The Hub: November is National Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month celebrates diverse and rich cultures, histories, and traditions and acknowledges the many important contributions of our Native people. Celebrations during the month of November educate and bring awareness to the general public about Native tribes in the U.S. and their history.

Efforts began in the early 1900s to designate a day to honor Native Americans. In 1914, Red Fox James—a resident of the Crow Indian Reservation and member of the Blackfoot tribe—traveled on horseback almost 3,000 miles from Montana to Washington, D.C. to garner support for a tribute day . In 1915, Dr. Arthur C. Parker—a Seneca Indian and another prominent proponent of American Indian Day—persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to designate a day for the ‘First Americans’. This tradition was observed for three years.

That same year, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association approved a plan for American Indian Day. Their president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe Native, later issued a proclamation in September 1915 designating the second Saturday of every May as American Indian Day. In December of 1915, Red Fox James arrived at the White House and presented the endorsements he had gathered from 24 state governments for an American Indian Day. However, there is no record of a national day being proclaimed. It wasn’t until 1990—75 years later—that President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution which designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month. Since 1994, similar proclamations have been issued every year.

Tribes in Indiana

Descendants of Jacco Godfrey Before 1787, several tribes lived on the land that is now known as Indiana. The Potawatomi and the Miami were the most influential of these groups to inhabit this area. After the Northwest Ordinance and other treaties opened the land up for settlement, settlers began pouring into the territory while the Native groups tried to slow or stop the encroachment of the American settlers. Indiana, ‘Land of the Indians’ or ‘Indian land’, was home to the Chickasaw, Delaware, Kickapoo, Miami, Piankashaw, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wea, Wyandot and many other Native American tribes. The majority of these Native groups were removed from Indiana in the late 18th century and into the early 19th century.

Although most of the Native groups were removed from Indiana through a series of treaties, several tribes were able to “maintain a strong presence in Indiana.” In fact, more than 100 tribes and other native cultural groups still reside in Indiana. For example, the Miami Nation of Indiana houses their tribal headquarters in Peru. South Bend is home to a casino and other service areas owned by the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi. Fort Wayne is the location for the Tribal Historic Preservation Office for the Miami Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

Native American demographic trends

In the U.S., the term Native American refers to individuals who have origins indigenous to North America or maintain tribal affiliation. Other terms used to describe this demographic can include—but are not limited to—American Indian, Alaska Native and Native.

Native Americans are often one of the most poverty-stricken and underrepresented minority groups in the United States. In 2008, one-third of the Native Americans in the U.S. lived on reservations governed by tribal leaders totaling approximately 700,000 people. In 2010, the poverty rate on reservations was at 28% with an overall poverty rate of 22% among all Native Americans, both on and off reservations. The reservations are plagued with poor education opportunities, healthcare services and economic infrastructure as well as substandard housing and low employment.

The 2018 U.S. Census puts the poverty rate for Native Americans at 25%. In 2020, research showed that 1 in 3 Native Americans were living in poverty with a median income of $23,000 a year. Lack of employment opportunities is the biggest factor that contributes to the poverty level among Native Americans. Currently, there are approximately 13,000 Native Americans living in Indiana and the poverty rate is 18%.

Indiana Medicaid has a presumptive eligibility group for Native Americans . This category specifically covers verified Native Americans in Indiana only. As of April 2022, individuals who identify as American Indian make up only 1% of our Hoosier child population.

Available resources

Employment
There are also employment services available for Native American Hoosiers. For example, the American Indian Center of Indiana, INC. is a Native American Programs Division within the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. AICI offers employment services across the state within the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Work One System. They not only help Native American youth train and find employment, but they also help educate communities to promote public awareness of our local American Indian culture and communities.
Other programs within the U.S. Department of Labor enforce civil and employment rights. For example, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is a civil rights agency that enforces an Executive Order and two statutes that protect the employment rights of Native Americans. OFCCP created the Indian and Native American Employment Rights Program to help with employment issues. Native Americans can claim Indian Preference when completing applications with Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education. In accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472), preference is given to Native Americans when filling vacancies. A verification of Indian Preference form must be submitted with the application.

Language preservation
The Language Conservancy program in Bloomington is also working to preserve endangered languages in North America. University scholarship programs and centers across Indiana provide Native American students support. For example, Indiana University has a First Nations Educational & Cultural Center which provides opportunities to empower Native students. IUPUI has scholarships and resources for Indigenous students. Purdue University has the Native American Educational and Cultural Center which fosters an intellectually inclusive and culturally diverse campus environment for Native American students.

Higher education
Scholarships and grants are available to ensure Native Americans have access to college. Federal scholarships are only available to federally recognized tribes. The Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission offers several types of scholarships. They offer 10 academic scholarships of $3,000, five summer scholarships of $1,000 and a vocational scholarship ranging between $1,000 and $3,000 each.

Call to action

Visit the Eiteljorg Museum, a museum is dedicated to sharing diverse stories about the history and cultures of Native Americans and the American West. Visit their website to learn more about our Native American Heritage in Indiana.
Share supports available to Native Americans to eligible individuals within your division’s services
Help support local tribes and the preservation of their history through donations (e.g., time or money) or purchasing items from their gift shops
Help support tribal capital campaigns to regain their federal recognition
Check out the ‘helpful links’ and “events in Indiana” for upcoming events that will help support the Native American groups
Enjoy “The Miami Indians of Indiana a Persistent People 1654–1994”, a good read by Stewart Rafert
Visit INAIAC website to view the November Native American Heritage Month event