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Celebrating Native Americans Today and Everyday: Resources for Native American Heritage Month

 

 

Photo: International Indian Treaty Council’s 41st Annual Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island (2019).  Photo by Norm Sands (Yaqui/Apache).
 

With Native American Heritage Month well underway and Thanksgiving around the corner, it is an excellent time to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ brilliance, honor and acknowledge truth in history, recognize whose land we are on, and work towards true allyship. Check out this resource list we put together, and explore the many ways to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples today, and everyday. 
 

1. Decolonize Thanksgiving

Read and share these articles!

 

Attend an Event!

  • 51st Annual National Day of Mourning on November 26, 2020, 12:00PM ET, Coles Hill, Plymouth, MA.
  • Virtual Talking Circle with International Indigenous Youth Council
    Thursday, November 26 @ 12 PM - 3 PM PST
    Hold space to communally process, listen and learn the truth about Thanks taking, examine the evolution of colonialism, and acknowledge the continual genocide and erasure of Indigenous people. All are welcome to attend. Accessible on Zoom: bit.ly/Thankstaking20

  • Annual Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering
    Wednesday, November 25 @ 6-8 AM PST on Facebook Live
    https://www.iitc.org/annual-thanksgiving-sunrise-gathering/
    Listen, 11/26, 6-8 AM PST on KPFA 94.1 FM and online: https://www.kpfa.org

     

2. Learn about Land Acknowledgement, Traditional Lands, and Treaties

Do you know what a land acknowledgement is, why it is important and how to incorporate the practice into your own life? The Native Governance Center shares this handy Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

If you’re unsure about the Indigenous Peoples land you are living on, you can  search your location using Native Land, a growing database that documents traditional territories, languages, and treaties worldwide. This resource is also available as an app for your phone or tablet.

Other resources include Tribal Nations Maps, a source of hard copy maps that identify the traditional lands of Tribes in North and South America and the Caribbean, and the Smithsonian’s digital archive of treaties made between the United States and Indigenous Tribes.

Teachers can find lesson plans, activities, and more on TeacherVision’s TeacherVision's Native American Heritage Month page. Tribal Maps also sells great children’s books that feature quality Indigenous representation.

 

3. Honor Indigenous Stories

In addition to deepening your knowledge and awareness, it’s important to incorporate more Indigenous voices into your life, too.
 

Native Journalism and Publications

Podcasts

 

Films and Theatre


4. Support Indigenous Businesses and Organizations

If you want to support Indigenous businesses but are unsure of the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation, check out Cultural Survival’s cultural appropriation resource list. You can also read this interview with Bethany Yellowtail (Crow and Cheyenne), curator of the B. Yellowtail Collective.

For a wide array of services and goods, check out NativeWeb's database of Native-owned businesses.


Indigenous Owned and Operated Businesses

Apparel, Jewelry, and Accessories


Native Food Companies and Inspiring Native Chefs

 

Indigenous-led Nonprofits

Support Native organizations who are working hard to improve the health, well-being, livelihoods and to uphold the rights of Native Americans across Indian country.