@TraumaTherapySD

  • Native American Heritage Month

    November was first designated as Native American Heritage Month and is intended to be a time to recognize and celebrate the culture and contributions of the Native people to the US.

    I encourage each of you to discover on whose land you live. You can go to the website native-land.ca to see a map of your area and what tribes, languages and treaties are associated with that area.

    Educate yourselves on the real story of Thanksgiving and the pilgrim’s view and treatment of the Native peoples. According to a Time article, the first official mention of a Thanksgiving celebration was in 1637 and was a celebration by the colonists after they massacred an entire Pequot village.

    I do not provide this information to rain on your Thanksgiving vibes, but I do believe that we cannot hope to heal as a country until we are willing and able to acknowledge our real history. And there is much healing that needs to be done.

    So, during this month, I encourage you to educate yourself. Do not ask any Native peoples you know to educate you, please, do the work yourself.

    Here are some things you can do this month to honor Native American Heritage:

    Learn on whose land you live

    Support Native owned businesses

    Learn what Indigenous activists are doing in your area and how you can support them

    Diversify your social media feed and include Native voices

    Consider incorporating Native foods into your holiday tradition.

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