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National Native American Heritage Month

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Westerville Recognizes National Native American Heritage Month

At the turn of the century, efforts began to establish a day recognizing the significant contributions of indigenous Americans. It wasn’t until 1990 that a joint federal resolution was approved designating November as “Native American Indian Heritage Month.” A proclamation has been issued each year since 1994. “Native American Day” or “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” has taken the place of “Columbus Day” in some states, including Alaska and Maine, but it is not currently a federal holiday.

To recognize Native American heritage is to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: hundreds of years ago, Europeans came to North America seeking religious freedom, personal independence, raw materials and wealth. When they arrived in this “New World,” they found the land already settled by many nations of indigenous people with their own rich cultures. Faced with an unfamiliar climate and terrain, what started as a pursuit of a better life for the earliest Europeans in North America quickly morphed into a fight for survival in unfamiliar terrain.

The relationships and interactions between the indigenous people and the Europeans were as complex as the individuals involved. There were times of peace and cooperation; times of war and distrust. Ultimately, the Europeans would “settle” this land and in doing so disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of indigenous people.

According to the Library of Congress website, “Native American communities today span the continent and continue to grow and change. But the mass relocations and other changes, most notably those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, shaped many aspects of U.S. society in ways that persist today.” For more than a hundred years, Native American tribes were officially recognized as independent nations by the U.S. government. This relationship changed in 1830 when, under President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the “Indian Removal Act,” which effectively forced indigenous people west of the Mississippi River and out of lands claimed by the United States.

“It gives me pleasure to announce to Congress that the benevolent policy of the Government, steadily pursued for nearly thirty years, in relation to the removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation,” said president Jackson in a December 1830 address to Congress.

Eight years later, thousands of indigenous people would die in a forced march west along what is now known as the “Trail of Tears.” Over time, some western lands that were “granted” were stripped and what was left were the reservations that still exist today.

In Ohio, there are no federally recognized tribal communities or nations. However, according to the Ohio History Connection, early French missionaries recorded the presence of Shawnee, Seneca-Cayuga, Lenap, Wyandot, Ottawa and Myaamia nations in the state. Locally, the land between Big Walnut Creek and Alum Creek was traversed by the Paleo-Indians and their descendants. By the time the first settlers arrived in the area, the Wyandot was the primary tribe remaining, with campgrounds along Alum Creek.

Today, 574 sovereign tribal nations (sometimes referred to as tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities and Native villages) recognized by the U.S. Government live on reservation land in 35 states, according to the National Congress of American Indians.

The continued impact indigenous nations have had on the United States is significant, especially in terms of ecology. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), many staple foods enjoyed today were first grown by Native Americans. The USDA lists potatoes, beans, corn, nuts, pumpkins and more as originating from indigenous Americans. Native Americans are also credited for creating the earliest baby bottles, syringes, pain relief medications and more.

The list of indigenous innovations from antiquity continues to benefit modern society today, including the important contributions of individuals of Native American heritage in the areas of science, technology, education, arts, culture, entertainment and literature.

By understanding the past and continuing our education on the history of those who lived here before colonization, the lost histories and stories that otherwise are at risk at being forgotten completely may be remembered.

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