Advocating beyond Native American Heritage month

With leaves painting a picture on the wet grass, PSL coffee-dates with friends, Gilmore Girls marathons, and family reunions around the Thanksgiving table, November is arguably one of the dreamiest months. However, November isn’t just a month about eating turkey or wearing ugg boots, it’s Native American Heritage month.

This year, I encourage everyone to take advantage of the resources available and learn the true, unbiased history of Indigenous Americans. Use that knowledge not only to educate your family members this Thanksgiving, but also to support our Indigenous peers at UCD even after the month ends.

1. Learn the full history — not the textbook version

In order to understand Native American history, you have to learn it. UC Davis offers various different Native American courses such as Intro to Native American Studies, Intro to Native American Literature, Indigenous and Minority Languages and Native American Language spotlight. If you want a more generalized overview, most colleges offer an ethics course that covers foundational ethical theories and principles. 

Can’t add a course to your schedule? Another alternative is reading Indigenous authors like Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz  An Indigenous Peoples History of the United States, Robin Wall Kimmerer Braiding Sweatgrass, and Tommy Orange There There.

2. Support Indigenous representation and engage in reparative action

Now that you know the history of the colonialism of Native American tribes and the genocide that was placed upon them from the “founding fathers”, here are some ways that you can engage in reparative action:

• Advocate for your university to partner with local tribes, not just “honor” them symbolically. This can look like being collaborative on curriculum to make sure there are no censored or biased parts of the story. 

• Push for Indigenous voices in campus leadership, curriculum, and research priorities. UC Davis offers different resource programs such as The Nest (a center where students can be helped academically and learn more about the Native culture no matter what ethnicity they are) and the AIRR: American Indian Recruitment and Retention (addresses the unique academic, spiritual, cultural needs of American Indian, Indigenous and First Nations identifying students.)

• Support tribal sovereignty movements, such as land back initiatives, efforts to restore language and cultural programs, initiatives to protect sacred sites or opposing pipelines that threaten tribal lands. 

• Volunteer or intern with Native-led organizations in your region. Some Native-led organizations in YOLO county are Northern Valley Indian Health, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and Native American Rights Fund.

3. Use land acknowledgments meaningfully.

Learn about the specific Native nations whose land your college is on — most campuses sit on unceded Indigenous territory. UC Davis is on Patwin land and today there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. The rest of the UC Davis land acknowledgment is located here. 

If your college or university does not do a land acknowledgement, create one by talking to your school leadership and administration. From that, you should reach out to the local tribe that your land is on to collaborate on an acknowledgement. 

4. Listen to learn not to build savior narratives 

Approach this work with humility — not as someone “fixing” the past, but as a partner in building a more equitable future so that Native American students and the community can obtain the needed resources to succeed. 

We should listen to Indigenous peers and leaders about what support they want and not assume what support is best for them. Have a conversation where you ask them about their tribe’s history, what cultural celebrations they have and what you can do to be respectful of their land and tribe.

5. Think long-term

Vote for policies and leaders that support Indigenous sovereignty, land rights and education access. Look into Native politicians such as Sharice Davids, who was one of the first two Native American women elected to congress. 

Advocating and learning should not stop in college! Continue these practices beyond higher education — especially in your professional and civic life.

• advocacy
• Native American Heritage
• ucd