It is virtually impossible to miss the fact that this Thursday is Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday, the “National Day of Shopping.” Unfortunately, far fewer of us know that, more importantly, this Friday is Native American Heritage Day and November is Native American Heritage Month.
“Native American Heritage Month was established in 1992 to honor and recognize Native Americans as the first people of this nation and to celebrate both their cultural heritage and their importance to our past, present and future.”
Native American Heritage Day is a day of celebration, acknowledgement, and teaching for many indigenous groups, such as Native Hope.
For some, such as the United American Indians of New England, it is a National Day of Mourning, recognizing the devasting impact the arrival of European settlers had on North America’s indigenous peoples and their cultures.
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners honors indigenous cultures and communities, and we acknowledge the brutal history of oppression the first people of the nation endured, and against all odds, survived; as well as the ongoing oppression and racism of today.
Resources
We encourage you to learn more about the rich history and cultures of the first Americans, whose voices and contributions are all too often unheard, unseen, and unacknowledged. Here are a few resources to get your started. Explore them today, this month, and all year long:
Native American Heritage Month video
Smithsonian Magazine Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving?
National Park Service: Native American History Month
