I would like to wish everyone a very happy National American Indian Heritage Month of November 2023. This month recognizes the many contributions of Natives in America’s regions of Alaska, Hawaii and Island communities, as the name of the month is also referred to as Native American Heritage Month.
I took the time to reflect upon how the common referral of the name, that could also distort who is included and who is not included within the heritage? As the original legislation and current designation is entitled as: National American Indian Heritage Month.
I also reflected upon the ethnic identity termed as Chicana/o. Who are Mexican Americans with Native Ancestry. I wondered if these populations should also be included within this legislation? Should the public law be updated / amended? Or are the criteria in the Bill / Resolution specific to American Indians? But if we refer to the month as Native American then wouldn’t there be some-kind of peculiarity to the specific criteria?
While I have just simply shared a few thinking points for now, as first declared by President George H.W. Bush in the year 1990, a very happy National American Indian Heritage Month 2023! 🙂
Helpful Links:
- H. J. Res. 577 (101st): To authorize and request the President to proclaim the month of November 1990, and thereafter as “Native American Indian Heritage Month”.
- U.S. Department of Indian Affairs – National Native American Heritage Month
- Image 1 – created with canva.com
- Image 2 – Twitter link and handles: .@Surgeon_General .@UTAustin .@McConaughey .@JCHartzell .@FredCuellar .@MsSsHussain .@SenMarcoRubio .@RepMariaSalazar
Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on November 8th, 2023.
With Love & Kindness! 🇺🇸
{HEART'S, FOREVER!} 