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Native Veterans Art Museum: Original Warrior Exhibit

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Native Veterans Art Museum: Original Warrior Exhibit

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The National Veterans Art Museum is excited to present Original Warrior, our new exhibition which explores the complex Native American relationships between warrior and community, warrior and war, and warrior and service.

Curated by Tom Jones and Ash Kyrie, Original Warrior features the work of Native American artists: Rick Bartow, Miridith Campbell, T.C. Cannon, Melissa Doud, Teri Greeves, John Hitchcock, Tom Jones, Monty Little, Clarence Monegar, Lloyd Kiva New, and Horace Poolaw.

Native American nations have a long tradition of honoring and welcoming veterans back into their community after a time of war. For instance, pow wows have kept their focus on celebrating community and cultural traditions even as the expressive elements used-fabrics, colors and songs-continue to evolve over time. Melissa Doud's (Lac Du Flambeau-Chippewa) piece, "Bullet Dress," is a case in point. "Bullet Dress" takes the traditional form of a pow wow celebration jingle dress but is composed of camouflage fabric and empty shell casings brought back from Doud's tour in Iraq. "Creating this dress after I came back from Iraq was part of my healing journey," Doud says. " Now I dance for others and can display the path I went through to get here."

Vietnam veteran Rick Bartow is another featured artist in the exhibit. Like many veterans, Bartow suffered from PTSD and survivor's guilt upon his discharge in 1971. The following year, he began developing emotional complex prints and lithographs of his experiences. "When I returned from Viet Nam, like so many others, I was a bit twisted. I was a house filled with irrational fears, beliefs, and symbols. Wind-blown paper would send me running; crows became many things. During this time, I found a huge pad of newsprint and began to draw, trying to exorcise the demons that had made me strange to myself. My work has never stopped being therapy."

It is a sobering fact that the rate of Native Americans who enlist in the military is higher than any other demographic. Co-Curator Tom Jones says, "Statistically, Native Americans send more of their people off to war more than any other group in American, one in four Native Americans are veterans. The role and responsibility of the veteran is still central to our traditional ceremonies. I am in awe of these people, their experiences, their sacrifice and their dedication to community."
Original Warrior also includes civilian Native American artists who each create works reflecting the identity and roles of the warrior within their own communities. Teri Greeves (Kiowa) uses the Native American tradition of bead working, like her grandmother before her, to express her creativity and experiences as a 21st Century Kiowa woman. Co-curator Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk), has been photographing the flagpoles of Ho-Chunk veterans at the Memorial Day Pow Wow in Black River Falls, Wisconsin for twenty years.

Other artworks in Original Warrior include lithographs by Vietnam veteran T.C. Cannon (Kiowa-Caddo), paintings and monographs by Iraq War veteran Monty Little (Dine), installation and prints by John Hitchcock (Comanche), watercolors by World War II veteran Clarence Monegar (Winnebago), and beadwork pieces by Marine Miridith Campbell (Kiowa).

Rick Bartow (Wiyot, Vietnam War): Bartow suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt after he was discharged from the military in 1971. He participated in conventional therapy but believes that making art was what helped him find himself again. For Bartow, the artistic process starts with a search for metaphors. "And then sometimes things happen , and I follow the lead. And in the end, I'm dealing not only with the part of me that's Native American but also the part of me that is a veteran." Throughout his career, Bartow created multi-layered, visually complex lithographs that express his response to these powerful internal forces.
Campbell (Kiowa, U.S.M.C., U.S. Army, U.S. Navy): A military veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army ABN and a U.S. Navy SeaBee, Miridith Campbell became a full-time traditional artisan of Southern Plains culture, specializing in clothing and the utilitarian items of the Indian Wars period during Westward Expansion. As a form of expression with many designs being family-'owned,' her beadwork reflects the attention to color, form and design that is created uniquely for each individual. It also requires a process of exploring family histories, academic studies and individual interpretations of what will be conveyed in each piece.

