Events planned in Bemidji for Native American Heritage Month
November 2, 2026
Contact:
Jillian Johnson
Media Relations Specialist –Bemidji Region
(218) 333-6090 / jillian.johnson@sanfordhealth.org
BEMIDJI, Minn. — Sanford Bemidji Medical Center will recognize Native American Heritage Month in November with a series of events celebrating Indigenous culture, artists and community members.
The monthlong observance will feature opening and closing ceremonies, an artist vendor show, educational presentations and opportunities for staff and community members to participate in cultural recognition days.
Events include:
- Monday, Nov. 2: Opening ceremony at 11 a.m. in the East Lobby, featuring Gary Charwood.
- Thursday, Nov. 5: Artist vendor show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the East Lobby. Vendors will offer a variety of items, including beaded jewelry, ribbon skirts and shirts, birchbark art, paintings, quilts, handmade beaded items and wild rice.
- Thursday, Nov. 12: Wear Red Day in recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIW/MMIR), along with an MMIW 218 presentation from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Education A/B.
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Wear Ribbon Skirt/Shirt Day, followed by a community health advocate presentation from noon to 1 p.m. in Education A/B, featuring Dwa Brown.
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: Rock Your Mocs Day, inviting participants to wear their moccasins.
- Monday, Nov. 30: Closing ceremony at 11 a.m. in the East Lobby, featuring Gary Charwood.
All events will take place at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, 1300 Anne St. NW, in Bemidji. For more information about the events, contact Rebekah Fineday at rebekah.fineday@sanfordhealth.org.
For more information about Sanford Health, visit sanfordhealth.org.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience and providing access to world-class healthcare in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 60,000 employees and serves more than 2.5 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 60 hospitals, 315 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,900 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. Nearly 450 residents and fellows are trained each year through over 40 graduate medical education programs, with Sanford Health serving as the primary funding source for 75% of the programs. Sanford Health also includes 92 retail pharmacies, including Sanford and Lewis Drug pharmacies with locations in 6 states, and more than 300 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural healthcare across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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