Native American Cultural Heritage

In 1986, Congress passed S.J. Resolution 390 to create “Native American Indian Heritage Week.” Four years later, the week-long celebration became a national heritage month celebrated in November, and was amended in 2008 to include the celebration of Alaskan Natives. (source: United States Senate)

2024 Events

Guardians of Culture: Sovereignty, Service, and Self-Determination in Libraries, Archives, and Language Preservation
Friday, November 22, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time

See all Native American Heritage Month Symposia

Library and Information Science Best Practices

Best Practices from “Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: History, Culture, and Experience”:

• Do not just try to understand a community’s perspective, but show that you value them. Research organizations that have already been doing work to uplift Indigenous community members, talk to tribal leaders, or even collaborate with local museums.
• Remember that valuing and creating space for Native American communities does not solely exist during the time of November.
• Go out and meet Indigenous people where they are at. Talk to them and understand their needs because you can’t meet their needs if you don’t know their needs.
• Recognize the difference between “words of truth” and “words of convenience.”
• Ask yourself: “Are my library’s collections stereotyping Native people? Are certain resources placed in a way that may be inaccessible for the general public to learn about Indigenous communities?”

Best Practices from “Bridging the Past and Future: Improving Library Services for the Native American Community”:

• Add more Native American items to library collections
• Library staff need to be more culturally-competent when welcoming Native Americans to the library space.
• Establish effective educational services that can benefit the Native American community.

Community Profiles

• Creating Space for Indigenous Materials with Brandon Castle
• Preserving Indigenous Latine Culture with Briana Alvino
• Lizette Cabrera on Cultural Perspectives in the Library Environment

Professional Associations

• Reading Nation Waterfall

• Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission
• Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
• American Indian Library Association
• American Indian College Fund
• National Congress of American Indians
• Native American Rights Fund

Bibliography

SJSU iSchool Articles:

• Indigenous Community Leaders in Libraries Today
• Seeking Immortality Alongside the Northern Cheyenne Native Community

“I have the opportunity to be around my culture and be at the forefront of the next generation of young Cheyennes who are entering leadership positions. Being in this role allows me to interview and record elders as they share personal stories and traditional songs in our Cheyenne language.”

– Chloe Ortega, Cultural Outreach and Ethnographic Media Specialist for Chief Dull Knife College

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Librarians and Indigenous Peoples
• Dr. Anthony Chow Appointed to the Little Free Library National Board
• Pushing Forward with Native American Literacy and Libraries

Webcasts:

• Bridging the Past and Future: Improving Library Services for the Native American Community

Videos