Each year in November, UHart celebrates Native American Heritage Month. Celebrating Native American Heritage Month provides an opportunity for education and reflection on the unique history, culture, traditions, and achievements of inhabitants and their descendants in the United States.
The origins of Native American Heritage Month can be traced back to the early 20th century when Native American advocate Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca archaeologist and historian, first proposed a day of recognition for Indigenous people. In 1915, he successfully convinced the Boy Scouts of America to designate an “American Indian Day." Over time, this idea grew into a nationwide effort. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush officially approved a joint resolution in November as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994. Since then, Native American Heritage Month has continued to grow in significance and recognition across the United States. President Biden proclaimed Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 11, 2021; Oct. 10, 2022; Oct. 9, 2023; and Oct. 14, 2024.
In 2021, the UHart Amplifying Indigenous Voices Affinity Network was created to support this honoring of the identities, history, cultures, and contributions, past and present, of Native Americans. A land acknowledgement was created under the guidance of the Clan Mother of the Golden Hill Paugussett tribe in Trumbull, CT, as well as goals and initiatives to further our work. More information can be found here: Indigenous Initiatives. We encourage everyone across the University to continue their own learning and understanding of Indigenous cultures and identities. If you are interested in joining the affinity network, please email Judy at wyman@hartford.edu or Bevin at rainwater@hartford.edu.
Land Acknowledgement:
We acknowledge that the University of Hartford resides on the historic homelands of the Poquonocks, Wangunks and Tunxis; and that what is now called Connecticut encompasses the homelands of the Wappinger, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Nipmuc, Quinnipiac, Niantic, and Lenape, as well as other Indigenous Peoples. We honor, respect, and appreciate the relationship that exists among these communities, nations, lands, and waterways, and aspire to uphold our responsibilities according to their example of stewardship.
Programming at the University of Hartford:
- "Indian Rights: 5 Game-Changing Decisions of the Supreme Court,” by legal expert Stephen Pevar, Monday, Nov. 4, 12:45 to 1:45 pm, Creative Technology Center (Mortensen Library).
- Free and open to the public. Please register here or contact Judy Wyman at wyman@hartford.edu for more information. Also available for live streaming (no registration required) here.
- Native American dance performance upcoming in spring of 2025
Additional Resources:
Books (Local):
- Connecticut's Indigenous Peoples, Lucianne Lavin (2015)
- If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving, Chris Newell (Scholastic, 2021)
- Quarter-Acre of Heartache: The Golden Hill Indians of Connecticut, by Claude Clayton Smith & Aurelius Piper (1985)
- Reclaiming Indigeneity and Sovereignty: Anti-Colonial Resistance among Indigenous Peoples in Northeastern Turtle Island, Leah Kelly (2021)—available here
- Red Road: Traditional Voice of Afro-American America, by Shoran Waupatukuay Piper (2021)
- The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History, by Ned Blackhawk (2023)
Books (National):
- An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2014)
- Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer (2015)
- They Called Me Uncivilized: The Memoir of an Everyday Lakota Man from Wounded Knee, Walter Littlemoon & Jane Ridgway (2009)
- Stringing Rosaries: The History, the Unforgivable, and the Healing of Northern Plains American Indian Boarding School Survivors, Denise K. Lajimodier (2019)
- The Seven Generations and The Seven Grandfather Teachings,” by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw (2023)
Land:
- Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgment
- Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgment
- Know the Land Territories Campaign
- 'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgement
- Interview with endawnis Spears on Land Acknowledgment, Native Communities and the Role of the Humanities Today
Languages:
Maps:
- Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land
- “American Transformed: Mapping the 19th century.” Boston Public Library exhibit on effects of westward expansion on Native communities.
Organizations (Local):
- Nowashe Village (South Windsor, Conn.)
- Institute for American Indian Studies (Washington, Conn.)
Podcasts:
Videos/Documentaries/Movies/Shows:
- Dawnland
- How is rapper Frank Waln changing perceptions of Native Americans?
- Reservation Dogs
- Dark Winds
Websites:
The University of Hartford is committed to fostering a campus community of cultural appreciation, respect, inclusivity, and belonging.