This is Native American Heritage Month: Native Americans Hopeful about Claiming their Place in American Society

Posted on November 5, 2009

As Native American Heritage Month begins, the New America Media reports on the mood of many of the Native Americans who have gathered for a week-long tribal summit which climaxes with the Tribal Nations Conference at the White House today. In responding to President Obama’s invitation to the more than 500 federally recognized tribes rerpesenting over 4 million people, many tribal leaders are optimistic that a new era is being ushered in where issues important to them will be addressed in more substantive ways than in the past.

While there is a lot of road to travel between what is said and what is done, there is no denying that in the Obama Era the expectations for inclusion are running high.

About Andrés

Andrés Tapia is President of Diversity Best Practices, the preeminent diversity and inclusion thinktank and consultancy. In this role, he helps companies create first-in-class diversity strategies and develop innovative solutions for culture change. Previously he served as Hewitt’s Chief Diversity Officer and Emerging Workforce Solutions Leader. As a published writer and prominent speaker, Andrés offers thought-provoking views about diversity’s impact around the world. He is the author of The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity. Find his bio here.