It’s November which means it’s time for Native American Heritage Month! Native American Heritage Month is when you celebrate indigenous history and celebrate other indigenous people who are shaping indigenous culture today.
On August 3rd, 1990, George W. Bush proclaimed to Congress that November was the Native American Heritage month. The reasoning behind this was because this month was the end of the harvest season and its usually a time of celebration for Native Americans.
The indigenous tribes that are in Maryland are the Piscataway Indian Native Nation, the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, and the Accohannock Indian Tribe.
In Harford County, Maryland the main tribe located there was Susquehannock which were primarily found along the Susquehanna River. This tribe utilized their pottery skills to make the “Face Pot.” What was unique about this pot was that the collar of it was decorated with human faces. They utilized this pot to hold their food or personal items. There were many different tribes in different places that also contributed to Native Culture.
Dream catchers are also a key item in Native American culture. They originated in the Ojibwe (Chippewa) culture which are associated with Ojibwe mythology the figure known as Asibkaashi or the “Spider Woman” who protected children. The dream catcher was hung over children’s bed to capture any bad or evil before it could harm. As tribes started connecting with each other through trade and other means the Lakota developed their own dreamcatcher legend. This was associated with the Trickster God, Iktomi which often appears as a spider. Which is how the dream catcher got the nickname “the web of life” which filtered the good and bad ideas from society. Which led to that person then achieving their dreams.
There are many people who contributed to the culture of Native Americans and the sense of belonging that Native Americans were able to feel as America developed into the country it is today. Here is a list of some of the key indigenous people:
· Sitting Bull
· Geronimo
· Black Hawk
· Crazy Horse
· Chief Joseph
And many more that contributed to the development of Native culture!
To find out more about local events, visit https://www.baltimoreamericanindiancenter.org/