First Peoples Now Relegated to Reservations Get A Month, A Proclamation (and a Google Doodle) from the Rest of The Nation to Honor Their Heritage and Revise History

Better late than never or not at all. Readers of this blog are encourage to read more

Arizona

Indigenous Communities

Native American Heritage Month celebrates Indigenous communities across the nation

By: Shondiin Silversmith - November 2, 2021 10:55 am

"November is Native American Heritage Month, and for Indigenous people across the country, it’s a chance to share the unique ancestry, traditions, and contributions their communities make today and have made throughout history.

“Far too often in our founding era and in the centuries since, the promise of our Nation has been denied to Native Americans who have lived on this land since time immemorial,” President Joe Biden said in the proclamation naming November National Native American Heritage Month.

"Despite a painful history marked by unjust Federal policies of assimilation and termination, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have persevered,” he added.

Biden signed a proclamation on Oct. 28, proclaiming November as National Native American Heritage Month. This provides a national spotlight for Indigenous people, communities, and organizations as they work to educate and share stories about the tribal nations across the US.

[. . .] 

In Arizona, there are 22 federally recognized tribes, and each has its own culture, history and traditions — and the state has a population of over 332,000 Indigenous people, one of the highest in the US. Tribal land makes up 28% of Arizona’s land base, according to the Arizona Governor’s office.

Governor Doug Ducey on Wednesday announced that he signed a proclamation naming November Native American Heritage Month in Arizona as a way to recognize the historical, cultural, and economic contributions of Arizona’s Indigenous people. “Native American communities are an integral part of Arizona,” Ducey said. “Their diverse culture, rich history, and vibrant heritage strengthen our state, and we are thankful for all their contributions. This month, we are proud to recognize November as Native American Heritage Month.”

Ducey signed the proclamation at the State Capitol on Nov. 1.

READ MORE

> On the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer shared their acknowledgment of National Native American Heritage Month across their social media platforms Monday.

> Gila River Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis commended Biden’s proclamation for November.

“Native American Heritage Month attests to the resilience and strength of the Gila River Indian Community, tribes across the state of Arizona, and across Indian Country,” Lewis said. “I appreciate President Biden’s proclamation designating the month of November as Native American Month and acknowledging that not only in this month but in every month, we must honor the enduring cultures and contributions of all Native Americans.”

> On a national level, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland — the first Native American to hold a cabinet post — kicked off the month in a video address on her Twitter page highlighting some of the work the U.S. Department of Interior continues to do for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Island communities. Haaland is Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico.

 

>

‘Our nations, our stories’

How did Native American Heritage Month get started? The first proclamation for Native American Heritage Month came in 1990 from President George H.W. Bush, after Congress passed a resolution that designated November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage Month.