National Native American Heritage Month

November is the National Native American Heritage Month. Throughout this month, lecture series, cultural programs, exhibits, and other kinds of programs are organized to celebrate Native Americans’ culture, traditions, achievements, and contributions to our country. Eager to learn about the American Indian tribes of Georgia? Please check out the New Encyclopedia of Georgia about the Georgia Indians. There are a number of historic Native American sites, parks, and trails to visit in Georgia such as the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, Northwest Georgia’s Chieftains Trail, Track Rock Gap Archaeological Area, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Kolomoki Mounds State Park, John Ross House, Major Ridge Home, etc. 

Besides visiting historic sites and parks, you can peruse our libraries’ holdings for materials about Native Americans/American Indians. A search in our catalog with various American Indian/Native American tribes’ names will retrieve a wide variety of materials that we have on the Apaches, Cherokees, Creeks, Hopis, Mohawks, Navajos, Zunis, and so on.  We also have several books on American Indian food. In addition to these materials, you can access many of our databases, including the American Indian Histories and Cultures, American West, Bibliography of Native North Americans, Early Encounters in North America, Southeastern Native American Documents, and Virginia Company Archives.

You can experience the richness of the cultures of the different Native American tribes through their arts, crafts, jewelry, poetry, songs, and music. Beauty, in any form, whether in arts and crafts or music, is breathtaking and touches one’s soul. So I invite you to listen to some wonderful melodies from the various tribes – the Cherokee Morning Song, the Lakota Peyote Song, the Navajo Healing Song, and the Usti (Cherokee Lullaby). 

 

 

By Chella Vaidyanathan, European/world history and Philosophy librarian