National Native American Heritage Day
Celebrated a day after Thanksgiving, National Native American Heritage Day honors the rich culture of the Native Americans. This day helps us recognize their contribution, heritage, and accomplishments, thus encouraging respect and honor. To know all about it, read on!
When is National Native American Heritage Day?
National Native American Heritage Day is celebrated on the day after Thanksgiving every year.
FAQs
Read the frequently asked questions and facts for knowledge about Native Americans’ lifestyles and culture, among other things.
What is the history like of Native American life?
The Native Americans used to ride horses brought in by the Europeans and were mostly peaceful. The Native Americans were skilled at building canoes and boats to travel lakes, rivers, and the sea.
What is the oldest known Native American tribe?
The Hopi Indians are often considered to be the oldest Native American tribe to have ever existed.
How many Native Americans are left now?
The Census Bureau suggests that there are around 6.79 million Native Americans in the US right now. This makes them approximately 2.09 percent of the total population. Currently, 574 Native American tribes are recognized in the US, and 15 states have over 100,000 Native American people.
How do I celebrate National Native American Heritage Day?
To celebrate the day, you can know the facts, thus promoting honor for Native Americans. You can also post something about the Native Americans or take part in events by the Native American Heritage community.
Finally, add parts of the rich native culture to your life, like making an authentic native meal. Some examples include Three Sisters Soup, simple Buffalo Stew, or Pemmican.
Facts
“Native American” is not usually used for the Nation Hawaiians or Alaskan Natives like Yup’ik, Inuit, or Aleut peoples.
Most Americas use the term “American Indian” for the indigenous people in the US, while Canadians use “First Nations.”
Ishi is famously known as the ‘last wild Indian’ in the US and lived outside modern culture. He belonged to the Yahi tribe which became extinct in the 1800s due to the California Gold Rush. Then, in 1911, he came from the wilderness into the town of Oroville, where various anthropologists studied him till his death.
The native Americans are called “Indians” because of Christopher Columbus. He initially thought he went to East Indies, where the indigenous were called Indians.
Native Americans and First Nations people used to speak the language of the Algonquian. And, because they were the first to have met the English explorers, many words from their language came into English. Examples include caribou, chipmunk, moccasin, moose, muskrat, totem, wigwam, opossum, papoose, pecan, powwow, raccoon, skunk, squaw, toboggan, and woodchuck.
Interesting Insights
Many of the names of the US states have been derived from Native American words, like Connecticut, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arizona.
Utah has been named after the Utes, who lived on the edge of the Great Basin and the Plains. Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw okla homma, meaning “red people.”
Some Natives also created a “Cry Shed.” This was built from earth and used to represent the wishes and the troubles of the people. It was then set on fire and, with the burning, it was believed that misfortunes were blown away. The hopes were believed to have been carried to the spirit world.
American Natives own over 24,500 businesses in the US.
Inspirational Native Americans Quotes
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.
Chief Seattle, Duwamish
We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees.
Qwatsinas, Nuxalk Nation
May the stars carry your sadness away, May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, May hope forever wipe away your tears, And, above all, may silence make you strong.
Chief Dan George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation
When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries, and you rejoice.
Cherokee saying
I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.
Sun Bear, Chippewa
Sayings
The Great Spirit is in all things. He is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us. That which we put into the ground she returns to us.
Big Thunder Wabanaki, Algonquin
Walk in balance and beauty.
Native American Elder
We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
Dakota Tribe
I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself.
Teton Sioux Tribe
Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of the little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.
Black Elk, Oglala Sioux Holy Man
You have to look deeper, way below the anger, the hurt, the hate, the jealousy, the self-pity, way down deeper where the dreams lie, son. Find your dream. It’s the pursuit of the dream that heals you.
Billy Mills, Oglala Lakota
There is no death. Only a change of worlds.
Chief Seattle, Suquamish Chief
Our first teacher is our own heart.
Cheyenne saying
Courageous Native American Quotes
Go forward with courage. When you are in doubt, be still, and wait; when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists – as it surely will. Then act with courage.
Chief White Eagle, Ponca Chief
Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars. We shall all be alike–brothers of one father and one another, with one sky above us and one country around us and one government for all.
Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged.
Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux Chief
The land is sacred. These words are at the core of your being. The land is our mother, the rivers our blood. Take our land away and we die. That is, the Indian in us dies.
Mary Brave Bird, Lakota
Quotes about Native Americans
Immigrants and Native Americans have made our country what it is today, and if we have learned anything through these hundreds of years – it should be that we can accomplish more when we work together.
Deb Haaland
I believe Native Americans, women, and all of us deserve representation, and that we all need to fight with everything we have to make it so.
Deb Haaland
I have come to the point in my life where I encourage young Native Americans to become much more selfish about their personal needs and wants.
Sherman Alexie
I always see America as really belonging to the Native Americans. Even though I’m American, I still feel like a visitor in my own country.
Nicolas Cage
For many Native Americans across the land, the name of the Washington football team is a deeply personal reminder of a legacy of racism and generations of pain.
Dan Maffei
I have always been interested in the history of the West, our country, and particularly as it relates to the Native Americans – the original Americans.
Beau Bridges
Captions for Instagram
Always take pride in calling yourself a Native American!
High spirits for the Native Americans who inspire us all!
Mother Earth is common to all of us and we all have descended from one great spirit.
Preserving the land and the culture is in our hands. Let us do it!
A great civilization is measured by people and how well they have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.
The real strength of humans doesn’t lie in the similarities but in the differences we have as human beings.
Celebrating all the good and inspiring work done by Native Americans.
You deserve all the respect and honor for the good you have always done!
Respect is not a commodity rather it is a way of being a proper human!
Hashtags
#nationalnativeamericanheritageday
#nativeamericans
#nativepride
Etcetera
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