Using Our Platform to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
For generations, Indigenous communities in America have been deprived of the resources, respect, and honor they so deeply deserve. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate Native American culture. According to The National Congress of American Indians: “The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.”
Because our platform grants us the opportunity to amplify messages, it is of the utmost importance for all of us at oVertone to encourage education around the incredible and unique aspects of Native American culture, and to celebrate that culture always. Keep reading for more information, and how you can contribute to vital legal resources.
Some Facts About Native American Culture:
- While massively underrepresented in mainstream American culture, the Indigenous population is globally estimated at 370 million.
- Though Scotsman Alexander Wood is credited with inventing the syringe in 1853, in pre-Columbian times South American Indians used a type of syringe made from sharpened hollow bird bones attached to small bladders to inject medicine, irrigate wounds, or even clean ears.
- Sixty percent of the food eaten in the world today was developed over thousands of years by the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. Traditional foods remain an important part of their cultural identity.
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Our November Poster Art
Our November poster artist, Diego Medina not only created a stunning original piece of art for us, but he was also kind enough to give us insights into his experience as a member of the Indigenous community. Read more about that here.
How To Give Back to Native American Culture
Every year we partner with The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) to celebrate Native American Culture. The history of NARF is rooted in the establishment of the 1960s era “War Against Poverty.” Many of the people being helped by the government programs were also governed by a little known and barely understood section of the law called Indian Law.
Currently, NARF has four priorities to serve indigenous communities that they dedicate legal resources to:
- Preserving tribal existence
- Protecting tribal natural resources
- Holding governments accountable to indigenous people
- Developing Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues
While the effects of colonization on Native American Communities still exist today, it’s important that we take a moment to celebrate the beautiful, rich culture that created the foundation for this country as we know it. From food, to music, to art, to education, we encourage you to continue to learn more about all aspects of Indigenous culture within North America and beyond to celebrate Native American culture today and always.