Native American travel experiences :
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska, is home to the world's largest collection of Native American totem poles, many of which are located in two impressive totem pole parks dedicated to the preservation and celebration of this ancient native craftwork.
As well as the impressive totem poles, Potlatch Totem Park features a large tribal house flanked by four smaller clan houses, which provide historical dioramas depicting how the local tribes would have lived up until the 19th century.
Each house has an intricately carved interior, illustrating the way families in the region would have come together to live in a communal setting.
Visitors can enter the carving shed, where resident carvers practice the ancient art of crafting totem poles.
Canyon de Chelly, Arizona
Beyond the mountain range in the canyon, is a deep history of the Navajo Nation who have inhabited Canyon de Chelly for nearly 5,000 years.
The local tribes work alongside the National Park Service to maintain the legacy and preserve the future of Canyon de Chelly, which became a national monument in 1931.
A tour around the park is a thought-provoking, exciting experience for adults and children alike.
Visitors are greeted with views of the rugged red rocks, whilst unravelling the history of the Navajo Nation who continue to occupy the canyon.
Visiting children have the chance to take on the role of a Junior Ranger, where they can participate in stimulating activities that enable them to understand the park's important natural and cultural resources.
www.visittheusa.co.uk/destination/canyon-de-chelly-national-monument
Cherokee Heritage Centre, Oklahoma
In the foothills of Oklahoma's Ozark Mountains is the 18-hectare Cherokee Heritage Centre, dedicated to preserving the cultural artifacts of the Cherokee tribe.
Diligwa, a living history exhibit, depicts a 1710 Cherokee village with craft-making, interactive storytelling and early 18th century daily life.
The centre also has a late 19th-century rural Cherokee village, designed to replicate the village of Adams Corner.
This replica depicts 1890s community life to be tranquil, although the era was a turbulent time revealed in the Cherokee Trail of Tears' exhibit, which highlights the tumultuous removal of the Cherokees from their ancestral lands during the1930's resulting in what is now present-day Oklahoma.
Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana
The Blackfeet Indian Reservation is located along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and stretches for over 6,000 sq km and is home to 10,000 inhabitants, most of whom are descendants of the Blackfeet Tribe.
The Tribe's origin stems from Canada, but after several moves, they were finally relocated to Blackfeet Reservation in 1888.
Visitors can experience vistas of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and pitch a tent in one of the designated campsites to discover the great outdoors.
Taos, New Mexico
Located in a desert valley amid the crimson Sangre de Cristo Mount, the city of Taos was founded on the Native American, Spanish and Anglo heritages.
Visitors can tour the ancient ruins of Taos Pueblo once populated by the Taos Native American Tribe for more than 1,000 years, prior to Christopher Columbus' arrival.
National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C.
The National Museum of the American Indian national is dedicated to Native American heritage.
Highlighting over 12,000 years of history across more than 1,200 indigenous cultures, it is home to one of the most expansive collections of American Indian arts, artifacts, photography and media archives.
Set in a curved limestone building, the museum's architecture represents a rock formation and regularly hosts cultural festivities and concerts.