Celebrate Native American Heritage Month With Us!

Museum staffer Terry Snowball, center, with members of Chile's Aymara communities during a repatriation trip in 2007 (Photo courtesy of Terry Snowball)

In honor of Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month this November, we're partnering with StoryCorps, a nonprofit oral-history organization, to celebrate American Indian Heritage Day and the 2011 National Day of Listening, a new holiday started by StoryCorps that encourages Americans to record the stories of their families, friends and local communities. Both holidays fall on the same day this year—Friday, Nov. 25.

Last year, we participated by recording the tribal histories, family stories, and museum experiences of our Native American staffers, including museum director Kevin Gover (Pawnee) and repatriation coordinator Terry Snowball (Prairie Band Potawatomi/Wisconsin Ho-Chunk), above. You can listen to the interviews here: http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/storycorps-national-day-of-listening-2010/

This year, we’re reaching out to you, our visitors and our fans, in the hopes that you might make your own recordings and post summaries on the StoryCorps Wall of Listening at www.nationaldayoflistening.org.

Each interview’s location will be highlighted on an interactive map on the StoryCorps website, illustrating not only the scope of the museum’s friends but also the diversity of Indian Country.  

We’d also like to invite you to share some of these stories (and photos!) on the museum’s blog by writing us at NMAISocialMedia@si.edu.  

If you'd like to participate or have any questions about the project, please email Molly Stephey at StepheyMJ@si.edu.

Thank you!

Comments

[ali@ fall 2011 color trends for men]

Thanks a lot for sharing a very nice wording with us! Please keep it up.

[max generation]

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[eka]

nice pictures too, thanks the information, a lot of things I learned from this blog.

[michael]

Interesting.I live in Australia and it would be good to have something like that here.I am not an Australian and I can see that the aboridginies are not given a fair go.It is all lip service.

[Goldstarviews]

This is a great way of learning more about American Indians. I believe their heritage should be preserved. Thank you.

[jorge599]

Hi Molly Stephey,
Thanks for sharing such a great information.

[sherine]

This sounds like an amazing exhibit. Nice article.

[Dawn]

Nice Blog post.This is a great way of learning more about American Indians.Thanks for sharing this post and it is very helpful for all.

[Chemistdessy]

I have always fears native Americans are extincted but this is a great way of learning of their continued existence. Thanks for such a wonderful article.