It’s Native American Heritage Month! November and year-round, we affirm and celebrate the existence, rights, and sovereignty of Native nations in Mni Sóta Makọce, Turtle Island, and around the globe.
Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) celebrates the cultures, deep histories, and immeasurable contributions of Indigenous people. It honors their resilience in the face of genocide, land theft, and colonization. The Dakota, Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Oto Hidatsa, Arikara, A’aninin, Cree, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and Sac & Fox Tribes all have ties to Mni Sóta Makọce (Minnesota) spanning over 10,000 years.
Today, 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations share their geography with Minnesota. We at Nexus Community Partners live and work on the ancestral and occupied territories of the Dakota and Anishinaabe people — past, present, and future. Acknowledgement is just the first step in disrupting the ongoing violence of colonization and genocide.
Looking for ways to honor NAHM? Check out these community events!
- Saint Paul Public Library’s Arts and Culture Bearers Series, in partnership with local Indigenous artists, uplifts the voices and stories of the Native American community in Saint Paul. See their upcoming events, plus recommendations for Indigenous books, movies and music.
- Seward Community Co-op and Indigenous Food Lab are offering free, virtual cooking and lecture workshops throughout November. Local members of Native-led organizations share their ancestral knowledge while exploring the nutritional and cultural significance of traditional recipes.
- All My Relations Arts, Emerging Curators Institute, and the Native American Community Development Institute have opened Niimiwin: All My Relations Arts Exhibition in Minneapolis. Inspired by dance and powwow, Niimiwin (Everyone’s Dance) is a multimedia showcase of contemporary Indigenous artists who work within the theme of kinetic movement and how it relates to the body, land, and community.
- Meet Minneapolis has created a directory of Indigenous businesses, art and events in the city.
- Hennepin County Library is hosting film screenings throughout the month, plus an artist talk with Ojibwe and Ottawa artist Gordon Coons!
