November is National Native American Heritage Month, and at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, there is a host of activities all month long.
On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2, members of the Oklahoma-based Muscogee (Creek) Nation will be sharing their history, culture and traditions through storytelling, singing, painting demonstrations and other activities for adults and children.
On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, the museum will be honoring Indigenous servicemembers with daylong events, including a conversation on healing veterans and a presentation of colors and wreath laying ceremony.
On the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29, the museum will honor early 20th century Native activist Zitkala-Sa, a member of the Yankton Dakota Sioux who successfully advocated for the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. The U.S. Mint recently released a quarter honoring her contributions as part of its American Women’s Quarters program.
“It’s a really good time of year to celebrate the culture and traditions of Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians,” Smithsonian spokesperson Becky Haberacker said. “Our programs this month are designed to help share the diversity of native communities.”
Haberacker also encouraged people to learn about Indigenous culture, traditions and communities all year long.
If you want to learn more about local tribes, the museum has an ongoing exhibit called “Return to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake,” which gives an overview of the community’s history and an insight into the culture of the Native peoples of the Chesapeake Bay region.
Along with artwork and events inside the museum’s building, Haberacker suggested that visitors spend some time outside.
“We’re in the middle of D.C., so you’re hearing the sounds of the city. But then there [are] also spots for private reflections and moments to think on what you’ve seen at the museum,” she said. “Some places to take in and have a few minutes to just be calm and peaceful.”
For more information on the National Museum of the American Indian’s heritage month events, visit their website.
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