National Native American Heritage Month Toolkit

1

RESOURCE TOOLKIT FOR THE UALBANY COMMUNITY To help you celebrate National Native American Heritage Month (NNAHM), the Multicultural Resource Center, in collaboration with the Indigenous Student Association, has created a toolkit that provides a host of resources to help you plan, communicate, and engage your teams on this significant month.

This toolkit contains videos, photos, articles, and a shared folder to be used at the University at Albany to explore the heritage, culture, and experience of Indigenous people both historically and in American life today while also sharing the various ways our Indigenous Student Association collaborates with Intercultural Student Engagement.

1. Getting Started a. Land Acknowledgement b. What is NNAHM? c. Heritage Month Theme 2. Getting Involved a. Indigenous Student Association b. Native movies and documentaries 3. Taking Action a. Wear Orange 9/30 b. Women are Sacred 10/1 c. Wear Red 5/5 d. Shared Resource Folder here

Figure 1 logo created by Arleny Alvarez-Peña

The logo will unify our efforts to educate our community about the Haudenosaunee and indigenous communities worldwide.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Multicultural Resource Center gratefully acknowledges the native people on whose ancestral homelands we gather and the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make their home here today. To learn more, click here.

• •

Land acknowledgments recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live and work.

Land acknowledgment is the first step in creating collaborative, accountable, continuous, and respectful relationships within Indigenous Nations and communities.

WHAT IS NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH? Every year on November 1, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated to honor the remarkable Native Americans who have greatly improved the nation's character. This month is also called the American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. November is the time to

2

rejoice in diverse and rich cultures, histories, and traditions and to appreciate the great contributions of the Native Americans. This month allows us to spread awareness about tribes or to educate people about the various challenges faced by Native Americans in the past and today.

Throughout this month, we commit to supporting the remaining Native American tribes and informing the world about their sacrifices. (https://nationaltoday.com/american-heritagemonth/)

HERITAGE MONTH THEME This year’s theme is Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity. Tribal sovereignty ensures that decisions about Tribes regarding their property and citizens are made with their participation and consent. The federal trust responsibility is a legal obligation under which the United States “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Indian tribes.

To learn more, click here.

Tribal sovereignty encompasses legal, cultural, political, and historical traditions that are a complex mix of European and Indigenous governance approaches. There are three types of sovereign governments in the United States: the federal government, state govern-ments, and Tribal governments.

TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY: HISTORY AND THE LAW Tribal governments are the oldest governments in existence in the Western Hemisphere. Despite common misperceptions, the United States was not the first government to institute democratic rule and introduce concepts of fair representation, equality, and justice for all. At a time when European governments were authoritarian and hierarchical, traditional tribal governments were based upon principles of democracy, equality, freedom, and respect.

Not everyone knows how much American government and political life as we know it today has been drawn from Indian culture. To learn more, click here.

INDIGENOUS STUDENT ASSOCIATION (ISA) Savannah Swamp, President Mohawk Nation Ryleigh John, Vice President Seneca Nation Tehoronhiathe Nfn, Treasurer Mohawk Nation Cayde David, Co-Treasurer Mohawk & Oneida Nation

Figure 2 ISA logo created by Arleny Alvarez-Peña

Amos Whitcomb, Secretary Seneca Nation

3

The Indigenous Student Association was established in the spring of 2022. They aim to empower and bring attention to Native American and Indigenous culture, traditions and impact to the United States and abroad. ISA plans and participates in culturally relevant programming on campus to diversify the community properly and to educate people on topics often not taught in public schools. Overall, the group is committed to Indigenous representation in higher education & fostering a safe, inclusive environment for Indigenous students.

The ISA logo includes arrows, feathers, a circle, a turtle, and a star above the established date.

Below is what each symbol represents: • The arrows: An arrow symbolizes reaching your goals and achieving your targets.

Protection – An arrow has traditionally been used to protect someone from potential harm.

Arrows represent protection and defense from any evil that can come to you.

• The turtle: To most tribes, the turtle also represents healing, wisdom, spirituality, health, safety, longevity, protection, and fertility. Some Native Americans believe that the turtle contributed to creation because the turtle dove into the primeval waters to retrieve mud to create Mother Earth.

• The feathers: are a powerful symbol that signifies honor and a connection between the owner, the Creator, and the bird from which the feather came.

