Ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in the District
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Nation’s Capital is surrounded by more than a dozen tribal nations along the Anacostia and Potomac Watersheds. The District itself sits on the ancestral lands of the Anacostans, and over time neighboring the Piscataway and Pamunkey people.
The Anacostia and Potomac river systems and current national parks are where the Piscataway, Pamunkey, Nentego (Nanichoke), Mattaponi, Chickahominy, Monacan and Powhatan cultures thrived, according to the American Library Association (ALA).
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush designated November Native American Heritage Month. This year, there are many ways to celebrate and learn about the D.C. area’s rich Native American culture and history.
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The Smithsonian:
The Smithsonian is hosting dozens of in-person and virtual events throughout November. Guided gallery tours through Americans or Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations are being featured throughout the month at the American Indian Museum.
A performance is being held on Nov. 8, featuring tribal songs from Alaska to Florida at the American Indian Museum. It’s part of the museum’s series “Welcome to a Native Place.”
An in-person and virtual artist conversation with Geo Neptune and Lily Hope will be hosted on Nov. 16 at the American Art Museum. There, artists will explore themes of generational consciousness while incorporating sacred Native American mythology into their work. They will discuss the importance of cultural identity and how it informs their creative practice. Registration is free here.
More Smithsonian events can be found online here.
DC Public Library:
Public libraries throughout the District are hosting events through November. A comprehensive list of events can be found online here, but here are a few:
This is a workshop series to help people explore indigenous peoples through the library’s digital collections.
The library is hosting events and activities all afternoon, such as puppet shows, bean painting, a short lesson on the Piscataway People and a storytime featuring books by Indigenous authors.
The library is screening “Incident At Oglala,” a 1992 documentary about the Pine Ridge Shootout at an Oglala Sioux reservation in South Dakota.
Allegory Bar:
Allegory – a cocktail bar within Eaton, DC – is hosting “The Cornsilk Road” – An Indigenous Takeover and Masterclass. Scheduled for Nov. 14, “The Cornsilk Road” is an indigenous-led takeover and educational experience.
The masterclass will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. where participants can gain insights into Indigenous ingredients that have found their way into modern-day drinks. The session emphasizes ethical sourcing, the importance of not commercializing sacred ingredients and the intertwined relationship of land sovereignty with ecological and cultural stewardship.
People interested in attending can register here.
The Library of Congress:
The Library of Congress is hosting “Native American Arts” throughout November. The small, curated display for National Native American Heritage Month features the tradition of Ledger Art and the work of women artists as well as Pacific Northwest painting and drawing.
On Nov. 9. the library is also hosting a screening and discussion of a new PBS Series, “Native America: Language Is Life.” The documentary tells the story of the 133-year-old first audio recordings of Native Americans, their preservation at the Library of Congress and their repatriation to the present-day Passamaquoddy community. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8:40 p.m. People interested in attending can register here.
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