National Native American Heritage Month
To the UMB Community,
November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time when we recognize and honor the cultures, heritages, and living practices of Indigenous people who have stewarded these lands for generations.
The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916. Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, rode across the country on horseback seeking approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month. Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994. In Maryland, the passage of House Bill 40 in 2014 officially designated November as American Indian Heritage Month.
This month at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), we affirm our commitment to and support for our Native colleagues and friends, celebrate their achievements, and continue to collaborate to foster a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse community.
For example, Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail (Crow-Sioux) was the first Crow and one of the first Native American registered nurses in the United States. She was an advocate for quality, culturally sensitive health care. Yellowtail documented stories of medical abuse frequently experienced by Native Americans when visiting non-native doctors and hospitals. She sought to bring better care to her people and was vocal and effective in her advocacy. As a leader on her reservation and in the medical system, she made long-lasting changes that can still be felt today.
E. Keith Colston of the Tuscarora and Lumbee tribes is the administrative director of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs (MCIA), which initiates and supports a wide range of activities that promote the welfare of the state’s Indian people and furthers the understanding of American Indian history and culture. MCIA provides a forum for the concerns of Maryland's American Indian communities and serves as a vital liaison between these communities and state and federal governments.
In Baltimore, Ashley Minner-Jones, PhD, MA, MFA, of the Lumbee tribe is a lecturer of American studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a well-known voice for the Lumbee people. She is a community-based visual artist and scholar working in collaboration with the American Indian community of East Baltimore to map East Baltimore's “reservation,” which she sees as a reclamation of history, space, and belonging.
We at UMB are proud of the accomplishments and contributions of members of the American Indian community, and we embrace, honor, and acknowledge all of their achievements and contributions.
Note: You also can listen to recorded sessions focused on Indigenous peoples on the UMB Intercultural Center’s On-Demand Programs webpage.
In partnership and collaboration,
Diane Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA
Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer and Vice President, UMB
Professor, Graduate School