• The circle of healing: The circle is a sacred symbol of the interdependence of all forms of life; the circle is a symbol in Native spirituality, family structure, gatherings of people, meetings, songs, and dances.

• The star: The Morning Star symbolizes hope and guidance.

NATIVE KNOWLEDGE 360 Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) provides educators and students new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. Most Americans have only been exposed to part of the story, as told from a single view through the lenses of popular media and textbooks. NK360° provides educational materials, virtual student programs, and teacher training incorporating Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples and offers a view that includes the past and the vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today. Explore educational materials here.

4

RESOURCES Haudenosaunee Guide for Educators • https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/ed ucation/HaudenosauneeGuide.pdf 5 ways to honor Native Americans during NNAHM • Visit a reservation or museum. o https://www.6nicc.com o https://americanindian.si.edu • Attend an Indigenous Student Association educational event.

• Decolonize your Thanksgiving Dinner o https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/9 -ways-decolonize-and-honor-nativepeoplesthanksgiving?gclid=CjwKCAjwm8WZ BhBUEiwA178UnDrsWS_KTNBKYX uVMJ9T_EjwnK5Pctx_G46JMFJ5frwy s7rIRL8mahoCaQ8QAvD_BwE • Decolonize Columbus Day o https://theculturetrip.com/southamerica/articles/decolonizing-columbusday-in-the-americas/ • Read the work of Native American Authors: o Tom Porter, Joy Harjo, Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. Stephan Graham Jones, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Louise Erdrich • Support Native-Owned Businesses and Charities: o https://urbannativeera.com o https://sequoiasoaps.com o https://www.snipeclanbotanicals.com o https://www.niioperkins.com o https://eighthgeneration.com o https://www.twohousedesigncrafters.co m Participate in the following dates: • Sept. 30 Orange Shirt Day • Oct. 1 Women are Sacred Day • Oct. 10 Indigenous Peoples Day • Nov. 4 National Bison Day • Nov. 15 Rock Your Mocs • Nov. 17 National Take a Hike Day • Nov. 19 Red Shawl Day • Nov. 24 NAH Day • May 5 MMIWA Day TV Shows: • Reservation Dogs Leaders to Know: • Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior • Winona LaDuke, Activist • Oren Lyons, Activist

NATIVE MOVIES Killers of the Flower Moon 2023 3h 26m

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher 2021 1h 36m

A remarkable story inspired by the life of renowned Chickasaw cattleman Montford T. Johnson, a man who overcame great hardships to establish a ranching empire along the famous cattle highway of the American West, the Chisolm Trail.

The Old Ways 2020 1h 30m

Cristina, a journalist of Mexican origin, travels to her ancestral home in Veracruz to investigate a story of sorcery and healing. There, she is kidnapped by a group of locals who claim she's the devil incarnated.

NATIVE DOCUMENTARIES “Documentaries can open windows to our past. They allow us to re-live iconic moments in history. Below is a list of powerful documentaries exploring Indigenous history and culture in America.” PBS.org The Andwa: A Resurging Indigenous Nationality 2021 1h 10m In the Ecuadorian Amazon, there is an indigenous nationality fighting to keep their culture alive. These ancestral guardians have persevered in the face of threats and conflicts, reclaiming their identity to become one of the 11 recognized indigenous nationalities in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Imagining the Indian 2022 1h 35m

Explores the exploitation of Native American culture in sports, including the use of names and logos that have been adopted by teams and franchises with no apparent connection to the tribes and peoples whose cultures they appropriate. unflinchingly through their eyes.

5

WORDS MATTER: IT’S IMPORTANT TO USE LANGUAGE CORRECTLY Alaska Native American Indian

This term refers to the indigenous people of the area. Native Alaskan is anyone from Alaska (including non-indigenous).

Some tribes (and their associated parks) prefer Native American. Use specific tribal name(s) whenever possible, accurate, and appropriate. See also First Nations, tribal names.

First Nation, Refers to aboriginal people in Canada who are neither Inuit (people of the Canadian First Arctic) nor Métis (descendants of First Nation people who married Europeans). Often Nations used in the plural in the collective sense, as in a program for First Nations youth. The term is widely used in Canada but is not used in the US, except in connection with Métis whose homelands include northwest Minnesota, North Dakota, or other northern states.

