Let's Celebrate! November is Native American Heritage Month

 Florida is rich in Native American history, culture, and heritage. Many people have heard of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, but there are also some people that are not aware of Florida’s indigenous people. The Seminole may be one of the more well known indigenous groups in Florida, but there are others as well. November is Native American Heritage Month, and so we thought it would be a great opportunity to share some information about Florida’s Native Americans. One thing we want to make absolutely clear is that there are still Native Americans in Florida and across North America that practice their traditions while living in a modern world. In fact, there are over 5 million people in the United States that identify as American Indian. While they have a rich history in our state, they do indeed play a huge role in Florida’s present and future as well. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s learn about the history and evolution of Native American Heritage Month and then go from there. 

Dr. Arthur C. Parker (photo 
courtesy of wikipedia.com)

We have celebrated Native American Heritage Month since President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 as such. Similar proclamations have been made every year since then. However, the celebration of Native American heritage goes back earlier than that. In 1911, Dr. Arthur Parker, a Seneca tribal member, archaeologist and historian, and Director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York, successfully persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for “First Americans”. It is also worth noting that in 1935 Dr. Parker, a Native American, was elected the first president of the Society for American Archaeology! Then, in 1915, at the Annual Congress of the American Indian Association, a plan for “American Indian Day” was approved. President Coolidge issued a proclamation on September 28th, 1915 declaring the second Saturday of May as American Indian Day. This proclamation is significant because it also contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Native Americans as citizens of the United States. 

After the 1915 proclamation by President Coolidge, several states subsequently started to celebrate Native American heritage on the fourth Saturday of September. More recently, several states have designated Columbus Day as  Indigenous Peoples Day, but it is also observed without being recognized as a national legal holiday. Columbus Day has long been seen by many Indigenous people and others as a day that glorifies a time in our nation’s history that was violent and oppressive towards indigenous cultures. This shift has not been without controversy, but there is a growing movement towards celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, with more states, college campuses, and municipalities choosing to celebrate it every year rather than Columbus Day.

Native American Heritage Month is a month for everyone to celebrate and learn about the achievements and contributions of Native Americans to our country's past, present and future. We invite you to take time this month to educate yourself and explore Florida’s rich Native American heritage. Each of our weekly blog posts this month will be dedicated to this subject and we will also provide additional resources if you would like to explore further. To get started, we urge you to check out the Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage.