November is Native American Heritage Month, an annual celebration of the culture, heritage, and history of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
National Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity for celebration, but it's also an important opportunity to reflect on the dispossession and displacement faced by Indigenous peoples now and in the past, and all the resilience and activism done to ensure the continuance of Indigenous culture and community today.
Efforts to institutionalize a time to honor Indigenous peoples go back over a century. In 1916, the first American Indian Day was declared by the State of New York. Over the course of the 20th Century, a number of states declared similar holidays. In 1986, President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30 “American Indian Week.” In 1990, President George H. W. Bush issued a proclamation designating November as National Native American Heritage Month.
To celebrate National Native American Heritage Month, AFGE’s honoring AFGE members of Native American descent by telling their stories and saluting them for their contributions to the labor movement and the American public as a whole.
This year, we sat down with Jojo Archibald-Begay, an AFGE member who works at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center in Utah.
Jojo has been working at the VA for more than 20 years. She spent 16 years at the Albuquerque, New Mexico VA Medical Center before joining the Salt Lake City VA. She has been running the Women’s Clinic for the past two years where she’s passionate about advocating for and interacting with veterans.
A committed member of AFGE for 16 years, she recently took on the role of steward and Pride coordinator, continuing to advocate for workers’ rights and fair treatment. She finds fulfillment in serving veterans and VA employees, with a particular focus on ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.
Can you share with us your experience growing up on the Navajo Nation Reservation?
I was raised in a little community called Two Grey Hills where I developed a strong work ethic from a young age. I took on responsibilities such as collecting firewood, hauling water for ourselves and the livestock, and tending to a flock of sheep during the summers. Early memories of shared moments with my grandmother, particularly enjoying fresh bread and gravy before beginning the day’s tasks, remain vivid and influential. Though I distanced from my community and culture in adolescence, I have since rediscovered and deepened my connection to Native traditions, actively engaging with both Díne (Navajo) and other Indigenous cultures.
What does Native American Heritage Month mean to you?
As an advocate for Indigenous people, I hold complex views about Native American Heritage Month in November, recognizing the historical significance of this month as a time of reflection on the painful history of genocide. I believe that Indigenous peoples deserve to be honored at a time that does not coincide with this somber chapter of history.
Which Native American leader inspired you and why?
I find inspiration in the life and leadership of Geronimo, whose fierce advocacy for the preservation of his people’s land and culture serves as a guiding example of strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment to community. I am proud to be Díne from the One Who Walks Around clan, born for the Mud People Clan.
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