NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH? TERMINOLOGY What is the correct terminology: American Indian, Indian, Native, Indigenous, or Native American? It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American and Alaska Native communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. All of these terms are acceptable. The consensus, however, is that whenever possible, Native people prefer to be called by their specific tribal name. This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation. In the United States, Native American has been widely used but is falling out of favor with some groups, and the terms American Indian or Indigenous American are preferred by many Native people. We celebrate Indian Country (land within the exterior boundaries of any Indian reservation, dependent Indian communities, and Indian allotments) with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation. Native peoples often have individual preferences on how they would like to be addressed. When talking about Native groups or people, use the terminology the members of the community use to describe themselves collectively.
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. More and more states are replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This effort is in recognition of the devastation that Columbus wreaked on Native communities in the Caribbean and beyond and that Indigenous peoples are survivors and continue to thrive.. 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. C E L E B R AT I N G 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.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS? Land acknowledgments are oral or written statements used to recognize Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of the lands on which a person may live, work, or go to school. Land acknowledgment is a traditional custom that dates back centuries for many Native nations and communities. For example, in Coast Salish communities along the Pacific Coast, another tribe or nation would ask permission to come ashore, thus acknowledging they were visitors to the lands. Acknowledging original Indigenous inhabitants today is often complex because of the centuries of displacement experienced by many Native peoples through (broken) treaties, government policy, and relocation efforts. Throughout their histories, Native groups have relocated and successfully adapted to new places and environments. Many Native peoples are active members of city communities today and many cities are built on top of Indigenous villages and towns. Land acknowledgments are a first step in creating collaborative, accountable, continuous, and respectful relationships with Indigenous nations and communities. Washington, D.C., and therefore 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, sits on the ancestral lands of the Nacotchtank (also documented as Anacostans), and neighbors the ancestral lands of the Piscataway and Pamunkey peoples.
the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees.” — Hereditary Chief Edward Moody of the Nuxalk Nation
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