T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo, Vietnam War): Tommy Wayne Cannon studied at the  Melissa Doud (Lac Du Flambeau-Chippewa, Iraq, Army): For Melissa Doud, being a powwow jingle dancer is about healing. Melissa served 20 years in the U.S. Army including one tour in Iraq. Her powerful piece Teri Greeves (Kiowa): Teri Greeves follows in the historical tradition of her Kiowa grandmothers in creating beadwork pieces that are both art and craft. Greeves uses beadwork to decorate clothing and household objects as well as to make prayer blankets. By using the techniques and materials of her forebears, Greeves expresses herself and her experiences as a 21ts Century Kiowa woman. Regarding her prayer blanket in across from Fort Sill, the US military's oldest field artillery base. Institute of American Indian Arts in  , where he studied painting and print-making. After graduating from IAIA in 1964, Cannon joined the army and served as a paratrooper. He was sent to Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 and earned two Bronze Star medals during the TET Offensive. He became an important voice in Native American art and was on the verge of his first solo exhibition in New York when lost his life in a car accident in Santa Fe in 1978.

Bullet Dress is composed of 365 spent bullet casings sown onto a dress made of camouflage fabric. Doud says, "Creating this dress after I came back from Iraq was part of my healing journey. Now I dance for others and can display the path I went through to get here."
John Hitchcock (Comanche): John Hitchcock is an award-winning printmaker and Installation artist whose work explores the relationships between community, land, and culture. He grew up on his family's tribal land in the Wichita Mountains of western Oklahoma, Original Warrior, Greeves say, "This blanket is my prayer-a prayer for the all the Kiowa men and women serving in the Middle East to take their rightful place with the Kiowa warriors that have come before them."
Hitchcock's work often combines images of U.S. military weaponry with mythological hybrid creatures from the Wichita Mountains to explore concepts of assimilation and control. He currently serves as Professor of Art, Department Chair of Theatre and Drama and Associate Dean of Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk): Tom Jones is an Assistant Professor of Photography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His photographs examine identity and geographic place with an emphasis on the experience of American Indian communities.  Jones's photographs question the assumptions made by made by non-natives and Natives alike regarding notions of identity within the American Indian culture. He continues to work on an ongoing photographic essay on the contemporary life of his tribe, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin.
Monty Little (Dine, Iraq War, USMC): Monty Little served as a Rifleman and fireteam leader in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008. He deployed to various countries in Southeast Asia and to Iraq. After leaving the Marine Corps, Little graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts with a degree in Creative Writing and Studio Arts. Little has written extensively about his military experiences. Much of this writing contains a surrealistic quality Little also captures in his paintings and monographs.
(Winnebago, WWII, Ambulance Driver): Clarence Monegar was a primarily self-taught watercolorist who loved painting the landscapes and wildlife of his home state of Wisconsin. In 1945 Monegar was drafted by the U.S. military to serve as an ambulance driver in WWII. After his return home, Monegar did a brief stint at the Art Institute of Chicago to study print-making. He soon lost interest in the medium and returned home to Wisconson , where he continued to paint watercolor scenes. Many of his works were hung in banks and professional offices. Although Monegar never gained national recognition, his works were well-loved in his home state.
Lloyd Kiva New (Cherokee WWII, Navy): Lloyd Kiva New was born in Oklahoma in 1916, the 10th child of a poor farming family. New grew up near oil-rich city of Tulsa and became exposed to formal art education and urban Native Americans. He earned a degree in art education from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1938, taught painting at the Phoenix Indian School, and enlisted in the Navy in 1941, where he served on the USS Sanborn on the Pacific Front. After the war New returned to the U.S. and built a highly successful career as an artist, teacher, and leader. Lloyd Kiva New, who passed away in 2002, is best known for fashion design and developing innovative concepts in culturally-based education for Native people.

(Kiowa, WWII, Army): Horace Poolaw was the most prolific photographers of the Plains Indians during the 20th century. In the five decades covered by Poolaw's photography, the Plains Indians were undergoing sweeping cultural transformations. His portraits of his family and community reflect the dichotomy of their daily lives as both American and indigenous citizens.

The exhibit will be on display from Saturday, October 6th through Saturday April 22nd in the main galleries of the National Veterans Art Museum.

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The National Veterans Art Museum is excited to present Original Warrior, our new exhibition which explores the complex Native American relationships between warrior and community, warrior and war, and warrior and service. Curated by Tom Jones and Ash Kyrie, Original Warrior features the work of Native American artists: Rick Bartow, Miridith Campbell, T.C.