See also American Indian.

Native Use if requested by specific tribes or parks. See American Indian.

American Tribal name Use specific tribal name(s) whenever possible, accurate, and appropriate. Also, the preference is to use the singular noun: Navajo, Lakota, Tlingit. See also American Indian. Examples: The Navajo entered Canyon de Chelly about 300 years ago. The Anishinaabek fished in Lake Superior.

Figure 3 Flag of the Haudenosaunee

HAUDENOSAUNEE Called the Iroquois Confederacy by the French and the League of Five Nations by the English, the confederacy is appropriately called the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, meaning People of the Long House. The confederacy was founded by the prophet, the Peacemaker, with the help of Aionwatha, more commonly known as Hiawatha.

The exact date of the joining of the nations is unknown and said to be time immemorial, making it one of the first and longest-lasting participatory democracies in the world.

The confederacy, made up of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, was intended to unite the nations and create a peaceful means of decision-making. To learn more, click here.

The Haudenosaunee has 13 ceremonies throughout the year, representing the 13 moons throughout the year. These ceremonies occur at various times of the year, often following seasonal changes. Most ceremonies express thanks to the people, the natural world, the spirit world, and the creator. It is hoped that this will help maintain the nation's health and prosperity.

To learn more, click here.

6

When nations within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy have meetings, ceremonies, or anything important, they begin and end with the Thanksgiving Address or opening acknowledgment. In the Mohawk language, it is called the Ohenten Kariwatekwen, translating to mean “words before all else.” These openings thanks all of creation, starting with us, or the people, and continuing upwards from the earth to the waters, the trees, the birds, the thunders, etc., and ultimately the creator. The world is orderly, and every part has been given responsibilities and instructions. Each continues to fulfill its duties as well as it can. This gratitude reminds us that humans are no more important than other living parts of the world. ISA is currently working on a proposal to implement this into commencement.

TUSCARORA TRIBE HISTORY & CULTURE In the wake of the war, many Tuscarora began migrating north to join the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in New York. Some remained in North Carolina and parts of Virginia and South Carolina. Some Tuscarora descendants live in Robeson County in communities such as the Tuscarora Nation East of the Mountain, The Southern Band Tuscarora Indian Tribe, and the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina.

The outcome was that the Tuscarora became the first native people to be dispossessed of their land during colonization, and they walked north to New York in the early eighteenth century to join the Haudenosaunee. Accepted by the confederacy, they have been part of the Six Nations ever since, together with the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • The Tuscarora War; video 1hr 19 min 38 sec https://youtu.be/wMii6rKV_Fo?si=NG3XV2OYgASL-t0a • Tuscarora: Drawing on Traditional Teaching to Confront a Changing Climate https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tcc/Tribes/ne_tuscarora

Figure 4 Map of where the Lenape people lived

THE LENAPE The Lenape people lived all over the Northeastern Woodlands, what we would today call Canada, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania, along the Delaware River watershed, New York City, western Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley. Often, they can be confused for a single tribe, but the reality is much more complex. The Lenape people comprised smaller tribes who spoke similar languages and shared familial ties. Some Lenape spoke Unami, while others spoke Munsee. Although all Lenape belonged to the same group, a Lenape citizen would have identified first with immediate family, clan, and village, then neighboring villages, and finally through language with more distant communities. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources:

7

•

The Lenape, Mohicans, and Iroquois were native to New York State https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2021/10/08/the-lenape-mohicans-and-iroquois-were-nativeto-new-york-state/

CONTRIBUTIONS The resource in this toolkit is not a comprehensive look at Native Americans' impacts on U.S. society and culture; however, these resources provide examples that American Spaces can use to foster discussion about Native Americans' meaningful contributions.

The Native Americans are not just the original inhabitants of the North American continent; they have also contributed immensely to the country that is now the United States of America. These tribes learned how to make the best of the land, tame wild beasts, raise animals, domesticate plants, and create medicines. To learn more, click here.

For examples, see below: • Politics and Government – The Haudenosaunee Confederacy influenced the United States Constitution; to learn more, click here.

• Sports – Lacrosse, America's oldest team sport, dates to 1100 A.D. when the Haudenosaunee played it; to learn more, click here.

HOW MANY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE THERE AND WHERE DO THEY LIVE? Quantifying the number of members belonging to indigenous communities and their exact locations is complicated. Statistics coincide, however, to indicate that there are around 370 million indigenous people in the world, spread throughout more than 5,000 groups.

These peoples live in over 90 countries on five continents, with Asia (headed by China) the region with the most indigenous people in the world and Europe with the fewest: • America 39,750,000 • Europe 250,000 • Africa 50,000,000 • Asia 273,000,000 • Oceania 7,000,000 To learn more, visit click here.

Additional resources: • Indigenous People of Western New York - https://ppgbuffalo.org/files/documents/datademographics-history/indigenous_people_in_wny_final.pdf • The World Faces: Diverse cultures of the world through the portraits of Indigenous Peoples - https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/world-in-faces • Indigenous Peoples - https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples • Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-indigenous-peoples 8

Figure 5 Logo for Dine College, arrow in the middle

THE FIRST TRIBAL COLLEGE – DINÉ COLLEGE Diné College was the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans. It set a precedent for later tribally controlled community colleges on or near reservations.

Diné College remains the oldest and largest. In the following decades, 33 similar colleges have been founded by other Indian tribes. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources:

• •

About Diné College - https://www.youtube.com/@dinecollege8323 National Native American Heritage Month: Celebrating the Nation’s First Tribal College - https://www.insightintodiversity.com/national-native-american-heritage-monthcelebrating-the-nations-first-tribal-college/ In Our Own Best Interest: A (Brief) History of Tribal Colleges in American https://nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-Advising-Today/View-Articles/In-OurOwn-Best-Interest-Tribal-Colleges-in-America.aspx Navajo Tech is the first tribal university to offer a PhD program https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/navajo-tech-first-tribal-university-offer-phdprogram-rcna76717

TRIBAL REGALIA AT GRADUATION Graduation should be a joyful occasion for university seniors.

But for some Indigenous students, this special time of year can be fraught with uncertainty or controversy over their ability to wear tribal regalia during their schools’ commencement ceremonies. Whether an eagle feather or plume, beadwork, sealskin cap, moccasins, or other forms of traditional dress, tribal regalia plays a unique role for graduating Indigenous students. These items are often gifted to students by parents or tribal elders to recognize this pivotal, once-in-a-lifetime achievement. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • •

Figure 6 Jillian Benedict, Mohawk Nation, Class of 2023

• •

Wearing Eagle Feathers and Regalia at Graduation - https://narf.org/cases/graduation/ Indigenous Students Share the Importance of Tribal Regalia at Graduation – watch the video here.

9

Figure 7 Red and black background, square that states respect tribal sovereignty

TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY: NATION WITHIN A NATION Tribal sovereignty refers to the right of American Indians and Alaska Natives to govern themselves.

The U.S. Constitution recognizes Indian tribes as distinct governments, and they have, with a few exceptions, the same powers as federal and state governments to regulate their internal affairs.

Sovereignty for tribes includes the right to establish their form of government, determine membership requirements, enact legislation, and establish law enforcement and court systems. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • • •

What is: Indigenous Sovereignty and Tribal Sovereignty - https://www.ienearth.org/whatis-indigenous-sovereignty-and-tribal-sovereignty/ Tribal Sovereignty: Why it Matters for Teaching and Learning about Native Americans, Part 1 1 hr. 23 min video: https://youtu.be/xg-G3jwuxys?si=bYfE6kTqzScH0n2l Understanding Tribal Sovereignty - https://www.fedbar.org/blog/understanding-tribalsovereignty/

An Indian reservation is a land reserved for and managed by a Native American tribe, its sovereignty limited by federal, state, or local law. Today, there are roughly 300 reservations in the United States. Treaties signed between American Indians and Colonial powers in the 17th and 18th centuries, and then between tribes and American officials in the late 18th and 19th centuries, resulted time and again in either the reduction of aboriginal lands or the relocation of Native Americans from their ancestral homes to designated areas where they lived and governed with limited independence. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • • •

Indian Reservations - https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/indianreservations New York Indian Reservations - https://nativeheritageproject.com/2012/03/22/new-yorkindian-reservations/ Life on the Reservations - https://www.ushistory.org/us/40d.asp 10

