November is known for a lot of things: the start of the holiday season, Thanksgiving and getting time off from school. However, few people know it is also Native American Heritage Month. http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/

Sadly, this national awareness and appreciation for Native American heritage is not more talked about or acknowledged, especially in comparison to other cultural months, such as Black History Month in February.

All minority cultures that exist in America should have the right and freedom to celebrate that particular culture and raise awareness about it, especially in their designated month.

It is great that Black History Month is so widely recognized in the United States and talked about during the duration of February. It shows that that minority is supported and people care about the culture and history of that group of American people. 

That being said, the same support and recognition should be shown to lesser prominent minorities as well. Native American Heritage Month is a great place for people to start.

The celebration for Native American culture used to be assigned to a given day, May 2, instead of the whole month of November. That changed in 1990 when George H. W. Bush signed a proclamation approving November as Native American Heritage Month. 

This was a victory for the American Indian Association, which was looking for more countrywide recognition. http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/ This should have marked the beginning of the change in how we discussed Native American culture, and instead of not talking about it, and not honoring it, we would begin celebrate it as a country.

However even though the proclamation was issued, it made little difference in the recognition that Native American heritage received. On the news and in current events you hardly hear about Native American Heritage Month, or anything associated with it, whereas Black History month is widely acknowledged. 

Black History month should be talked about, but the same goes for Native American Heritage Month, as it is open for all American people to take part in. However, It has become a celebration among only the Native American minority in America. 

Americans should partake in honoring the heritage of the first Americans, because their history and heritage is just as important as other minorities. It is also important to acknowledge the heritage so that it does not die out completely in America, and to make sure that certain aspects of the Native American culture continue to thrive and live on in this country, their home country. 

Further, Illinois residents should take particular notice to this as Illinois does not boast a lot of experience with Native American culture. Illinois has no Indian Reservations and a much lesser Native American presence when compared to other states. 

The University of Illinois has a Native American population of less than 1 percent, so awareness for this minority and it’s culture is low, even at the University. Illinois residents could learn a lot about Native American culture by recognizing the month of November as Native American Heritage Month and using that opportunity to learn more about the Native American culture.http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/DOCUMENTS/ResMAP.HTM https://oiir.illinois.edu/about/demographics

Young people should be especially interested in this because they are the next generation of leaders. To start observing and appreciating the heritage of the Native American people would be to learn where we came from, and keep alive the aspects of what makes America America.

College students should take the first couple steps in initiating this change. College campuses are some of the best places in the world for students to explore and honor the cultures of minority groups. They have diverse groups of people and many resources that allow them partake in events that are culturally significant to different minority groups, including Native Americans. 

College students should begin to step out of their comfort zones and take advantage of these resources, all while changing how this country celebrates Native American Heritage month at the same time.

The University of Illinois is taking a step in celebrating this month. The Native American house is putting on events throughout the month of November, so that Illinois students can partake and appreciate Native American heritage. 

These include meet-and-greets with influential Native Americans and fun events such as basket weaving workshops, hoop dance and a Harvest dinner.https://oiir.illinois.edu/native-american-house/nah-events/heritage-month There are many more events scheduled for the duration of the month as well. 

This is such a positive way to acknowledge Native American heritage this month, and the fact that students have the resources to honor Native Americans on this campus is priceless.

Enjoying November as a month that marks the start of the holiday season is not a bad thing. However, it should be important to enjoy the aspects of November that are less talked about, including honoring the heritage of America’s first people. 

Courtney is a sophomore in LAS.

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