Library News: Native American Heritage Month

According to the Library of Congress and the Los Angeles Public Library, November is Native American Heritage Month. Check with your local library, because there may be cultural enrichment events and recommended reading lists posted on your local library’s website. Sometimes, librarians will feature select landmark books on display next to the entrances. Here are some ideas on what to do for Native American Heritage Month.

Have you borrowed a Native American cookbook yet from the library in order to add Native American foods to your Thanksgiving dinner? In a previous book review on Native New England Cooking, I suggested that adding a Native American dish to your potluck at home or at work will set you apart from the crowd, especially if you are a competitive home chef. For those of us, who belong to the heat-and-serve crowd like myself, we can add simple Native American recipes as side recipes such as Succotash, Mushroom Soup, or Mohawk corn found in the book, Native New England Cooking, by Dale Carson.

Be the first to start a new trend of cooking and eating Native American food. Aren’t you tired of the same things for Thanksgiving? Heat-and-serve folks like to eat good food, but we don’t have the time or patience to cook it… Maybe you can borrow a Native American cookbook from the library and pass on a few recipes for your mother or grandmother to cook for you.

If cooking is not your thing, perhaps you can borrow a Native American history book, documentary, music CD, or a dramatic movie from the library. The Los Angeles Public Library has reading lists of a few Native American cookbooks, non-fiction, and fiction books. A link to these book lists are provided below. If arts and crafts are your strengths, maybe you can find a book on making Native American-style crafts. For example, you can learn how to make Native American-styled dreamcatchers, textiles, and pottery. Then, you can give them away as gifts to friends and family members. If travel is your passion, perhaps, you can get a book on Native North American archaeological sites and plan your summer vacation. If you are a tree-hugger at heart, maybe you can borrow a book on Native American methods of living off the land, foraging, hunting, and using natural medicines. Many of us grew up fascinated by Greek and Roman mythology. How about trying a book on Native American folklore and religions? There is a way to match your existing passions in art, music, dance, culture, and history with that of Native American heritage. Everyone should be able to find something interesting about Native Americans at your local library.

Those of us, who are short on time, can borrow a Native American documentary on DVD or music on CD. Also, don’t forget to search for Native American videos, music, and e-audiobooks from your local library’s streaming media sources. Play with keyword and subject search terms, because if you search under “Indians of North America,” doing so may exclude items at the library that are focused on a particular tribe, ethnicity, or nation. For example, I saw one item with “Apache Indians” as its subject heading, not “Indians of North America.” Different keyword or subject terms will give you a different set of results.

It’s the holiday season. Most of us will be busy feeding the family or distracted with holiday shopping this month. However, if you love libraries, you can find something easy to read, to watch, or to listen to. Perhaps, you can listen to a Native American music CD while your family is eating Thanksgiving dinner or watch a Native American documentary or movie on DVD or streaming video from the library after you finish your Thanksgiving meal. If you have small children, you can borrow a children’s book on Native Americans, which is usually very thin.

The mass media, educational system, and government officials have erased Native Americans from our collective memories and most current political discussions. I am not saying we have zero knowledge of their existence, but the non-native majority will carry on heated political debates in the media, in universities, and in government as though Native Americans are completely unaffected by decisions made by a non-native majority that could very complete their extinction. We can educate ourselves about Native Americans all year-round by borrowing items from the local library, not just in November. Our actions can affect positive change by reading, learning, and acting on the information we learn about Native Americans from the library.

Happy learning!

References

Carson, Dale. Native New England Cooking. Old Saybrook: Peregrine Press, 1980.

Links:

Native American Heritage Month

Land of Books and Honey’s Book Review: Native New England Cooking

Native American cookbooks suggested by LAPL

Native American non-fiction books suggested by LAPL

Native American fiction books suggested by LAPL

Cooking with the Wolfman

YouTube video of Redbone’s Come and Get Your Love-The Midnight Special 1974

Indian Country Today: Native Americans Expose the Adoption Era and Repair Its Devastation