Diversity & Equity Newsletter
November 2022
Native American Heritage Month
November is National Native American History Month. On May 13, 1916 the governor of New York declared for his state "American Indian Day." This was a year after Red Fox James, a member of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) People, rode on horseback from state to state looking to get approval for a national holiday honoring Native Americans. Red Fox James presented approval from 24 state governments to the White House in 1915.
President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution in 1990 proclaiming November “National American Indian Heritage Month." Each year since, the White House has designated November to be a month honoring and celebrating Native American Heritage.
Quick Facts About Native American Tribes & Heritage
- Prior to colonization, indigenous people in the US spoke approximately 500 different languages (including signed languages!)
- There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States.
- Indigenous farmers in both North and South America are considered responsible for the domestication of beans, squash, tomatoes, and corn.
- An estimated 60% of the world's current food supply came from crops originating in North America.
- The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, formed of 5 tribal nations, is one of the oldest living democracies in the world.
- The first newspaper in a Native American language began publishing in 1828. It was bilingual, written in both English and Cherokee.
Perspectives and Understanding Others
The art of perspective-taking is integral to truly understand one another. True inclusion cannot exist without being able to notice, understand, and accept that all people come from different backgrounds with different knowledge, tastes, and ideas.
What is Perspective-Taking?
Perspective-taking is the ability to understand how a situation appears to another person and how that person is reacting both cognitively and emotionally to the situation. It is the ability to put yourself in somebody else's shoes, recognizing their past experiences and knowledge to shape an understanding of how that person may look at any given situation.
Perspectives Fun Facts:
- Children commonly gain the ability to take another person's perspective as they grow. Oftentimes, however, these skills need to be taught and nurtured.
- Perspective-taking skills are integral to conflict resolution.
- Perspective-taking uses Cognitive Empathy, which is something you can learn and strengthen!
