Native American Heritage Month is celebrated throughout November. This celebration was long awaited for Native Americans before the law making it a national holiday passed in 1990. The month of November is a reminder to community members, schools, and other organizations to talk about this subject and celebrate Native American Heritage. There are many different ways people can celebrate this month with art, powwows, dances, songs, and more.
At West Salem High School we have a club that celebrates Native American students in many different ways. This club brings Native American and allied students together to do crafts and projects, help with school work, and more.
When asked about the importance of having a club that celebrates Native American heritage, advisor Gerald Turner said, “Some of the biggest reasons are, like I said, Native Americans still exist and a lot of our popular media has a bad habit of kind of acting as if Native Americans are a thing of the past. There used to be people here and having a month where we go, no these people are still around, they still exist, is important.” Native Americans are not a thing of the past, they are still here and relevant. This month helps people remember that and allows people to recognize and share Native American Heritage and History.
Turner also believes the importance of this club is that “it gives our Native students an opportunity to connect with native cultures. So in West and across the district in general, we’ve got students from a variety of tribes, a variety of cultural backgrounds, and everybody kind of has a different level of connection with their particular culture of origin.” This club brings together students from all different tribes and cultural backgrounds to create friendships and special bonds.
“One thing I want people to be aware of is the native club is not just a club for students who are Native American. It is a club for everybody to come in, learn, share, and celebrate indigenous culture.” This club is open and welcomes anybody joining, not just native American students. It allows students to learn about the different tribes and cultures.
This month reminds people how important it is to have things like this club that allow students to feel supported and included. The Native American club brings students together to learn about Native American Heritage and participate in keeping these traditions alive. Ultimately, the club is a valuable resource to the school and the students it serves. The club members’ work serves as an important reminder that Native American heritage should be celebrated year-round, not only in November.