Figure 8 Seneca Thruway Sign

INDIAN RESERVATION

• • •

Native American Living Conditions on Reservations http://www.nativepartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=naa_livingconditions Why a Hamptons Highway Is a Battleground Over Native American Rights https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/27/nyregion/hamptons-shinnecock-billboards.html U.S. Circuit Court Rules in Favor of the Seneca Nation in Case Against State of New York - https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/u-s-circuit-court-rules-in-favor-of-theseneca-nation-in-case-against-state-of-new-york

WHY ARE NATIVE AMERICANS ASSOCIATED WITH CASINOS? Indian tribes have the right to conduct gaming activities on tribal lands because they are sovereign nations, as recognized in the U.S. Constitution, with the retained right to govern themselves. The Supreme Court affirmed this right in 1987, and the next year, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), proclaiming that tribes must be the “sole owner and primary beneficiary” of Indian gaming activities. To begin gaming operations, each tribe had to reach an agreement – called a compact – with its respective state government. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • • •

Figure 9 red background, white spades and diamond card, casino chips and MRC logo

The Social and Economic Impact of Native American Casinos https://www.nber.org/digest/feb03/social-and-economic-impactnative-american-casinos Taking a Gamble: Considering Potential Problems and Effects on Indigenous Gaming Communities - https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-10/slawny/ Cannabis, drones, and Wahlburgers: Native Americans push beyond casinos after pandemic eye-opener - https://fortune.com/2023/02/26/native-americans-push-beyondcasinos-after-pandemic-eye-opener-cannabis-drones-wahlburgers/

11

A NATION BUILT ON STOLEN LAND Figure 10 turtle image is from Syracuse Cultural Workers

It is vital that we address the attempted systematic destruction of the Native peoples of North America by ancient and modern colonizers. The United States was built on a foundation of colonization, racism, and genocide.

From 1877 to 1934, through a range of laws and broken treaties, the U.S. government appropriated tens of millions of acres of Native American land. In recent years, a growing movement to reclaim what was once theirs has begun to form around the slogan "land back".

LANDBACK is a movement that has existed for generations with a long legacy of organizing and sacrifice to get Indigenous Lands back into Indigenous hands. Currently, LANDBACK battles are being fought across Turtle Island, north and the South.

Additional resources: • •

Why Native Americans are buying back land that was stolen from them https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-native-americans-are-buying-back-land-thatwas-stolen-from-them What is the Land Back Movement? A Call for Native Sovereignty and Reclamation https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-the-land-back-movement

12

•

Whose Land Are You On? What do Know About the Indigenous Land Back Movement | Lindsey Schneider | TED - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kADwVHIP8zs Figure 11 flag and half the of the United States. Titled decolonize your mind and what it means

WHITE SUPREMACY FUELS DESTRUCTION Race in America was socially constructed — based on white supremacy— and cannot exist without creating a racial hierarchy that leads to violence against communities of color.

“Just a reminder: the system in what is currently known as the US isn't ‘broken.’ It was designed by male white supremacist slaveowners on stolen Indigenous land to protect their interests. It's working as it was designed.” ~Dr. Adrienne Keene (Cherokee) Additional resources: • In the fight of racial justice, Native stories should not be ignored - https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/09/25/in-the-fight-for-racialjustice-native-stories-should-not-be-ignored/ • How White Supremacy Became Part of Nation’s Fabric https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/09/how-nations-schools-taught-whitesupremacism/ • Invisibility is the Modern Form of Racism Against Native Americans https://www.teenvogue.com/story/racism-against-native-americans FOOD SYSTEMS Whiteness fuels and dominates policy and practice in food systems. Whiteness permeates the food system in the ways it “articulate(s) white ideals of health and nutrition, offer(s) whitened dreams of farming and gardening that erase the past and present of race in agriculture, mobilize(s) funding to direct programming toward non-white beneficiaries, and create(s) inviting spaces for white people.” Whiteness helps perpetuate “existing structures of power and privilege within food spaces,” enabling white activists and organizations to assume their ideals and emotions are shared by all.” Whiteness is an unnamed presence that shapes the discourse and focus of food system reform. Consequently, many historically white-led organizations find that their policies and programs fail to resonate with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities. To read the full report, click here.

Additional Resources: • •

What is White Supremacy Culture? - https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/what-isit.html 8 Ways White Bias Misdirects Food System Work. Watch video here.

