Native American Heritage Month 2021

November is Native American Heritage Month. While many of us are experiencing a change in seasons as we prepare for the holidays, it is essential to take a moment to remember the native people who have and may still live there and the history of the land where we live.

The National Park Service and other land management agencies ensure that stories of Indigenous Peoples are honored in our public lands. As the United States continues to urbanize, public lands have a greater capacity to preserve sacred places and honor the traditions of Indigenous Peoples. The Native American story is central to the history of our parks, which is why our work with the National Park Service to preserve these lands is so important.

Here are some resources to help you learn more:

• Native Land Digital’s land map: A map of the US with indigenous territories, languages, and treaties marked out.
• National Park Service digital resources
• Native American Heritage Month official website
• Another beautiful resource on this topic is a book called Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Combining her experience as a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation – Robin weaves poetic stories about the land, her people’s traditions, and the lessons life has taught her.

Related Park Projects:

• Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, OK

  National Park Trust worked with the National Park Service and the Oklahoma Historical Society on the acquisition of an important 3-acre property inside Washita Battlefield National Historic Site (OK).

  Learn more about Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, OK

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