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Through May 9, 2021
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

The Spiro people, and their Mississippian peers, are nearly forgotten in the pages of North American history, yet they created one of the most exceptional societies in all of the Americas.

Exhibit

This exhibition explores the archaeological and historical data connecting the Spiro site to other communities throughout North and Central America, discusses the Spiroan community and religious activities, and highlights the enduring legacy of Native Americans today who are descended from Mississippian cultural groups.

Collection

This exhibition explores the archaeological and historical data connecting the Spiro site to other communities throughout North and Central America, discusses the Spiroan community and religious activities, and highlights the enduring legacy of Native Americans today who are descended from Mississippian cultural groups.

Browse through some of highlights from the exhibit.

Maps

The maps show the regional boundaries of each ceremonial center within the larger Mississippian region and associated interaction sphere. It also includes trade routes and the sources of raw materials such as shell, copper, and stone.

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Through May 9, 2021 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The Spiro people, and their Mississippian peers, are nearly forgotten in the pages of North American history, yet they created one of the most exceptional societies in all of the Americas.

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Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

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Educational resources, lesson plans, teacher training, and strategies to support positive change! Native Knowledge 360° is a national initiative to inspire and promote improved teaching and learning about Native America. #NK360

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2021 White House Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples' Day.

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2021 White House Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples' Day.

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Since time immemorial, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians have built vibrant and diverse cultures - safeguarding land, language, spirit, knowledge, and tradition across the generations. On Indigenous Peoples' Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government's trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.

Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people - a promise that, despite the extraordinary progress we have made through the years, we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began. For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures. Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples' resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society. We also recommit to supporting a new, brighter future of promise and equity for Tribal Nations - a future grounded in Tribal sovereignty and respect for the human rights of Indigenous people in the Americas and around the world.

In the first week of my Administration, I issued a memorandum reaffirming our Nation's solemn trust and treaty obligations to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations and directed the heads of executive departments and agencies to engage in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials. It is a priority of my Administration to make respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-governance the cornerstone of Federal Indian policy. History demonstrates that Native American people - and our Nation as a whole - are best served when Tribal governments are empowered to lead their communities and when Federal officials listen to and work together with Tribal leaders when formulating Federal policy that affects Tribal Nations.

The contributions that Indigenous peoples have made throughout history - in public service, entrepreneurship, scholarship, the arts, and countless other fields - are integral to our Nation, our culture, and our society. Indigenous peoples have served, and continue to serve, in the United States Armed Forces with distinction and honor - at one of the highest rates of any group - defending our security every day. And Native Americans have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, working essential jobs and carrying us through our gravest moments. Further, in recognition that the pandemic has harmed Indigenous peoples at an alarming and disproportionate rate, Native communities have led the way in connecting people with vaccination, boasting some of the highest rates of any racial or ethnic group.

The Federal Government has a solemn obligation to lift up and invest in the future of Indigenous people and empower Tribal Nations to govern their own communities and make their own decisions. We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation, and terror wrought upon Native communities and Tribal Nations throughout our country. Today, we acknowledge the significant sacrifices made by Native peoples to this country - and recognize their many ongoing contributions to our Nation.

On Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor America's first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today. I encourage everyone to celebrate and recognize the many Indigenous communities and cultures that make up our great country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 11, 2021, as Indigenous Peoples' Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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A Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples' Day, 2021 | The White House

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Since time immemorial, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians have built vibrant and diverse cultures - safeguarding land, language, spirit, knowledge, and tradition across the generations. On Indigenous Peoples' Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government's trust and...

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Learning for Justice (Teaching Tolerance) Guide to incorporating Indigenous perspectives year-round.

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Learning for Justice (Teaching Tolerance) Guide to incorporating Indigenous perspectives year-round.

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There's a long history of U.S. schools failing Indigenous peoples, cultures and histories. In this story, Native parents and educators share examples of how educators and schools still get it wrong-and the steps they can take to fix their mistakes.

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Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day All Year Long

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Indigenous Peoples' Day is October 11, 2021. We encourage you to uplift contemporary Indigenous cultures and histories by incorporating resources written by and about Indigenous peoples into your curriculum. In these LFJ resources, learn various ways to do this in your classroom-all year long.