13

• •

The Food System is Built on White Supremacy - https://sentientmedia.org/the-foodsystem-is-built-on-white-supremacy/ Ninth Edition: An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System March 2022 - https://www.canr.msu.edu/foodsystems/uploads/files/AnnotatedBibliography-on-Structural-Racism-Present-in-the-U.S.-Food-System-Ninth-Edition.pdf

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & RACISM We must understand and respond to how social inequities intersect to build a winning coalition and beat the climate crisis. Only then will we be telling the real story of climate change. This crisis doesn’t affect everyone equally, a challenge often impacting those enduring other hardships more acutely. ~The Climate Reality Project Environmental racism refers to unequal access to a clean environment and essential ecological resources based on race. Environmental hazards disproportionately victimize communities of color, and they are far more likely to live in areas with heavy pollution. People of color are more likely to die of environmental causes, and more than half of the people who live close to hazardous waste are people of color.

Environmental justice is a social justice movement that seeks to dismantle the flawed environmental policies that have long harmed low-income communities and communities of color and instead pursue policy and development that work to create a sustainable, cooperative, and equitable future for the environment. It rests on the principle that everyone has a right to a clean and healthy environment, and the environmental justice movement strives to attain that. It also seeks to remedy the ills of environmental racism and to give everyone a livable future. This movement initially began in the late 1980s, when a report was published (Toxic Waste and Race) that proved communities of color were subject to environmental degradation and dangerous pollution. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • Environmental Racism: What is it and how you can fight it https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/environmental-racism-what-it-and-how-youcan-fight-it • What is the Difference Between Environmental and Social Justice? https://bencrump.com/environmental-justice-lawyer/what-is-the-difference-betweenenvironmental-and-social-justice/ • An Invitation to Save the Planet by Ending White Supremacy https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-4-fall/top/invitation-save-planet-ending-whitesupremacy

14

THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted in 1978 in response to a crisis affecting American Indian and Alaska Native children, families, and tribes. Studies revealed that many Native children were separated from their parents, extended families, and communities by state child welfare and private adoption agencies. The research found that 25%–35% of all Native children were being removed; of these, 85% were placed outside their families and communities—even when fit and willing relatives were available. To learn more, click here.

Additional resources: • The Heart of ICWA: Lukas – watch video.

Figure 12 A black and white photo of Tillie Black Bear with a quote

WOMEN ARE SACRED In 1978, Matilda Black Bear became the first Native woman to advocate for battered Indian women nationally. She continued in the movement for safety until her passage in 2014. Known to the movement as “Tillie,” she was well recognized as the grandmother of the Battered Women’s Movement for almost four decades of leadership. A citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Tillie believed in the teachings of White Buffalo Calf Woman. One of the first teachings White Buffalo Calf Woman brought to the Lakota people was that women are to be respected even in thought. Tillie was given the Lakota name Wa Wokiye Win, which means “woman who helps everyone” in English, a title she fulfilled in life.

To learn more, click here.

Epidemic of violence Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is an epidemic of violence against Indigenous women in Canada, the United States, and Latin America. Indigenous women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average.

In responding to this national crisis, we recognize systemic barriers that exacerbate efforts to locate missing victims for families, communities, and tribal nations. Over the last decade, awareness of MMIW as a national issue has increased, but more must be done to stop disappearances and save lives.

15

Figure 13 Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women logo

MMIW: UNDERSTANDING THE MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN CRISIS BEYOND INDIVIDUAL ACTS OF VIOLENCE

Figure 14 Residential School awareness logo

The Indigenous Student Association hosts and participates in the National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Day of Action by wearing red and educating our UAlbany community. This occurs each year on May 5th.

RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS Residential schools were buildings specifically structured for Native American children. For decades, Canada and the United States violently abducted children from their families and placed them in cold, emotionless, and abusive environments.

The Indigenous Student Association hosts an annual vigil, poster-making, and fundraiser to bring attention to one of the country’s most shameful chapters. To learn more about the dark legacy of residential schools, see the 60-minute segment here.

16

Calendar This calendar was curated by the National Women’s History Museum, offers a variety of resources highlighting Native American women who have made, and are making, history as trailblazers, advocates, leaders, storytellers, and artists. Happy Native American Heritage Month!

