Native American Heritage Month is the month of November!

324 The # of federally recognized American Indian reservations in 2019, including federal reservations & off-reservation trust land

574 The # of federally-recognized tribes(2020)

142,972 # of single-race American Indian & Alaska Native veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces in 2019

Native Americans supported the war efforts more fully than any other group.

Women joined the WAVES, or volunteered as nurses.

Why did so many Native Americans fight for a nation that had stripped them of their land and ravaged their heritage? They felt they had no choice. Mobilization for the war ended the New Deal programs that gave them jobs.

Native Americans most distinctive role was serving as “code talkers”. As had occurred in WWl, every branch used Native Americans, especially Navajos, to encode and decipher messages using Indian language unknown to Germans and Japanese.

a person’s long hair represents a strong cultural identity. This strong cultural identity promotes self-esteem, self-respect, a sense of belonging, & a healthy sense of pride.

Chief Iron a tail, an Oglala Sioux who was the model for the US Indian Head Nickel used 1913-1938.

Why burning sage IS NOT a trend and NOT for everyone:

White Sage&other smudge products (sweet grass, palo santo, etc. in order to “clear negative energy”) has become increasingly popular among non-native people.However, the practice of smudging&these plants are considered sacred medicine to many Native American/Indigenous Nations.

Sage is one of the most important Native American ceremonial plants, used by many tribes as an incense and purifying herb. Sweetgrass symbolizes protection and healing in many Native cultures, & is considered to drive out evil influences and ward off bad luck.

Sage is burned as a spiritual cleanser before many traditional ceremonies, and is also one of the herbs frequently included in medicine bundles and amulets.

It’s very sacred to natives and are used at ceremonies and should NOT be used without being held to that level of praise, or without acknowledgement of its power and sacredness by an Instagram influencer or someone not native or anyone who doesn’t hold these beliefs of its power

Just dropping off one of my art pieces.

My papa and mama. The kindest people you’ll ever meet. Rest In Peace mama. It’ll be A year the day before thanksgiving. She passed during our month and that kind of brings me a sense of happiness..

Just a cute little selfie

Many warrior Native American women fought alongside men. The most famous of these was probably Buffalo Calf Road Woman, a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe who fought in the Battle of the Rosebud and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Natives were encompassed by many tribes who spoke different languages & different cultures & ways of life. The Plains Indians tribes lived in teepees, the nations of the Iroquois lived in longhouses, & the tribes of the Mesa Verde dwelled in cliffs, the tribes in Taos in pueblos

There were an estimated 18-20 million Native Americans living in the United States WHEN/BEFORE Europeans first arrived

Native American cultures across the United States are notable for their wide variety and diversity of lifestyles, regalia, art forms and beliefs.

Today we're going to look back at the wonderful experience of "Residential Boarding Schools". Won't hear about this on TV.

Between 1869 and the 1960s, (YES 1960s) hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their homes and families and placed in boarding schools operated by the federal government and the churches.

Though we don't know how many children were taken in total, by 1900 there were 20,000 children in Indian boarding schools, and by 1925 that number had more than tripled.

The U.S. Native children that were voluntarily or forcibly removed from their homes, families, and communities during this time were taken to schools far away where they were punished for speaking their native language...

banned from acting in any way that might be seen to represent traditional or cultural practices, stripped of traditional clothing, hair and personal belongings and behaviors reflective of their native culture.

They suffered physical, sexual, cultural and spiritual abuse and neglect, and experienced treatment that in many cases constituted torture for speaking their Native languages. Many children never returned home and their fates have yet to be accounted for by the U.S. government.

To some Native American tribes, the butterfly is a symbol of change, joy and color. The exquisite butterfly was considered a miracle of transformation and resurrection. In the Old World, the connotation was negative; the butterfly was thought to be the spirit of the dead.

The most common colors of the Medicine Wheel in Native America are Red, Yellow Black & White, these are not the absolute colors for all Nations. Some Nations use, Blue in wake of Black, others have Purple instead of Black. Yet some other Nations have used Green in lieu of Black.

The term “Medicine Wheel” is not a Native American expression.  It is of course of European & American origin. What the symbol has been called in Native America depends on the language of each particular Nation.

The main characteristic design of the Native American Medicine Wheel is the most basic yet most perfect form – the circle.  This is one absolute not only in Native America for sacred hoops but also for most cultures that have some kind of Circle of Life symbol.

It is widely accepted that the Medicine Wheel is a symbol of life and specifically the Circle of Life.  As well known the circle represents perfection as well as infinites since the circle has no beginning or end.

There can many reasons behind the meaning of the circle itself among Nations. This can range from representing the Sun, Moon, Earth, and the Stars to representing concepts of life, continuity, consciousness, energy, and so much more.

I used to be so self conscious about my nose. I thought I had to have a small little button nose to be cute. But my features make me WHO Iam, and WHAT iam. I’m proud, I’m beautiful, and I’m Native American.

The dreamcatcher is a protective talisman that is used to protect people from bad dreams. Native cultures believe both good/ bad dreams fill the air at night. The catcher acts like a spider's web by trapping the bad dreams/visions while allowing the good ones to filter through.

A pow wow is a social meeting held by many indigenous communities. A modern pow wow is a specific type of event for Native American people to meet and dance, sing, socialize, and honor their cultures.

I don’t have any facts today but i have a story.
So, when my papa was younger, he went to a bar after work and there were white men in there. They literally told the owner of the bar that they weren’t going to stay if he allowed that “Indian man” to stay. This is my papa

They said ugly and rude things to my papa and threatened him. But thankfully although the owner was white as well, he wasnt stupid and he was my papas friend and nothing happen to my papa but it hurts my heart he was treated that way because he’s such a nice person.

The Louisiana Indians are the inheritors of ancient traditions. They consist of Alabama, Koasati (Coushatta), Choctaw (four groups: Jena, Bayou LaCombe, Clifton, and an urban group in East Baton Rouge Parish), Chitimacha, Houma, and Tunica-Biloxi.

Houma craftsman Antoine Billiot demonstrates a palmetto-wrapped blowgun used with darts to hunt small birds. Dulac, Terrebonne Parish. Photo: Philip Gould.

Pow-wow dancing styles and meanings