Gina Kemmerer, Senior
November is Native American Heritage Month; a month to celebrate and recognize Indigenous people’s history, achievements, contributions, and culture.
According to Native Hope, in November 1990, President George Bush approved a joint resolution which declared that every November would be celebrated as Native American Heritage Month. Ever since then, Native Americans have had a platform to help spread knowledge of their traditions, culture, and history.
This year, the U.S. Department of Interior is celebrating this month, mostly virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are encouraging people to spread information on Native American Heritage Month by social media. One way this was done was through November 15th’s “Rock Your Mocs,” a social media campaign which was established in 2012. Indigenous people are encouraged to show their culture by wearing their moccasins (if their tribe wears them). If not, they are encouraged to wear a turquoise ribbon or clothing instead. You can also check out the hashtags #RockYourMocs or #RockYourMocs2020 to see some photos from this years event. Another event that is held is Red Shawl Week, which is from November 15th to 21st. As this week is coming to a close, people are encouraged to wear red to bring attention to the acts of violence committed against Indigenous people, particularly women and children.
Social media is a very effective tool for educating others and spreading awareness and information. The website Mitu covers how TikTok influencer Tia Wood has shown that by sharing her Native culture with others on the app. Wood is a singer, dancer, and artist of the Plains Cree people in Canada. She first gained popularity with a video of her mother dressing her in their tribe’s traditional clothes and braiding her hair while reciting the poem “Brown Eyes” by Nadia McGhee. The poem talks about European beauty standards through the different viewpoints of a girl with brown eyes and a girl with blue eyes, and it shows the negative effects that these standards have on people. A line of the poem says “You've always hated your eyes/And wished that they were blue/But your eyes have a tint of gold/So rare it must not be true.” The video got over 6 million views on TikTok and helped Wood gain followers to extend her platform further. She continues to create videos educating others on Indigenous culture and empowering others to embrace theirs.
Works Cited
Hope, Native. Celebrating Native American Heritage Month, 2020, blog.nativehope.org/celebrating-native-american-heritage-month.
“National Native American Heritage Month Celebration - 2020.” Indian Affairs, www.indianaffairs.gov/as-ia/opa/national-native-american-heritage-month.
Reindl, Andrea. “This Indigenous Tik Tok Star Gained a Massive Following By Showing Off the Beauty of Her Culture.” We Are Mitú - Business and Entertainment, Culture and Sport, Movies and Music, We Are Mitú - Business and Entertainment, Culture and Sport, Movies and Music, 9 Nov. 2020, wearemitu.com/things-that-matter/indigenous-tik-tok-star-tia-wood/.
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