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FAM is seeking volunteers for our Grand Opening events on Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19, 2021. Volunteer shifts will likely take place in three to four hour periods. We have a variety of opportunities - parking attendants to assist visitors with directions and transportation on campus.

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More about land acknowledgments, how to speak about Indian Country, etc.

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Indigenous People answer google questions. 

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Indigenous People answer google questions. 

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Indigenous People Answer Commonly Googled Questions About Native Americans

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History vs. Christopher Columbus - Alex Gendler

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The Standing Rock resistance and our fight for indigenous rights | Tara Houska

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Nat Geo: Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? How the Holiday Has Been Shaped by Oppression.

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Nat Geo: Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? How the Holiday Has Been Shaped by Oppression.

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Was Christopher Columbus a heroic explorer or a villainous murderer? It depends on who you ask. The tussle over how or whether the United States should commemorate the Italian navigator's 1492 landing in the Americas has fueled controversy for generations.

A federal holiday celebrated the second Monday of each October, Columbus Day arose out of a late 19th century movement to honor Italian American heritage at a time when Italian immigrants faced widespread persecution.

But the holiday has since come under fire as a celebration of a man whose arrival in the Americas heralded the oppression of another group of people: Native Americans. In recent decades, it has been replaced by Indigenous Peoples' Days in many states and cities. (Across the continent, North America's Native nations reassert their sovereignty.)

In 2021, the U.S. celebrated its first national Indigenous Peoples' Day in a commemoration President Joe Biden proclaimed as a day to honor "our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation." Biden also issued a Columbus Day proclamation acknowledging the contributions of Italian Americans as well as "the painful history of wrongs and atrocities" that resulted from European exploration. Here's how Columbus Day began, and how the movement to replace it has gained momentum.

Early Columbus Day celebrations

On October 12, 1492, after a voyage of 10 weeks, Christopher Columbus' crew spotted the New World. The Italian navigator's three ships, sailing at the behest of the Spanish crown, would soon land, likely on an island known to its Lucayan residents as Guanahaní. Columbus christened it San Salvador.

It was the beginning of a new era in the history of the Western Hemisphere-an event commemorated in the U.S. since the nation was founded in 1776. But before the late 19th century, the celebrations were mainly limited to Catholic and Italian American enclaves on the East Coast, where many embraced Columbus as an intrepid explorer who embodied progress and bravery. For these people, Columbus represented their indelible contribution to a society that viewed both Catholics and Italian Americans with suspicion.

Celebrations of Columbus gained momentum as Italian immigration grew from a trickle to a flood. Beginning in the 1880s, Italian immigrants began pouring into the U.S. in search of opportunity and a better life. But the new arrivals were not welcomed by all. Maligned as sinister and criminal, Italian immigrants were the focus of increasing bigotry.

In 1890 anti-Italian sentiment boiled over in New Orleans after police chief David Hennessy, reputed for his arrests of Italian Americans, was murdered. In the aftermath, more than a hundred Sicilian Americans were arrested. When nine were tried and acquitted in March 1891, a furious mob rioted and broke into the city prison, where they beat, shot, and hanged at least 11 Italian American prisoners. None of the rioters who lynched the Italian Americans were prosecuted. It remains one of the largest mass lynchings in the nation's history.

Columbus Day becomes a nationwide holiday

The brutal killings created tit-for-tat tensions between the U.S. and Italy, which called for reparations for the murders. At first, the U.S. refused, prompting Italy to recall its ambassador and cut off diplomatic relations. The U.S. reciprocated.

But eventually, in an attempt to appease Italy and acknowledge the contributions of Italian Americans on the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival, President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 proclaimed a nationwide celebration of "Discovery Day," recognizing Columbus as "the pioneer of progress and enlightenment." Eventually, the nations mended their relationship and the U.S. paid $25,000 in reparations.

In the decades after the mass lynching, Italian American advocates pushed for a nationwide holiday, and states slowly began to adopt it. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated it a national holiday, and in 1971 Congress changed the date from October 12 to the second Monday of October. The holiday, writes historian Bénédicte Deschamps, "allowed Italian-Americans to celebrate at the same time their Italian identity, their Italian-American group specificity, and their allegiance to America."

