Celebrating Native American Culture and Heritage at Georgetown
Native American communities across the U.S. boast a rich and varied heritage. Through the study of Native American history and the celebration of Indigenous cultures across the country and around the globe, our Georgetown community encounters extraordinary examples of cultural and political resilience — and helps generate new solutions to reducing inequalities that still cause undue hardship today.
National Native American Heritage Month
During the month of November, Georgetown joins the nation in celebrating the contributions of our Native American and Alaska Native students, faculty and staff to our community and society, as well as acknowledging the teaching, scholarship, advocacy and cultural enrichment efforts of our university on Native American heritage.
Celebrate in DC
A Testimonial
“Once tribal health grabs you, it doesn’t let you go. And at that point, I realized I could probably make a difference.”
“I’m hoping to learn by just being present with indigenous communities around Manaus as they practice doula care in pregnancy and postpartum, involving everything from recommending certain herbs in pregnancy to performing a naming ceremony after birth.”
“I’m reminded of a community that supported me and greatly influenced my decision to pursue medicine. My end goal is to medically serve Native people, so when things get stressful at school, I remind myself who I am doing this for.”
“Being here has shown me how much the community is needed when addressing health, and there’s another element of social justice in taking control over their health instead of relying solely on IHS.”
Indigenous Scholarship at Georgetown
Research and teaching on Indigenous epistemologies, sovereignty and culture are taught across departments and campuses at Georgetown, reflecting the multidisciplinary ways community members engage with Native concepts and peoples.
More Indigenous Scholarship
A Testimonial
“I learned how to fish and then cut fish from the Native community, who will welcome you into their homes and families. As a nurse, you often miss that aspect of getting to know the people you care for, but it was such an honor to see a different culture and see how they place different values on things.”
Indigeneity and the Arts
In the 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival, the Earth Commons Institute hosted a screening of Unearth, a film that explores environmental justice, Indigenous sovereignty and the costs of resource extraction through the lens of two fishermen and two Indigenous leaders in Alaska.