November 1 November is National Native American Heritage Month! Learn about this history of this important month here. click here November 2 Learn about activist Amanda Blackhorse, a member of the Navajo Nation, social worker, and mother of two whose fight against the use of Native American names and images by sports teams has led to the recent name change of the Washington Football Team. click here November 3 Did you know that National Native American Heritage Month began in 1986 as a week-long celebration known as “American Indian Week?” Learn more about the timeline of National Native American Heritage Month here. click here November 4 #KnowHerName: Read about Susette La Flesche Tibbles, an Omaha woman who spent her entire life tirelessly campaigning for Native American rights as a speaker, activist, interpreter, and writer. click here

November 7 Watch the documentary Kind Hearted Woman Part One, an unforgettable portrait of a single mother living on North Dakota’s Spirit Lake Reservation, available to stream on PBS.com as part of their Native American Heritage Month programming. click here November 8 Educators: Utilize primary and secondary accounts to examine and explain the significance of womenled activism in the fight for Native liberation and sovereignty in our 60-minute lesson plan, Red Power Prevails: The Activism, Spirit, and Resistance of Native American Women click here November 9 Did you know that Lilian St. Cyr was the first Native American actress to appear in a silent film? #KnowHerName and learn about her work as an advocate promoting Native American culture click here November 10 Join experts from across the Smithsonian for a conversation about Edson’s Flag, a large wall tapestry created by Marie Watt (Seneca) to honor veterans, including Watt’s

great-uncle, Edison Plummer, an Air Force veteran who served during World War II click here November 11 #KnowHerName: Read about poet, activist, and musician Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation who was named the first N ative American United States Poet Laureate in 2019. click here November 14 Did you know that Maria Tallchief was one of the most accomplished dancers of the twentieth century, and was the first Native American woman to hold the rank of prima ballerina? Learn more about her in our online exhibit! click here November 15 #KnowHerName: Learn about lawyer, activist, and former presidential advisor Kimberly Teehee, the first Cherokee Nation delegate in the House of Representatives. click here November 16 Watch Without A Whisper— Konnon: Kwe, a film by Katsitsionnni Fox that uncovers the hidden history of the profound influence Indigenous women had

17

on the beginnings of the women’s rights movement in the United States. click here November 17 #KnowHerName: Read about Elouise Cobell (“Yellow Bird Woman”), an entrepreneur, advocate, and member of the Blackfoot Nation who fought for government accountability and for Native Americans to have control over their own financial future. click here November 18 Don’t miss the 2022 Native Cinema Showcase’s Future Focused Shorts Program, family-friendly short films that are fun for kids of all ages, available for free on demand from November 18–25, 2022 click here November 21 Did you know that Bessie Coleman was the first African American and first Native American woman pilot? #KnowHerName and learn her story. click here November 22 Educators: Explore our Sacagawea lesson plan! In this lesson, students will learn about Sacagawea and her contributions to the Corps of Discovery and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

While exploring her life and her contributions, students will mind map key details. click here

November 23 #KnowHerName and look for her on a U.S. quarter beginning in 2022! Learn about the incredible work of Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to be elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation! Read this article and check out the 2017 documentary celebrating her life. click here November 24 Celebrate Native American Heritage month with the National Register of Historic Places! Explore new listings in the National Register, like the Allegany Council House (Allegany Indian Territories, New York), which served as the primary gathering place for regular meetings of the Seneca Council beginning in 1926.

Seneca women played an important leadership role at the Allegany Council House beginning in 1935, when they first petitioned the council for the right to vote. click here November 25 Read about Winona LaDuke, a Native American activist, economist, and author who has devoted her life to advocating for Indigenous control of their homelands, natural resources, and cultural practices. click here November 29 #KnowHerName: As the daughter of an English trader and a Native American woman, Mary Musgrove was able to understand many cultures. Her mixed

heritage and language skills allowed her to become a negotiator between English and Native American communities. She is most commonly known for playing an important role in the development of Colonial Georgia. She is also known for her business knowledge as a trader and interpreter. click here November 30 Did you know that Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, made history as the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary? #KnowHerName and learn more about this trailblazing woman here. click here

For more information about the Multicultural Resource Center or the Indigenous Student Association contact Arleny Alvarez-Peña, Associate Director for Multicultural, Interfaith, and Intersectional Affairs Email: aalvarezpena@albany.edu Phone: 518-442-5565

18