The push for Indigenous Peoples' Day

Columbus Day celebrated Italians. But for many with Indigenous ancestry, it was a slap in the face-a celebration of invasion, theft, brutality, and colonization. Columbus and his crew enabled and perpetrated the kidnapping, enslavement, forced assimilation, rape and sexual abuse of Native people, including children; the Native American population shrank by about half after European contact. For Indigenous Americans, the landing celebrated by some as a day of triumphant discovery was the beginning of an incursion onto land that had long been their home. (The history of the Red Power movement's fight for Native sovereignty.)

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Pan-Indian and Red Power movements brought together Native Americans who began to draw attention to the hero's sordid history. In 1970, for example, anonymous protesters scrawled Red Power slogans on the statue of the navigator in the middle of New York's Columbus Circle ahead of Columbus Day celebrations. The New Yorker reported on the incident, calling it "a topic to joke about safely" among white politicians on the viewing stand for that day's festivities-an indication of just how far the movement would have to go to change the nation's view of Columbus.

In the 1980s and 1990s, protests against the holiday grew. In 1990, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre, in which U.S. soldiers killed some 300 Lakota people, Native American publisher Tim Giago urged South Dakota's governor to declare it a year of reconciliation and change Columbus Day to a holiday called Native American Day. The governor, George S. Mickelson, agreed, and the holiday has replaced Columbus Day in the state ever since. (Here's what really happened at Wounded Knee, the site of a historic massacre.)

Two years later, ahead of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' landing, Indigenous groups lobbied the United Nations and local governments not to participate in international celebrations. A group called Resistance 500 formed in the Bay Area in response to the plans-such as an event in which replicas of Columbus' ships sailed into San Francisco Harbor. Berkeley's city council recognized the group as a task force and unanimously adopted its suggestion of replacing Columbus Day with a holiday called the Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People. The Indigenous activists won another victory when the ships' journey was called off in the face of growing pressure.

How the holidays are recognized today

Though Italian American groups protested the move, it fueled ongoing activism among Indigenous people. In the 2010s, Indigenous Peoples' Day -known by some as Native American Day-gained steam as it was adopted by scores of cities and states around the nation. Some states honor both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day on the paid holiday, while others have renamed it entirely

In addition, multiple states have stopped celebrating the date altogether. According to Pew Research, in 2021 only 21 states offered their government workers paid holidays on the second Monday in October.

Even Columbus, Ohio, the largest city named after the Italian navigator, has changed its tune: In 2018, it stopped celebrating Columbus Day, and in 2020 it declared October 12 Indigenous Peoples' Day. "It's impossible to think about a more just future without recognizing these original sins of our past," Columbus City Council president Shannon Hardin reportedly said at the meeting.

In a similar spirit of reckoning, in April 2019 New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell apologized for the 1891 lynchings of Italian Americans, more than a century after the incident. "Some people didn't want me to make this apology today," Cantrell said at the time. "But...I have a responsibility to deal with what's in front of me, and to speak honestly about the challenges we face, those that shape our history and, more importantly, our future."

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Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? How the holiday has been shaped by oppression

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Columbus Day began as a celebration of Italian immigrants who faced persecution in the U.S. But for many it's now a symbol of the colonization and oppression of Indigenous people.

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Smithsonian-- Unlearning Columbus Day Myths.

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Smithsonian-- Unlearning Columbus Day Myths.

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Many students learn the phrase, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue". But Columbus was not the first foreign explorer to land in the Americas. Neither he nor those that came before him discovered America-because Indigenous Peoples have populated the Western Hemisphere for tens of thousands of years. European contact resulted in devastating loss of life, disruption of tradition, and enormous loss of lands for Indigenous Peoples in the Americas. It is estimated that in the 130 years following first contact, Native America lost 95 percent of its population.

Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere immediately experienced enslavement and theft of resources by the explorers turned settlers. Colonies created by the Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch, and English grew throughout the Americas and increasingly encroached upon Native lives and lands. Warfare, enslavement, and forced relocation disrupted and altered the lives of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas. Celebrating Columbus and other explorers like him dismisses the devastating losses experienced by Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere in the past and the ongoing effects of colonialism today.

