Each year, during the month of November, the Copyright Alliance celebrates Native American Heritage Month (American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month). Declared in 1990, Native American Heritage Month honors and celebrates the diverse history, heritage, and culture of Indigenous peoples, while grieving the unjust history and policies that continue to affect Tribal Nations today. On this page, we have gathered educational and anti-racism resources to assist in working towards a more equitable and promising future. We continue to learn from a painful history that informs our present times, and we continue to advocate for the rights of indigenous creators and artists.
Copyright Alliance Celebrates Native American Heritage Month 2023
The theme for Native American Heritage Month 2023 is “Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity.” At its core, tribal sovereignty represents the bedrock upon which Indigenous communities stand. It is an unyielding pillar that recognizes the inherent rights of tribes to self-governance, reflecting their power and abilities to govern, protect, and enhance the safety, health, and welfare of the citizens within their territory. This month offers an invaluable opportunity to delve into the diverse cultures of Indigenous and Native American tribes, fostering a greater understanding of the profound connection between tribal sovereignty and cultural identity. The Copyright Alliance invites you to celebrate Native American Heritage Month 2023 with our collection of blogs, articles, and resources below!
If you are an Indigenous creator who would like to be featured or partner with us in education and advocacy, please email us at info@copyrightalliance.org.
Blogs and Articles from 2023
- The Rhythmic Resilience of Native American Hip-Hop (Copyright Alliance)
- The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans (National Gallery of Art)
- National Native American Heritage Month (U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs)
- Filmmaker chronicles Lakota fight to regain Black Hills: ‘How can you sell a piece of yourself?’ (ABC News)
- PBS Commemorates Indigenous Culture and Contributions Supporting Native American Heritage Month with Unmatched Slate of Programming (PBS)
- Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon describes the struggles of the Osage people. Here’s why they are still fighting (The Guardian)
- The Winnemem Wintu won land back for their tribe. Here’s what’s next. (Vox)
- Native Americans celebrate their histories and cultures on Indigenous Peoples Day (ABC News)
- ‘It’s a very fragile system’: a tense fight for free press at an Indigenous paper (The Guardian)
Indigenous Anti-Racism Resources
The Copyright Alliance has also assembled additional creative and educational resources in support of the BIPOC community on our main BIPOC page.
Books
- Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land by Toni Jensen
- Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism by Noenoe K.Silve
- The Winona LaDuke Chronicles: Stories from the Front Lines in the Battle for Environmental Justice by Winona LaDuke
- An indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America’s Culture by Chip Colwell
- Native Southerners: Indigenous History from Origins to Removal by Gregory D. Smithers
- Ritual and Myth in Odawa Revitalization: Reclaiming a Sovereign Place by Melissa A. Pflug
- Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth by The Red Nation
Articles/Online Resources
- Native Land Digital
- Native America Calling
- Tribal Nations and the United Stated: An Introduction
- Whose Land is it Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization
- A Conversation with Native Americans on Race
- Educators and Native Leaders Recommend Bringing Anti-Racism to the Thanksgiving Table
- National Day of Mourning
- 100 Ways to Support Not Appropriate from Native People
- The “Long Awaiting”—Lifting Up Native Voices for Economic Justice
- Two Spirit Community
Podcasts
- Media Indigena
- All My Relations
- Native Voice One
- The Henceforward
- This Land
- The Red Nation Podcast
- Let’s Talk Native With John Kane
Organizations
- American Indian Library Association
- Native American Journalists Association
- National Congress of American Indians
- Native Justice Coalition
- Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance
- Indigenous Values Initiative
- Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples
- Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
Creators Highlighted during Native American Heritage Month
Listed below are several Indigenous creators who have contributed across a variety of artistic mediums, each serving as significant contributors to Native American and American culture.
Lloyd Henri “Kiva” New– Cherokee fashion designer and former Director of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) famous for his innovative and culturally inspired designs.
Post-Commodity– An interdisciplinary art collective featuring Cristóbal Martínez (Mestizo), and Kade L. Twist (Cherokee) who provide an Indigenous lens to the 21st century.
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief– Considered America’s first prima ballerina and the first American and Native American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet.
We’wha, a Lhamana (Zuni Two Spirit)– A spiritual leader, cultural ambassador, and pottery and textile artist identifying as Two Spirit.
Lily Hope– An artist, teacher, and community facilitator who led the #WHYAKMASKSUP campaign educating and promoting mask wearing while supporting Alaskan Native artists.
Joan Hill– A widely celebrated 20th-century Native American painter who produced work in over 36 countries and received over 250 awards.
Maria Martinez– A Native American artist internationally acclaimed for her black-on-black pottery.
Nicholas Galanin– A multi-media artist and advocate rooted in his experiences as an Indigenous man and engaging with the past, present, and future.
Geo Neptune– A master basketmaker, drag queen, activist, educator, and two-spirit artist who is a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe from Indian Township, ME.
