Native American Heritage Month: Resources for Learning + Solidarity
Date postedNovember 8, 2024
November is National Native American Heritage Month and an important call to learn about, support, and amplify Indigenous communities and contributions, particularly those of the Wabanaki Tribes in the territory now called Maine: Mi'kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseets, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkokmikuk, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, and Penobscot Nation.
There are SO many ways to do this, and below we have compiled some ideas that are shaping our own team's learning. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and we encourage you to seek out other opportunities and share them with your peers and partners.
"During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the history, rich cultures, and vast contributions of Native peoples. We celebrate the hundreds of Tribal Nations that are ushering in a new era in our Nation-to-Nation relationships. And we recommit to respecting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination and working in partnership with Tribal Nations to bring new prosperity and security to Native peoples." ~President Biden, A Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2024
Watch
- The Wabanaki Alliance is publishing a series of short videos from Wabanaki citizens and supporters from around the state of Maine, talking about the importance of Wabanaki rights and self-determination.
- Awasəwehlαwə́lətinα wikəwαmok | They Returned Home. This film by the Penobscot Nation and Local Contexts charts the groundbreaking work undertaken by the Penobscot Nation to restore Penobscot cultural authority within institutions in Maine and beyond.
- Sunlight Media Collective Viewing Catalog - The Sunlight Media Collective is an organization of Indigenous and non-Indigenous media makers and activists, including Wabanaki tribal members, working to document and present stories affecting Wabanaki people and highlighting Wabanaki perspectives, with a particular emphasis on the intersection between environmental issues and tribal rights.
- Upstander Project Films- Watch or host a screening of films such as Dawnland, Dear Georginia, First Light, and Bounty.
- We Are the Warriors - A small Maine town decides the fate of its American Indian mascot after facing public allegations of racist behavior at a high school football game. (Maine Public TV Air Times: Thur., November 21 at 9:00 pm; Fri., November 22 at 1:00 am; Sat., November 23 at 2:00 pm)
- On July 25th, 2024 while still under construction Firefly recorded traditional songs in the Tekakapimak Contact Center at the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Penobscot homelands. With help from Penobscot Nation Cultural Director James E. Francis, audio and video was recorded of the first traditional songs being sung in this space, and this video can be seen on YouTube here.
Visit
- November 22: 2024 Indian Law and History Lecture at University of Maine School of Law - The 4th Annual Indian Law and History Lecture welcomes Professor Monte Mills and Dr. Suzanne Greenlaw to discuss the topic of Landback and the Law. This event is available via Zoom and in person at the Maine Center, 300 Fore Street, Portland. Registration is required to attend this event.
- November 15 - December 15: Americans Who Tell the Truth, Bates Mill Atrium, Lewiston
- December 14: 30th Anniversary Wabanaki Winter Market at the Collins Center for the Arts (Orono, Maine) - New England’s largest holiday gathering of Wabanaki artists
- Through December 31: Passages in American Art, Portland Museum of Art
- Through January 5: Magwintegwak: A Legacy of Penobscot Basketry, Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland
- Ongoing: Abbe Museum - All work and exhibits are guided by their mission to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands
- Online/On Demand: Maine Memory Network- Holding up the Sky: Wabanaki people, culture, history & art - Online
Listen
- Try WERU podcasts "Dawnland Signals" and "Wabanaki Windows"
Read
- Maine's Truth and Reconciliation Effort: A New Path Forward (Nonprofit Quarterly)
- 68 New Books to Read for Native American Heritage Month
- Blog: Voices of Decolonization
- Maine Humanities Council 2025 Readers Retreat Book - The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
- Wabanaki Legal News,published by Pine Tree Legal Assistance
- Wabanaki Voices in the Bangor Daily News
Stand
- Take concrete steps to create space for ongoing learning at the staff and board level - reading/discussion groups, field trips to events/exhibits, intentionally planning time into projects for relationship-building, etc.
- Discuss with organizational leadership how the issue of Wabanaki Sovereignty relates to your mission and advocacy priorities. The Wabanaki Alliance and Abbe Museum's Sovereignty Guide for Allies have resources.
- Collaborate with Wabanaki people, organizations and governments from the start of projects. Take plenty of time to build trust and establish meaningful relationships at the onset of--or better yet in advance of--collaborations.
- Learn about and support the return of land and resources.
- Sign up for newsletters, attend events, and donate time and/or money to Wabanaki-led nonprofits, including (but not limited to!):
- Bomazeen Land Trust
- Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective
- First Light Land Return Initiative
- Four Directions Development Corporation
- Land Peace Foundation
- Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission
- Maine-Wabanaki REACH
- Nibezun
- Niweskok From the Stars to Seeds
- Sunlight Media Collective
- The Hudson Museum at the University of Maine
- Wabanaki Alliance
- Wabanaki Climate Resource Center - Sipayik Resilience Committee
- Wabanaki Collection
- Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship
- Wabanaki Women’s Coalition
- Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness
- Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS)
And More!
This is just a sampling of ideas to deepen your learning and commitment, and we encourage you to join us in pursuing ongoing learning and action outside of National Native American Heritage Month.