Two weeks ago, a white high school teacher in my area was teaching sohcahtoa, a trigonometry theory, to her students. While this initially seemed like a normal lesson, the controversy arose when a student recorded her wearing a colorful headdress, jumping around the classroom, and pretending that she was wielding a tomahawk. Apparently this personalized lesson plan had been utilized for over a decade, prompting outrage and criticism throughout the school district.
This is not the only time where people with no indigenous heritage have opted to use indigenous culture in insensitive forms. Some people have opted to utilize typical “indigenous tribe apparel” for Halloween, whether it be large headdresses, feathers, or beads. In extreme instances, large corporations have opted to integrate styles originating from indigenous cultures into “trendy” apparel before profiting off of it.
Indigenous people continue to experience the detrimental effects of intergenerational trauma that originates from the time European colonizers first stepped foot on this land. Countless tribes were subjected to atrocities that vary from genocide to the erasure of culture through religious institutions. Anything in relation to their culture, whether their acknowledgement of gender fluidity or “exotic” traditions, was demonized. There was a point in time where present-day North America housed thousands, if not millions of tribes. Today, there are only 574 federally recognized tribes that remain.
The month of November marks Native American Heritage Month, prompting a necessary conversation about history and highlighting the appreciation of traditions that have been kept alive from generation to generation. Despite the continuous presence of indigenous people prior to the year America was founded, former President George H.W. Bush only declared this a month of acknowledgement and celebration in 1990.
While some progress has been made when it comes to the way we celebrate and recognize a culture that remains intact, it is necessary to learn about the people who inhabited this land before us. The website native-land.ca provides this opportunity to get a better understanding of what tribes lived in the area before my ancestors came along. For instance, Riverside, CA was considered a home for a variety of tribes: the Kizh, Tongva, Luiseño, and Cahuilla. With just a simple Google search, I was able to develop a better understanding of what my surroundings looked like centuries ago. It also helped immensely that my own university utilizes a land acknowledgment, which consists of appreciating and working with descendants of the tribes. These acknowledgements can usually be found in small works such as a professor’s syllabus and larger university events such as this speech.
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, indigenous people remain a crucial part of history and cultural diversity in the United States. Without their presence and ingenuity, we would not have a variety of everyday objects that we take for granted. People like the high school teacher might remain ignorant in this country, but one proper step to reconstructing that lesson plan would involve learning who came before you, and what you can do to acknowledge and respect them.
Here are some other resources/authors that educated me on the significance of this month:
https://www.indianaffairs.gov/as-ia/opa/national-native-american-heritage-month