Native American Heritage Month

​With November being Native American Heritage Month, I wanted to share about some opportunities and resources. Of course, a quick internet search will surface a variety of resources such as those from Oregon tribal government websites, Library of Congress, National Archives, National Geographic Education, Smithsonian, and a collaborative website representing several agencies. However, I wanted to highlight a few resources related to collection development plus two events that are specific to Oregon – one on the 14th for anyone and one on the 15th for Native American teens.
 
Indigenous Reads Rising (We Need Diverse Books)
We Need Diverse Books has a new project called Indigenous Reads Rising, “a celebration of Indigenous children’s literature of Native Nations, centering those within the United States and Canada . . . We created Indigenous Reads Rising to fill a need—to provide a resource where teachers, librarians, and readers can embrace the diversity of Indigenous children’s and teen literature. This site includes articles about best practices, book lists arranged by age category and topic, and additional resources for educators, librarians, booksellers, families, and writers alike.”
 
Additional Collection Development Resources Related to Books About or By Native Americans
Some of you may be familiar with these resources for developing a collection of children’s and young adult books about or by Native Americans, but if not, here you go. 🙂

• Through the American Indians in Children’s Literature blog, Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo and Dr. Jean Mendoza “provide critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books.”
• Since 2006, the American Indian Library Association has presented the American Indian Youth Literature Award in even-numbered years. “Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.” Scroll to the bottom of the awards page to find winning titles by year.
• Heartdrum is a fairly “new imprint by Native American authors for kids 8+ . . . these children’s books emphasize the present and future of Indian Country and the strength of young Indigenous heroes.”

 
Office of Indian Education (OIE) Website and Newsletter (Oregon Department of Education)
The Office of Indian Education at the Oregon Department of Education has several webpages of resources and education requirements, such as Tribal History/Shared History, Tribal Curriculum, and Indian Education Resources. Additionally, they publish a monthly newsletter, and anyone can subscribe. The November 2023 issue is robust; I encourage you to browse it.
 
Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity – A Fishbowl (11/14)
Staff at the Office of Indian Education occasionally have online office hours, and November’s session will be on the 14th from 4:00 to 5:15 pm => Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity – A Fishbowl. This description is from the OIE November newsletter: “We invite our vibrant AI/AN [American Indian/Alaska Native] community to come and engage in a fishbowl for Native American Heritage Month. Allies will listen in on the stories told by the AI/AN community on what celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity means to them. At the end of the storytelling time, allies will be encouraged to share out their learnings and key takeaways from listening to their AI/AN peers.” Here’s the registration page. Please consider sharing about this in your school, district, or library.
 
Native Youth Talking Circle (11/15)
Two OIE staff will facilitate an online discussion on the 15th from 6:00 to 7:30 pm => Circle of Seasons: Listening to Native Youth. It is open to Native American students in grades 8-12. Here’s the registration page, which has a bit more information. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Please consider sharing about this.

Author

Jen Maurer, MLS (she/her)
School Library Consultant, State Library of Oregon