Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples across the nation and here at home in Oklahoma. Our state is unique in its deep Indigenous roots, serving as the headquarters for 39 federally recognized tribal nations. This month offers a special opportunity to recognize their leadership, resilience, and enduring cultural legacy.
At OETA, we celebrate by listening, learning, and amplifying Indigenous voices. Through documentaries, films, and series, we highlight stories that connect past and present, people and land, and the profound contributions of Native communities in Oklahoma and beyond. All of these programs are available to stream on OETA.tv, the OETA App, or on OETA’s channels.
Be sure to check the OETA program guide for the most up-to-date dates, times, and additional airings, as schedules are subject to change.
Featured Programs This November
Saturday, November 1 — Gallery America: Harvey Pratt
Discover the life and art of Harvey Pratt, a Native artist, storyteller, and cultural historian. Through his work, Pratt explores history, identity, and the preservation of Native narratives, offering a unique lens into both the personal and communal dimensions of Indigenous art. OETA WORLD
Saturday, November 1 — Native America: From Caves to Cosmos
Trace ancient knowledge and cutting-edge science to answer a 15,000 year-old-question — Who were America’s First People? The answer hides in Amazonian cave paintings, Mexican burial chambers, and on the waves off California’s coast. New evidence indicates that the very First Americans spent millennia developing their unique culture and beliefs as a single community, before spreading rapidly across North and South America. Together, they set Native America in motion, continents apart and untouched by influence from Europe, Asia and Africa.OETA WORLD
Saturday, November 1 — Osiyo: Voices of the Cherokee People
Explore the rich traditions, history, language, and culture of the Cherokee Nation, the largest federally recognized tribe in the U.S. Through engaging stories and adventures, from ceremonial arts to modern achievements, this documentary series brings Cherokee voices and experiences to life. Watch Saturdays at 7:30 pm on OETA WORLD, Sundays at 3:30 pm on OETA-HD.
Sunday, November 2 — The Art of Home: A Wind River Story
Follow Indigenous architect David Chavez and filmmaker Jaime Tafoya as they explore how thoughtful architecture and design can strengthen culture, community, and identity within the Wind River Reservation. The program highlights innovative approaches to building homes that honor tribal traditions while addressing modern needs, offering a unique perspective on resilience, heritage, and the role of creative design in preserving culture. OETA WORLD
Sunday, November 2 — Native America: Nature to Nations
Explore the rise of great American nations, from monarchies to democracies. Investigate lost cities in Mexico, a temple in Peru, a potlatch ceremony in the Pacific Northwest and a tapestry of shell beads in upstate New York whose story inspired our own democracy.OETA WORLD
Monday, November 3 — Local, USA: Generations Stolen
This episode investigates the hidden stories of Native boarding schools and their impact across generations. Through in-depth research, interviews with descendants, and archival exploration, the program uncovers the experiences of families affected by policies designed to erase Indigenous culture, highlighting resilience and the ongoing legacy of strength. OETA WORLD
Monday, November 3 — Art of Home: A Wind River Story (Re-airings)
Two indigenous artists create new works reflecting on their tribal homelands, the Wind River Indian Reservation. Ken Williams (Arapaho) is a Santa Fe art celebrity and Sarah Ortegon (Shoshone) is an up-and-coming actress in Denver. Both artists travel to the Wind River Reservation to reconnect with their ancestors and present their artwork to a somewhat isolated community. OETA WORLD
Monday, November 3 — Stroke: The Circle of Healing
Follow filmmaker Jaime Tafoya’s journey of recovery from a stroke using both Western and traditional Native healing practices. OETA - HD, OETA WORLD
Tuesday, November 4 — Finding Your Roots: Fathers and Sons
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi, two men who grew up without their fathers, haunted by questions about entire branches of their family trees. With only a handful of clues to guide him, Gates uncovers stories his guests have long wanted to hear, introducing them to ancestors whose names they’ve never known, and revealing their connections to key moments in history. OETA - HD
Thursday, November 6 — Native Ball: Legacy of a Trailblazer
Each year in the U.S., nearly 5,000 high-school girls’ basketball players earn a full-ride Division I scholarship. In 1992, only one was Native American: Blackfeet Nation’s Malia Kipp. Living in two worlds presented challenges, but Kipp carried the burden with grace and grit. Described by her chief as “a warrior,” she blazed a heroic and inspiring trail for other Native girls to follow. OETA WORLD
Saturday, November 8 — Native America: Cities of the Sky
Discover the cosmological secrets behind America’s ancient cities. Scientists explore some of the world’s largest pyramids and 3D-scan a lost city of monumental mounds on the Mississippi River; native elders reveal ancient powers of the sky. OETA WORLD
Sunday, November 9 — Native America: New World Rising
Discover how resistance, survival and revival are revealed through an empire of horse-mounted Comanche warriors, secret messages encoded in an Aztec manuscript and a grass bridge in the Andes that spans mountains and centuries. OETA WORLD
Saturday, November 15 — Native America: New Worlds
Native innovators lead a revolution in music, building, and space exploration. From the surface of Mars to the New York City hip hop scene to the Pine Ridge Reservation, Native traditions are transforming life on Earth and other worlds. OETA WORLD, OETA-HD
Sunday, November 16 — Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience
Follow the journey of Klamath Tribes member Gabriann “Abby” Hall as she uncovers the hidden stories of her family’s experiences in Native American boarding schools, stretching from the first generation forced onto a reservation to the present era. Through complex and deep research, she discovered that her grandmother and many other children from her family attended religious facilities that do not appear as ‘official’ Native American boarding schools. She found that those records are often difficult or impossible to access. Instead, Abby pieced stories together by tracking down family members’ documents, talking to elders and researchers, and digging through archives across the country. What she discovered is a disturbing, often hidden history of countless deaths, fractured families and a wall of silence due to federal policies designed to destroy Native American culture. Ultimately, she also discovered a legacy of strength and resilience. OETA-HD
Sunday, November 16 — Sand Creek Massacre
On November 29, 1864, Colonel John Chivington led an unprovoked attack that resulted in the deaths of more than 150 women, children and the elderly. Sand Creek Massacre revisits the horrific acts of that day and uncovers the history 150 years later. Gain insight into the history, the actions and the events that led to this infamous massacre.
