Native American Heritage + a Playlist
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
We’ve been focused on Thanksgiving and gratitudes this month. Along with that comes the inherent gratitude for Native Americans. It’s one of the most vital gratitudes we have. Gratitudes and apologies, gratitudes and acknowledgment of the debt we owe. This month is Native American Heritage Month and today is Native American Heritage Day. And of course, yesterday was Thanksgiving -- though some Native Americans call it the National Day of Mourning instead. And for good reason.
The rise of Europeans in the U.S. caused widespread decimation among Native American tribes. New illnesses were introduced. Native languages and cultural traditions were wiped out. Millions of people died. Congress passed multiple bills forcing Native Americans to move and then move again, repeatedly pushing them west to make room for European American settlement.
Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day are meant to honor the same cause: to recognize Native Americans as the first people of our country. Both holidays exist to celebrate Native American heritage and their importance to our way of life in America. It’s important to note, however, that Heritage Day was only endorsed by 184 out of 567 tribes.
The criticism of the holiday comes from its chosen day of Black Friday. Brian Perry, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, explains it succinctly, saying, ‘The day after Thanksgiving is one of the most irrelevant days of the year. Most people are off work, families travel, and there is very little in the news cycle. What is the day after Thanksgiving known as in America? Black Friday - not Native American Heritage Day.’
In addition, it’s right after Thanksgiving, a holiday that commemorates the colonialism that killed millions of indigenous people. It’s a holiday that honors a myth about its first inhabitants - not a true story of that time.
The land we live on in Kansas City was originally settled by the Hopewell culture and then the Mississippi tribe, with the tribes of Kansa, Osage, Otoe, and Missouri following. As European settlers kept moving west, our government kept pushing. They forced the Kansa and Osage tribes to move to Central Kansas. They told other tribes that they would not be moved again. But then Kansas opened for settlement in 1854 and once again forced Native Americans to move. Today, there are no reservations left in Missouri. Kansas is home to only a few, including Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Iowa reservations.
And then there is Wyandotte County, which originally belonged to the Wyandot tribe. The tribe was forced out of their homes in Ohio and landed in Kansas City. They were eventually pushed out of this area as well, though the namesake remains. The tribe is now quartered in Wyandotte, Oklahoma. Currently there are more than 98 American Indian tribes in the Kansas City area.
While there is a lot of good that Thanksgiving has become - family, food, love - let’s acknowledge it was the spark for a lot of stolen land. As we give thanks, let’s highlight the first Americans and give them thanks and apologies and support. And for further reading, revisit our piece from August 2020 on International Indigenous Peoples Day.
For more insight…
Kansas City Indian Center
The mission of Kansas City Indian Center is to encourage social, educational, and economic advancement of our local American Indian community. The social service agency promotes traditional and cultural values, raises funds and educates on the Native American culture.
Image source: ‘Kansas City: We're Still Here’ by Oglala Lakota and Haliwa-Saponi artist Tokeya “T.K.” Richardson
Landback Movement
The Landback Movement is a movement for Indigenous Americans to reclaim their land. In addition to physically owning the land, the movement aims to deepen the culture’s connection to the land.
Image sourced from Cultural Survival’s website here
One House Many Nations
Idle No More’s One House Many Nations initiative addresses the dire housing situation on First Nations and other Indigenous communities. Support them through donations and follow them on social media to continue to learn and support the cause.
Image sourced from Idle No More website
Native Hope
Native Hope is a resource helping Native communities meet their needs. The group talks with community members, listen to their needs, and partners with tribal entities to dismantle barriers, inspire empowerment, and give hope.
Image sourced from Native Hope website
