Native American Heritage Month (November)

 

Nov. 1 marks the beginning of Native American Heritage Month where we celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and traditions of Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native people. 

The University Libraries celebrates Native American Heritage Month and highlights our collections for you to explore. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Stop by the Reference Desk to learn more. 

DISPLAY

Stop by our Circulation Area ( CCC 130) and check out a curated collection of works by Native American writers that include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books. 

VIDEOS

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (2017)

“This revelatory documentary bring to light the profound and overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America. Focusing on music icons like Links Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taboo (The Black Eyes Peas), Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Jesse Ed David, Robbie Roberston, and Randy Castillo, RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocket the World shows how these pioneering Native American musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives.” 

Young Lakota: A Native American Leader Fights for Reproductive Rights (2013)

“In this award-winning documentary, Cecilia Fire Thunder – the first female President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, defies a proposed South Dakota law criminalizing all abortions, with no exceptions for rape or incest, by threatening to build a women’s clinic on the sovereign territory of the reservation. She ignites a political firestorm that sets off a chain reaction in the lives of three young Lakotas on the Pine Ridge Reservation, forcing each of them to make choices that define who they are and the kind of adults they will become.” 

The American Buffalo (2023)

“The dramatic story of America’s national mammal, which sustained the lives of Native people for untold generations, being driven to the brink of extinction, before an unlikely collection of people rescues it from disappearing forever. Ken Burns recounts the tragic collision of two opposing views of the natural world – and the unforgettable characters who pointed the nation in a different direction.” 

RESEARCH GUIDE
Take a look at our Research Guide highlighting the Tribal Nations of Wisconsin and various resources available in our databases and digital collections. 

RECENT BOOKS

Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events, by Yvonne Wakim Dennis, Arlene Hirschfelder, and Paulette F. Molin. 2023. 

Native American Archaeology in the Parks: A Guide to Heritage Sites in our National Parks and Monuments, by Kenneth L. Feder. 2023. 

Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West 1836-1880, by Katie Hickman. 2022. 

We are not Animals: Indigenous Politics of Survival, Rebellion, and Reconstitution in the Nineteenth-Century California, by Martin Rizzo-Martinez. 2022.