Indigenous Peoples are still here. Contemporary Native Americans have led numerous movements to advocate for their own rights. Native people continue to fight to maintain the integrity and viability of Indigenous societies. American Indian history is one of cultural persistence, creative adaptation, renewal, and resilience. Native Peoples, students, and allies are responsible for official celebrations of Indigenous Peoples' Day in such states as Maine, Oregon, Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, and Washington, DC. Indigenous Peoples' Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October and recognizes the resilience and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in the United States.

We promote including Indigenous perspectives, like those of the Taíno Peoples, to provide a more complete narrative when teaching about Columbus. We encourage students to advocate for Indigenous Peoples' Day as a replacement for Columbus Day in their school, city, state, and beyond.

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Native Knowledge 360°-Unlearning Columbus Day Myths: Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day

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NK360° Helpful Handouts: Guidance on Common Questions provide a brief introduction to teachers about important topics regarding Native American life, cultures, and communities. Native Life and Food: Food Is More Than Just What We Eat explores Indigenous relationships with food. #NK360

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pbs "public broadcasting" documentary news "public affairs" tv television arts music how-to history documentaries food culture drama

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PBS and our member stations are America's largest classroom, the nation's largest stage for the arts and a trusted window to the world. In addition, PBS's educational media helps prepare children for success in school and opens up the world to them in an age-appropriate way.

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October 11 is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Many states and cities have moved towards recognition of this day and even choose to observe it over Columbus Day. This is a day to learn, to observe, to reflect, to create, and to connect through story and creation. It's also a day to move beyond recognition and towards action and accountability.

The history of Indigenous People in the U.S. is thorny and vast. There is the horrific legacy of entire cultures being violently and systematically eradicated. And then there are stories of survival, fortitude, and deep connection to the environment and other people. Of course, Indigenous history doesn't begin or end with either of these stories.

As educators, figuring out where to start unwinding this huge tapestry can be overwhelming. Every step towards action and accountability starts with inquiry and research. This post will share resources that can help you explore the past and the present lives of Indigenous Peoples. There are also a few activities that you can do with your students to bring these notions to life.

First, should Columbus Day still play a role in the classroom?

Columbus Day was established to honor the "discovery" of America and serves as an opportunity to recognize the contributions of Italian Americans. The goal of Indigenous Peoples' Day is not to erase and replace Italian American contributions. But it cannot be the only narrative. We now have a chance to examine cultural genocide, the institution of slavery, and the concept of discovery and how these narratives are constructed and at what cost.

Remember, vocabulary matters.

Indigenous Peoples refers to populations that are the original inhabitants of any given geographic region in the world. Native American and American Indian are widely used, but remember that the term Indian exists because Columbus believed he had reached the Indian Ocean. The best option is to refer to specific tribal names.

Websites for learning more about Indigenous Peoples

Books to read

Here are some reading materials that can help everyone learn more about Indigenous Peoples. Each of these lists includes books by Indigenous authors that tell the stories of specific Indigenous tribes.

Activities to try

Lastly, there are many enriching activities you can do with your students to observe Indigenous Peoples' Day, to honor Indigenous Peoples' Month (November), and to bring a broader understanding of Thanksgiving, American history, and environmental activism to your classroom.

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Honoring Indigenous Peoples' Day in the Classroom

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October 11 is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Many states and cities have moved towards recognition of this day and even choose to observe it over Columbus Day. This is a day to learn, to observe, to reflect, to create, and to connect through story and creation.

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Tea & Bannock-- Indigenous Women Photographers

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Tea & Bannock-- Indigenous Women Photographers

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a collective blog by indigenous women photographers

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Project 562 is a multi-year national photography project dedicated to photographing over 562 federally recognized tribes in The United States resulting in an unprecedented repository of imagery and oral histories that accurately portrays contemporary Native Americans.

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Matika has visited members of over 300 sovereign nations throughout 40 states, from Tlingits in Alaska to the Pimas in Arizona, Pomos in California to Wampanoags on Cape Cod. Through her lens, we are able to see the diversity, vibrancy, and realness of Indian Country, and in seeing, challenge and su…