The US Congress witnessed an important milestone this month, with US First Nations, Native Alaskan (Yup'ik), and Native Hawaiian (kānaka ʻōiwi or kānaka maoli) members among the representatives for the first time.

The historic moment was made possible by the election of Yup'ik woman and Democrat candidate Mary Peltola at the special election held in August after the death of Congressman Don Young, a Republican.

Congressman Kaiali'i Kahele, who represents Hawaii's Second District, said it had taken 233 years for the Congress to be fully represented by Indigenous people.

"Tonight, a Native American, a Native Alaskan and a Native Hawaiian are sitting members of the people's House," he said.

Sharice Davids, a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation (First Nations people from the Wisconsin), and Deb Haaland, a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna (Fwest-central New Mexico), were the first two Native American women to serve in the US House of Representatives when they took their seats in January 2019.

Ms Peltola, in paying tribute to the late Mr Young, who represented Alaska for almost 50 years, used the Yup'ik phrase Tua-i-ngunrituq, marking the loss of a loved one.

"It is the honor of my life to represent Alaska, a place my elders and ancestors have called home for thousands of years, where to this day many people of my community carry forward traditions of hunting and fishing," she said in her first Congressional speech," she said.

"I am humbled and deeply honored to be the first Alaska Native elected to this body, the first woman to hold Alaska's house seat.

"But to be clear, I represent all Alaskans. I will work every day to make all Alaskans proud that they have entrusted me to carry their voices here."