The term "American Indian" incorporates hundreds of different tribes and approximately 250 languages. In 1990, the month of November was selected to honor and recognize the original peoples of this land. America is blessed by the character and strength of American Indians and Alaska Natives and we are grateful for the countless ways they have enriched our country and lifted our nation. November was chosen for this celebration because it is traditionally a time when many American Indians and Alaska Native peoples hold fall harvest and world-renewal ceremonies.

Meet Mae Peterson. Mae is a Purchasing agent with the Pulte team in new Mexico and a proud member of the Navajo nation. The Navajo nation is the largest Native American tribe in the U.S. an important Navajo custom is to introduce one’s maternal and paternal clans. In the Navajo way, this is how Navajos know where you came from. Featured in the photo, Mae’s maternal clan is Tachii’nii (red running into the water clan) and paternal clan is Kinyaa’anii (the towering House clan). Mae’s ancestry on both sides of her family is rich with heritage. She says, “Construction is in my genes. My father has been a union carpenter on the Navajo reservation for more than 30 years and I have been in the industry for more than 15 years! My great grandmother was a well known medicine woman, and my uncle is a member of the Navajo code talkers.”