celebrate
NATIVE HERITAGE
happy native american heritage month
November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
According to the National Congress of American Indians, “the month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.”
celebrate locally
Library Events
TAP (The Art Project):
Kenojuak Ashevak
Wednesday, November 6, 4 - 4:45 p.m.
Grades 3 – 5. Be inspired by Native Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak, whose art is guided by craft traditions and uses bird motifs. Learn about this artist and create your own masterpiece inspired by their work.
Events around Chicagoland
Field Museum
We commemorate Native American Heritage Month both at the museum and from home, with in-person and online programming. Staff members and guest speakers share presentations about the objects and issues at the heart of Native histories and contemporary experiences.
American Indian Center
3401 West Ainslie St., Chicago, IL 60625
The center will be hosting its 70th Annual Powwow on Saturday, Nov. 4.
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central Street Evanston, IL 60201
November Free Day and Indigenous Artist Pop-up Market
Chicago Public Libraries
Hosting various events and film screenings during the month.
Films, shows, & Documentaries
Indigi-Genius is devoted to telling the scientific and cultural impact of Indigenous creations and knowledge of the past and present. Written and hosted by Dr. Lee Francis, Pueblo of Laguna and self-described Indigi-Nerd, and funded in part by VisionMaker Media, this series covers a range of global Indigenous topics and breaks down the science, culture, history, and “Indigi-Genius” knowledge. Great for kids. Free to stream on the PBS website.
Get ready to sled into fun with Molly of Denali! Join Molly, an Alaska Native girl, her dog Suki, and friends Tooey and Trini on their adventures in epically beautiful Alaska. Molly of Denali is designed to help kids ages 4-8 develop knowledge and skills for interacting with informational texts through video content, interactive games, and real-world activities.
Also, included is an activity finder with activities for children celebrating Native Heritage and other topics covered in the show.
For hundreds of years, Native American leaders from Massasoit, Tecumseh, and Tenskwatawa, to Major Ridge, Geronimo, and Fools Crow, valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of their culture. Sometimes, their strategies were militaristic, but more often they were diplomatic, spiritual, legal, and political. From the PBS acclaimed history series, American Experience, in association with Native American Public Telecommunications, We Shall Remain establishes Native history as an essential part of American history. Free to stream on Hoopla with your DGPL library card.
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by streaming a variety of music and films from Hoopla, accessible through the Downers Grove Public Library website with your DGPL library card. Search for “Indigenous Voices” under Movie Collections.
History & Research
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
The NMAI cares for one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. Experience some of their holdings as online exhibits here.
The Museum of Native American History provides a place where visitors can experience the diverse Indigenous cultures of the Americas through prehistoric and historic art. A registered member of the Cherokee Nation, David Bogle, born and raised in Bentonville, founded the museum that houses over 10,000 of the finest Native American artifacts. You can view their “Watch and Learn” series, of recorded presentations from Choctaw Code Talkers to storytellers to earth medicine.
National Congress of American Indians
The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. You can become informed about current policies issues, initiatives, legal filings, as well as listening to the podcast The Sentinel and associated articles.
digital art exhibits
Denver Art Museum:
Indigineous Arts of North America Galleries
The debut installation features more than 500 works by artists from across the continent, curated by the museum’s Native Arts department staff with guidance from the Museum’s Indigenous Community Advisory Committee. Placing a strong emphasis on artists, the new gallery experience prioritizes Indigenous perspectives, and features an integration of contemporary and historic works.
Smithsonian American Art Museum:
Native and Indigenous Art
SAAM’s collection includes many remarkable artworks that reflect the profound and longstanding contributions of Native and Indigenous artists in the United States. SAAM is committed to collecting, contextualizing, and sharing art by Native makers as critical to American culture and identity.
celebrate with our collection
ADULT
TEEN
KIDS - GRADE SCHOOL
KIDS - PICTURE BOOKS
For information or questions email ATS@dglibrary.org.