5 Ways to Honor and Celebrate Native American Heritage this Thanksgiving

For many, November is a month filled with gratitude, tradition, and family. For countless Indigenous people across America, it is also a time to celebrate resiliency and honor our heritage through Native American Heritage Month! My family has called the Lac Du Flambeau reservation and the surrounding areas in northeastern Wisconsin home for several generations, and I am a proud reconnecting Anishinaabkwe, or Anishinaabe woman. I am honored to have the opportunity to share a few ways you can celebrate Indigenous people of North America by recognizing their ongoing contributions, cultures, and history.

1). Learn about Indigenous history and culture
As of 2022, there are 574 federally recognized tribes in America alone! Languages, traditions, customs, and even clothing styles can vary from one tribe to the next, so taking time to explore and acknowledge these differences is a great way to celebrate the diversity of Indigenous peoples.

2). Learn about land acknowledgments
Understand the significance of land acknowledgments and use them appropriately to recognize the Indigenous communities whose lands you reside on. Native-Land is a digital tool that will help you identify the nations that traditionally reside in your area.

3). Participate in Native American Heritage Month activities
Many communities and organizations host events throughout November to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Ohio State’s Center for Belonging & Social Change is hosting a variety of events this November on a range of topics!

4). Support Indigenous authors, artists, and business owners
Seeking out Indigenous-created art, literature, and media gives you the opportunity to hear Indigenous stories from their own perspectives. Stephen Graham Jones, Sterlin Harjo, Dallas Goldtooth, Lily Gladstone, Johnnie Jae, and The Halluci Nation are some of my personal favorite Indigenous creators! For the little ones in your life, books such as We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, Frybread by Kevin Noble Maillard, and When We Were Alone by David Robertson are great options for introducing Indigenous history and cultures in age-appropriate ways.

5). Explore traditional Indigenous cuisine
Discover and enjoy Indigenous foods and cooking methods, which are often deeply connected to cultural practices. Here in Columbus, we are lucky to be home to the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (or NAICCO), which runs NAICCO Cuisine: a food trailer that specializes in offering Native American street food from tribes all over the country. In the warmer months you can often catch NAICCO Cuisine at various local farmers markets and community events!

Remember that honoring Indigenous people is an ongoing commitment, and these actions can be taken not just in November but throughout the year to foster respect, understanding, and appreciation for Indigenous cultures and their contributions to our world. Chi-miigwech, a big thank you, for reading!