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November is Native American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
American Indian Flute Music
The flute is one of the few indigenous instruments that has survived in American Indian traditional music. Take a listen to “American Indian Flute Music” at the Smithsonian Folkways website.
“Honoring Tribal Legacies” -- Handbook and Sample Curriculum
This guide includes approaches for teaching Native American topics such as honoring the past, looking for Native place-names, and connecting with your local Native community. Sample curriculum units, with complete lesson plans for preschool through post secondary all relate to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The National Park Service and the National Archives and Records Administration contributed to the project.
Why Treaties Matter – Traveling Exhibition
Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations is a nationally recognized, award-winning, traveling exhibit made in partnership with the NEH affiliate Minnesota Humanities Center, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. It has emerged a vehicle for authentic Dakota and Ojibwe stories of sovereignty, adaptability, and sustainability and includes educator guides and an enhanced virtual exhibit external link.
National Park Service Travel Itineraries
These web sites are part of a series of travel itineraries that explore our country's past through visiting places listed in the National Register of Historic Places which reflect major aspects of American history and the Native American experience.
Native American Veterans
American Indians have eagerly served a government which did not always keep its word to their ancestors. They have volunteered to serve in conflicts from World War II to Iraq. Few encountered any overt prejudice while in uniform, but for all American Indian veterans, the honor of defending their country overrode all other considerations.
Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids from the nation’s premier cultural heritage preservation institutions.
2015 Event Highlights
Connecting American Indian and Federal Libraries
An event showcasing three Native American research and resource organizations and nearly 20 presenters from the tribal, federal and scholarly communities.
(Library of Congress)
November 14–15 Ceramics! An American Indian Heritage Month Celebration
This two-day, museum-wide event showcases the many ways that Native communities express themselves through clay. Visitors can watch demonstrations of pottery techniques and learn about other uses for ceramics: protecting seeds, cooking, and much more.
(National Museum of the American Indian – Washington, DC)
American Indian Heritage Month Celebration for Kids
The Navajo, or Diné, culture of the Southwest is the focus of this year’s celebration. The day includes demonstrations of rug- and basket-weaving and presentations on Navajo pottery and jewelry-making.
(National Museum of the American Indian – New York, NY)