One of our Membership Chairs, Shayna Jaroslaw, has researched Native American Heritage Month.
History:
In 1976, J.C. Elliot High-Eagle authored a piece of legislation that created “Native American Awareness Week,” which was October 10-16. It was signed into law by then president Gerald Ford. Then, in 1986, president Ronald Reagan moved the date to November 23-30, changing the name to “American Indian Week.” In 1990, president George H. W. Bush built off of the work of the prior presidents and designated November as “National American Indian Heritage Month,” what we today know as “Native American Heritage Month.” The month is dedicated to honoring Indigenous cultures and educating people about those who were here first.Â
Where are we:
TCNJ is located on the land of the Lenape (also called the Delaware) tribe. Before colonization, the Lenape tribe lived throughout all of New Jersey, northeastern Delaware, parts of eastern Pennsylvania, and parts of New York. To the tribe, the area we live in was called Lenapehoking, loosely translated to “the land of the Lenape.” Today, the Lenape tribe has three different reservations. One is located in Oklahoma, one in Wisconsin, and one in Ontario, Canada.
Fun (but also very important) facts:
- As of this year, there are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States and 325 federally recognized reservations
- 1924 was the first time that Native Americans were able to have citizenship in the United States with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act by Congress
- Out of the more than 300 Native languages once spoken in the United States, 175 remain today
- Indigenous tribes (mostly the Haudensaunee) are credited with the invention of lacrosseÂ
- The Navajo code talkers of the Navajo tribe played an integral role in WWII, helping to send coded top-secret messages to allies using the Navajo languageÂ
- Half of the states in the United States have names with origins in Native languagesÂ
English words derived from Native languages:
- Chipmunk – OjibweÂ
- Hickory – Powhatan
- Skunk – Massachusett
- Tomahawk – Powhatan
- Moose – Eastern Abenaki
- Squash – Narragansett
Famous Native Americans today:
- Lily Gladstone (Piegan Blackfeet and Nez Perce tribes) – Golden Globe winning actressÂ
- Sterlin Harjo (Seminole and Muscogee tribes) – filmmaker best known for his FX comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs
- Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo tribe) – former Secretary of the Interior under the Biden AdministrationÂ
- Quannah Chasinghorse (Hän Gwich’in and Sicangu Lakota tribes) – model who has walked for brands like Chanel and CasablancaÂ
- Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes) – author and American Book Award winnerÂ
Places to learn more:Â
National Museum of the American Indian
A Smithsonian museum dedicated to the history and culture of Indigenous peoples throughout the United States
A comprehensive website with news, history, maps, educational resources, statistics, and more all pertaining to Native Americans and updated regularly
A NPR-like daily radio show covering news related to Native Americans across the United States
Why does it matter:
Indigenous peoples are the most underserved, underprivileged group of people in the United States. Many Native communities must fight every day for their right to have access to basic necessities such as clean drinking water. Native American Heritage Month not only brings light to these injustices but also gives Indigenous people a chance to have their voices heard. Moreover, Native American Heritage Month is an amazing opportunity to learn more about the beautiful and diverse cultures of Native peoples.Â