In 1990, President George HW Bush was the first United States President to officially declare the month of November to be Native American Heritage Month. https://uslaw.link/citation/stat/104/391. It is important to note that this is a federal proclamation and that the state of Minnesota also recognizes American Indian Month in May each year.
The intention for NAHM is to showcase & celebrate the contributions of indigenous people within American society and history. We have put together a few resources to highlight some of those contributions that we hope will further our students' knowledge and exposure to indigenous lives and perspectives.
Online Resources for Educators
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: Native American Heritage Month Educator Series
“Each November educators across the country teach their students about the First Thanksgiving, a quintessentially American holiday. They try to give students an accurate picture of what happened in Plymouth in 1621 and explain how that event fits into American history. Unfortunately, many teaching materials give an incomplete, if not inaccurate, portrayal of the first Thanksgiving, particularly of the event’s Native American participants....It is our hope that this information will encourage you to teach about Thanksgiving in a new way—one that recognizes the country’s original people and gives real meaning to November as Native American Heritage Month."
It is common to associate learning about Indigenous cultures, histories and contributions with the month of November. This is true mainly because of the Thanksgiving holiday and the practice of sharing a meal together on that day. Because of this, we felt the need to highlight resources that focus on the Indigenous foods of the Ojibwe and Dakota.
There are currently 574 self-governing/SOVEREIGN indigenous nations within the United States
In 2019, there were 6.9 Million indigenous people living in the US
District 196 currently has more than 460 American Indian students who represent over 45 difference indigenous nations
There are 4 Dakota reservations and 7 Ojibwe reservations in Mni Sota
Mni Sota translates to: Land Where Water Reflect the Clouds in the Dakota Language
The Dakota people are indigenous to Mni Sota and the Ojibwe migrated from the east coast to the land where food grows on water
Lacrosse is a sport invented by the Ojibwe and it is called: The Creator's Game
The Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota - Peggy Flanagan - is an enrolled citizen of the White Earth Nation
Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) and Sharice Davids (HoChunk Nation) are the 1st Native American women to serve in the United States Congress (and both just won their reelection on November 3, 2020)
The 1972 Indian Education Act was the landmark legislation establishing a comprehensive approach to meeting the unique needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students
