November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
This month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced, both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to overcome these challenges.
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) participates in the DC Native Public Relations Roundtable, a group consisting of public relations professionals from National American Indian and Alaska Native organizations and agencies in the Washington, DC area. The group meets monthly to improve communication between groups and its primary function has been to create a more cohesive campaign for Native Heritage Month and to unify the month’s schedule of events.” - Source www.ncai.org/initiatives/native-american-heritage-month
Learn about Native American History, Language and Culture
Online Resources:
Kanopy
On-demand streaming platform with over 30,000 indie and classic films. Users are allowed 8 plays per month. This includes a section for the celebration of Native American heritage month. https://www.kanopy.com/en/trlib/category/67095, opens a new window
Children of the Arctic: A Powerful Portrait of 5 Alaskan Teenagers: "A year-in-the-life portrait of Native Alaskan teenagers coming of age in Barrow, Alaska - the northern-most community of the United States. "
Ishi’s Return: “The Last Wild Indian”: "A short documentary about Ishi, billed in 1911 as the “last wild Indian" when he wandered out of the woods in Oroville, CA, and became a national sensation. When Ishi died, his brain was removed and sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Eighty years later, his descendants in California fight to have his remains repatriated to his ancestral home."
TE ATA (TAY’ AH-TAH): "based on the inspiring true story of Mary Thompson Fisher, a woman who traversed cultural barriers to become one of the greatest Native American performers of..."
PressReader
Get access to over 7,000 of the world’s top newspapers and magazines. Find content from over 120 countries in 60 different languages. Read online or download. Save publications to read later, listen to content out loud, and instantly translate up to 19 different languages. Newspapers include up to 3 months of back coverage. (PressReader Help) (Press Reader Tutorial)
Washington Rural Heritage Project
Community memory project headquartered at the Washington State Library. The project combines unique local history materials from libraries, museums, and private collections of citizens across Washington State.
HeritageQuest Online
Genealogy books and serials, and Federal Census data. This database contains an index of the Indian census rolls from 1885-1940.
Northwest Digital Heritage
Collaboration between the Washington State Library, State Library of Oregon, and Oregon Heritage Commission serves libraries and cultural heritage institutions across the Pacific Northwest region.
History of Survivance: Upper Midwest 19th-Century Native American Narratives. The following is an exhibit of resources found within the Digital Public Library of America retold through the lens of Native American survivance. Ancient Legacies, Colonization, Colonial Narratives, Conflict, Reservation Era, Survivance.
Booklists for All Ages:
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month – Books for Adults, opens a new window
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month – Books for Teens, opens a new window
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month – Books for Kids, opens a new window
State Resources:
- Native Americans of Puget Sound — A Brief History of the First People and Their Cultures
- Pacific Northwest Tribal Governments, Museums, and Cultural Centers
- Story Samish Maiden Deception Pass
- Billy Frank jr.org
- Burke Museum Learning Resources
- Native Resource Hub
- Tribes of Washington map, opens a new window
- Nisqually Language Alphabet, opens a new window
National Resources:
- “Why We Serve” - Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces
- Warrior Woman Project – #Followthematriarchs
- The Library of Congress Events
- National Park Service
- U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs Events
- “In Their Words” - 30 Stories for 30 days of Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month
- United States Senate
- National Geographic
- Indigenous Storytime, opens a new window
- American Indians in Children’s Literature, opens a new window
- General information on Native American Heritage month, opens a new window
- Since Time Immemorial Early Learning Curriculum, opens a new window
TRL is committed to the values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. TRL Celebrations recognize significant events throughout the year to promote a culture of inclusion, representation, and belonging that reflects communities we serve, and encourage connection to the richness and diversity of our communities and the world at large.
