November is Native American Heritage Month, when we celebrate the diverse cultures, languages and traditions of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities in Oregon and throughout our country. With gratitude, we also honor our veterans as we acknowledge that Native Americans have served in the U.S. military in every major conflict for more than 200 years.
We proudly recognize the great contributions of Native Americans serving at the highest levels of government and civic service. Notably, in 2021, Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna from New Mexico. Among other priorities in Congress, she focuses on environmental justice, climate change and Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). And breaking earthly and cosmic barriers is Nicole Mann, who last year became the first Indigenous woman astronaut in space, and this year, the first to take a spacewalk. She is a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California, and a veteran of the Iraq war.
In the field of education, Native American thought leaders are continuing to provide much needed insight and perspective to help us reexamine conventional historical narratives and challenge stereotypes. Among these is Dr. Leilani Sabzalian, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies in Education and the Co-Director of the Sapsik’wałá (Teacher) Education Program at the University of Oregon. Her 2020 book “Teaching Critically About Lewis and Clark: Challenging Dominant Narratives in K-12 Curriculum,” co-authored with Drs. Alison Schmitke and Jeff Edmundson, challenges dominant narratives and packaged curriculum about Lewis and Clark to support more responsible social studies instruction.
In our own backyard, is the groundbreaking Konaway Nika Tillicum camp for Native American students at Southern Oregon University, the longest-running program of its kind in the U.S. Native community elders and SOU students serve as counselors within the intergenerational family model of the eight-day overnight camp. Student engagement continues throughout the year, with the goal to keep returning students on the path to college. Now in its 30th year, the vision of Konaway Nika Tillicum is to be a culturally responsive academic program that empowers Native youth to access higher education and navigate educational systems, encourages self-determination and strengthens critical thinking by deeply connecting them to a community that values their aspirations and the resilience of our seven generations.
Last but not least, is the impactful educator we are focusing on this month with a common read of her book, “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” Robin Wall Kimmerer is a Native American botanist, author and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York, where she also serves as the founding Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. She is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Kimmerer states early on in the book that she had wanted to be a poet, and it’s evident from her beautiful imagery and masterful storytelling, she would have been a great one. But her path took her in a scientific direction, an area where she persevered and courageously challenged the limitations of science in capturing the entirety and complexity of our natural world, without consideration for traditional indigenous knowledge. She is active in efforts to broaden access to environmental science education for Native students, and to create new models for integration of indigenous philosophy and scientific tools on behalf of land and culture. She is engaged in programs which introduce the benefits of traditional ecological knowledge to the scientific community, in a way that respects and protects indigenous knowledge. Her book has sold more than two million copies worldwide, in 2022, Kimmerer was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship.
Join the Common Read
Diversity Programming Board is sponsoring a common read of “Braiding Sweetgrass,” and it’s not too late take part. We will gather at Redwood Campus on Nov. 7 to share a meal and participate in a book discussion led by David West, enrolled member and Elder of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. If you would like to join us, please contact Lucia Bartscher at LBartscher@roguecc.edu or (541) 956-7124. If you are not able to join us, but would still like to be a part of the common read, visit any RCC Library branch and request a free copy of the book. There are plans for a virtual book gathering at a later date.
This month, and every month, we invite you to take a moment to learn about Native American history, support Native American businesses and amplify Native American voices. Below are some additional educational resources.
Best,
Lucia Bartscher (she, her, ella)
EDI & Lead Title IX Coordinator
Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
NAHM Resources
• Native American Heritage Month: Resources for Teachers
• Interview (video) – Astronaut Nicole Mann Talks with Associated Press Aboard the International Space Station (21 mins)
• Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center
• TED Talk (video) – Reclaiming the Honorable Harvest by Robin Kimmerer (17 mins)
• Podcast: This Land (10 episodes)
• Native Hope: MMIW