US Native American Heritage Month: Home

Land Acknowledgment

The land upon which we gather is part of the traditional territory of the Lenni-Lenape, called “Lenapehoking.” The Lenape People lived in harmony with one another upon this territory for thousands of years. During the colonial era and early federal period, many were removed west and north, but some also remain among the continuing historical tribal communities of the region: The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation; the Ramapough Lenape Nation; and the Powhatan Renape Nation, The Nanticoke of Millsboro Delaware, and the Lenape of Cheswold Delaware. We acknowledge the Lenni-Lenape as the original people of this land and their continuing relationship with their territory. In our acknowledgment of the continued presence of Lenape people in their homeland, we affirm the aspiration of the great Lenape Chief Tamanend, that there be harmony between the indigenous people of this land and the descendants of the immigrants to this land, “as long as the rivers and creeks flow, and the sun, moon, and stars shine."

Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation Website

A Conversation with Native Americans on Race (The New York Times)

Indigenous in Plain Sight | Gregg Deal (TEDx Talks)

"Words Spoken Before All Others," the Ohenten Kariwatekwen or Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address (Smithsonian Magazine)

          When the museum asked Native Americans if their families celebrate Thanksgiving, a friend from the Crow Agency in Montana spoke for many Native people when she told us, "My Dad used to say, 'We give thanks everyday. . . .' " The Ohenten Kariwatekwen is often called the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, but translated directly the name refers to "words spoken before all others." The Haudenosaunee nations—the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora—traditionally open and close every important gathering with a version of these thanks. (Read more...)

Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving? (Smithsonian Magazine)

          When children are young, they are often exposed to antiquated images of American Indians through cartoons, books, and movies. But Thanksgiving re-enactments may be their most active personal encounter with Indian America, however poorly imagined, and many American children associate Thanksgiving actions and images with Indian culture for the rest of their lives. These cultural misunderstandings and stereotypical images perpetuate historical inaccuracy. (Read more...)

Everyone's history matters: The Wampanoag Indian Thanksgiving story deserves to be known (Smithsonian Magazine)

          [The traditionally taught] version of Thanksgiving, while pleasant, isn’t terribly accurate. Told from a perspective that frames the Pilgrims as the main characters, the story leaves out major details, glorifying the Pilgrims’ endeavor and the holiday it birthed, forcing the Wampanoag Indians into forgotten roles. It also erases a monumentally sad history. When we pay homage to the Pilgrims and their bravery, and react to the tragic background of America's founding myth with silence, we essentially support a mindset that only some people’s history matters. (Read more...)

Thanksgiving | Native Americans | One Word (Cut)

Native American Girls Describe the REAL History of Thanksgiving (Teen Vogue)

Native American Heritage Month Official Website

• Official site hosted by the Library of Congress. Includes extensive resources and links to virtual exhibits, articles, videos, lessons, etc.

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: "Americans"

• Virtual experience including images and artifacts. Features additional exhibit pages on Thanksgiving, Pocahontas, Indian Removal Act/Trail of Tears, and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

American Museum of Natural History

• Northwest Coast Hall
• Online collection database of objects and art from Indigenous North American peoples

Museum of Contemporary Native Arts

• Images from current exhibits at MoCNA, the country's only museum for exhibiting, collecting, and interpreting the most progressive work of contemporary Native artists.

Many tribal names as we know them, are English, Spanish, or French interpretations of native words. Often, the names came from how other tribes and nations described them. For example, Apache is derived from a Zuni word for "enemy." Their own-language name is Ndee, meaning "the people." Using self-names for indigenous tribes and nations decentralizes the settler/colonial voice in Native American narratives.

This list below is a brief example of self-names compared to settler names. Because most Native American languages did not use the English alphabet, there are a number of spellings for each name, which are not included here. To see a more in-depth chart, visit Original Tribal Names of Native North American People.

*The Anishinaabe people includes the Ojibwe people and several other groups. Many Ojibwe people prefer to use the self-designation "Anishinaabe."