November can be a crazy, busy month, with so much to do before the Holidays. But hopefully we can take some time to learn, share, and experience something "Indian" this month, other than the pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. There is so much in our Country that we think of as American, but more precisely, it's Native American. Foods, local phrases and names, are a few.

This week's article is on how November came to finally be the time of recognition for all the influence and contributions the First Americans continue to share with the United States.

November is Native American Heritage Month

Several departments of the Federal Government issue a poster for American Indian Heritage Month. I've been given a few of them over the years. This one from 1998 is my favorite and was gifted to me by a former client. It was hung across from my desk so I could enjoy it.



I was hoping to find this one on-line, as the photo doesn't show the detail. No luck with that or finding information on the artisit R. Kemp. But I did find a few of the more recent posters at these links

USGS - National Native American Heritage Month Posters

The Diversity Store has several available for purchase, but they don't appear to have the year on them.

American Indian Heritage Month Posters

my daughters' school has a native american day in november. the whole month, they learn about four different cultures in each of the corners of the united states. they have a shoebox diorama to complete for their social studies grade that week. then they do a day where they taste authentic foods and do crafts. when i asked my daughter what they ate, she said rice and pumpkin pie! of course, the person who was trying to organize what foods to bring left a message on my voice mail-that i received too late to cook anything-to bring rice, corn bread, pumpkin pie, and turkey. what happened to learning the culture? that sounds like an asian-infused thanksgiving dinner, with a side of french pastry. (pumpkins are so american, but the traditional pumpkin pie that we all eat is not so much native as it is mixing of cultures) so, i am hoping to bring something to her classroom to sample as well as some crafts my oldest daughter has done with her grandfather. she has a beautiful dream catcher, a drum and stick set, and several pieces of jewelry and hair pieces they have made together. i am trying to find a couple of simple recipes, something easily portable and easy to make. and, of course, because some of the children might not be allowed to eat certain things, we have to keep the food list to what is available at the grocery store. (no deer, acorn, etc) hm...i wonder if a native american "class" is just the kind of project my little brownies and daisies would be interested in...

I had no idea about the significance of this month and I live in Alabama! You'd think they would've mentioned it all over the place.