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5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor a Rich and Diverse Culture!

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November is Native American Heritage Month!

In 1990, the President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month to honor the traditions, languages, and stories and ensure the rich histories and contributions thrive with each new generation.  It recognizes the cultures of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Island communities.

Below I have provided intention-setting ideas to consider celebrating Native American Heritage Month:

  1. Land.  One simple way to honor Native American Heritage Month is to learn more about the Nation that inhabited the land where you currently live.  Visit Native Land Digital to enter a zip code.  I currently reside on the land where the Tongva (“earth”) Nation settled.  The Tongva Nation wasn’t officially recognized by the state of California until 1994.
  2. Read. If you are an avid reader, perhaps consider reading a story about a Native American or one written by a Native American.  Some suggestions include:
    • Lakota Woman (Mary Brave Bird (Crow Dog)’s autobiographical history of the American Indian Movement. A civil rights must-read.)
    • The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America From 1890 to the Present (David Treuer. Chosen By Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of 2019.)
    • Firekeeper’s Daughter (Angeline Boulley. New York Times bestseller.)
  3. Visit.  If you prefer to learn through seeing more, perhaps a visit to a Native American museum or historical site might fit into your plans this month.
    • Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (Ohio)
    • Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (Colorado)
    • Ocmulgee National Monument (Georgia)
    • Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (New Mexico)
    • For a full list in the state of California, click here.
  4. Cook.  If your moving meditation is cooking, consider trying a Native American recipe.  The first step is to pick a geographical location and choose ingredients that naturally grow there.  Some starting points might include:
    • Cedar plank Salmon
    • Indian corn (or maize, from the Taíno name for the plant)
    • Three Sisters Succotash. “Three Sisters” refers to the main crops seen in many Native American nations throughout North America: corn, beans and squash.
    • Wojapi – Wojapi celebrates the wide variety of berries by bringing them together in a thick pudding.  The pudding is enjoyed by many tribes of the Great Plains including the Lakota, Cheyenne and Blackfoot tribes.
  5. Listen.  If you are a music connoisseur, perhaps listening to Native American music is more up your alley.  You can listen here!
  6. BONUS:  Watch on HULU:  Reservation Dogs!

As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you.  Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!