Monday, November 17 — Return: Native American Women Reclaim Foodways for Health & Spirit
Through personal storytelling, follow alternative pathways to health and wellness by eating nutritiously and locally. A return to ancestral food sources can strengthen cultural ties to each other and to one's heritage. Featuring Roxanne Swentzell whose Pueblo Food Experience project is transforming lives in her community and beyond by Tlingit, Muckleshoot, Oglala Sioux, Menominee and Seneca women. OETA WORLD
Monday, November 17 — Cara Romero: Following The Light
Explore the work of contemporary Native photographer Cara Romero, who uses her lens to capture Indigenous identity, history, and storytelling. Through powerful images and personal narratives, Romero reveals the deep connection between land, culture, and memory, offering viewers a striking look at contemporary Native life and artistry. OETA WORLD
Tuesday, November 18 — Story Pole
Jason LaClair's inspiring journey of resilience and transformation, tracing his path from battling opioid addiction to becoming an acclaimed Coast Salish artist. The film also highlights Jason's collaboration with local schools, where he introduces students to Native American culture and traditional teachings. The documentary follows Jason as he finishes carving and painting a story pole started by an elder in his community. The restoration and completion of the story pole reflect the redemption and recovery in Jason's own life. Through art and community, he finds healing and purpose, offering a powerful message of hope for those struggling with addiction.OETA WORLD
Thursday, November 20 — Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire
Take a journey with top experts and survivors to better understand how homes and communities ignite in fast moving wildfires and what steps we can take to prevent these disasters. Learn about the harrowing escape from Paradise, California; research examining why some homes burn and others don't; and Native American practices that have long used fire to restore landscapes and increase safety. Elemental explores the complicated relationship humans have with fire and how we can prepare our homes and communities.. OETA WORLD
Saturday, November 22 — Native America: Women Rule
This episode celebrates the leadership and resilience of Native American women. Through stories rooted in tradition and contemporary achievements, the episode highlights how Indigenous women are shaping their communities and the world, leading in politics, environmental advocacy, law, and the arts, while preserving cultural heritage and spiritual strength. OETA WORLD, OETA-HD
Saturday, November 22 — Native Oklahoma: Vietnam Veterans
This special episode of Native Oklahoma, funded in part by a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council, focuses on the experiences of Native American Indian Vietnam Veterans and ways different tribes prepare servicemen and women, welcome them home from war, help them readjust to civilian life, and honor them. OETA - HD, OETA WORLD
Sunday, November 23 — Native America: Language Is Life
Celebrate the power of Native languages and the inspirational people who are saving them. From secret recordings to "Star Wars" films dubbed in Navajo, follow the revolutionary steps transforming Native America.OETA WORLD, OETA-HD
Sunday, November 23 — Finding Your Roots: Family Recipes
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the ancestry of celebrity chefs Jose Andres and Sean Sherman, traveling from small-town Spain to Native American lands in the Dakotas to reveal his guests' hidden connections to history - and to food.OETA WORLD
Thursday, November 27 — Roadtrip Nation: Native Way Forward
Follow three Native young adults as they journey across the Southwest, meeting Indigenous leaders who are reshaping their communities through art, entrepreneurship, science, and policy. Told in their own voices, this inspiring Roadtrip Nation documentary highlights the diversity of modern Native experiences and the powerful role of culture, community, and land in shaping personal and collective futures.. OETA WORLD
Saturday, November 29 — The Medicine Game
Two brothers from the Onondaga Nation pursue their dreams of playing lacrosse for Syracuse University. With the dream nearly inreach, the boys are caught in a constant struggle to define their Native identity, live up to their family's expectations and balance challenges on and off the Reservation. OETA WORLD
Sunday, November 30 — Surviving New England’s Great Dying
It's been more than 400 years since the first Thanksgiving, and we are still learning a lot about that time. Just prior to the Pilgrims' arrival, a plague decimated New England's coastal Native American population, altering the course of colonialism. This is the story of the Great Dying and of how tribal leaders are learning from the past as they deal with the effects of today's pandemic. OETA WORLD
These programs honor Native heritage, reveal hidden histories, and celebrate the enduring strength of Native communities across generations.
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