November is Native American Heritage Month, and we are honored to celebrate and amplify Native Americans in our community of the past, present, and future.
Through shared stories and unique programs, Conner Prairie provides learning experiences for every individual. This month, we explore the life, culture and experiences of Native Americans and how they have shaped Indiana’s history.
It is with gratitude to all people of Native American heritage that we celebrate this month.
Explore the Culture
This is Problematic episodes to tune into:
Conner Prairie brings you the straight up facts of the history still affecting us today! We hold no punches getting to the core of the problems of the past and their ramifications. Come sit with us, and our guests, as we take a journey through problematic history!
Season 2 Episode 2: Prairie Little Liars: The myths of the Frontier/Pioneer
David Heighway is back once again to explore the intricacies of our country’s constructed memory! It finds its way into nearly every American home; lingering memories of a sparsely populated frontier and the rugged pioneer. Many family histories have followed this line of thinking for generations. It even shows up at our own “Pioneer museum” of Conner Prairie. And yet, while not necessarily fabricated, we can use new information to see what the world would have truly looked like. As historians ourselves-just like David, that’s the best we can hope to share!
Season 2 Episode 3: Chief Straw, False Monuments, and Native Misremembrance
Guess Who’s back? David Heighway; joined alongside Curatorial’s very own Curator of Native American History and Life, Sara Schumacher. Chief Straw is an entity that has been on our minds for close to a year now- and we’re going to talk about him- beyond Strawtown’s namesake story. The Native American nations and their histories have long been misunderstood in the United States. It’s hard to piece the truth together, but “hard” doesn't mean “impossible.” If you’ve ever wanted to know what the info-gathering process is like for Historians in the museum field, you’ll love this in-depth look into the process. Join us as we break down the story, analyze the documents, and place the spotlight on the “actors” that make up the messy web surrounding Chief Straw.
Season 1 Episode 3: Native American Representations and Misrepresentations in American Media and Culture with Dr. Liza Black
Join Hannah and Easton for a discussion with Dr Liza Black about Native American Representation and Misrepresentations throughout American Culture and Media. This discussion spans the range of sports to film and includes recommendations for how to diversify your media consumption.
Season 1 Episode 6: Mekinges with Sara Schumacher
Join Hannah and Easton for a discussion with Sara Schumacher, Curator of Native American History and Life, about Mekinges. This discussion dives into the life and the story of William Conner's First wife and Lenape Indian Mekinges.
Videos to watch:
Why the Dogs and Wolves Fear Each Other
Curious Conversations: Learning Through Objects in Lenape Culture
Lenape Today
An animated narrative of the Lenape tale 'Why the Dogs and Wolves Fear Each Other,' original narration by Nora Thompson Dean, re-recorded narration by Mike Pace. A young dog wanders through the forest, and he enters a council held by the animals of the forest. A wolf speaks and asks who might fetch fire for warmth from the Lenape village nearby. The young dog agrees to go and is taken in by a nice Lenape girl. He then forgets to bring fire back to his friends, and the wolves have held a grudge ever since.
Annette Ketchum Growing up Lenape
Paula Pechonick Tribal Politics
Delaware Tribe Museum Opening
Videos to watch:
Why the Dogs and Wolves Fear Each Other
Curious Conversations: Learning Through Objects in Lenape Culture
Delaware Tribe Museum Opening
Lenape Today
Annette Ketchum Growing Up Lenape
Paula Pechonick Tribal Politics
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS: Learning Through Objects in Lenape Culture
Virtual Lecture
Material culture — the objects produced, used and traded by a group of people — can help us learn more about them. Join Sara Schumacher, Curator of Native American History & Life at Conner Prairie, as we learn about the Lenape culture through discussions with interpreter Mike Pace and other members of the Delaware Tribe of Indians.
Pages to discover:
Miami Tribe (Myaamia) blogs
The Miami Tribe (Myaamia) lived on the land that became Indiana for hundreds of years prior to white settlement. The Myaamia had a relationship with the Lenape and invited them to the White River area after removal from the east. For those familiar with an interest in the history of Indiana, we strongly recommend visiting the Miami Tribe’s blog, Aacimotaatiiyankwi. The blog is a place meant to educate and cultivate a safe learning environment. The history presented is by and about the Myaamia. Please be mindful that great care, intention, and research has been invested in each post and there is no more informed authority on their culture and history than themselves. Non-Myaamia folks are welcome to learn about Myaamia history and culture, learn the language, and utilize their listed dictionary and pronunciation guide.
Other Miami Tribe Pages:
The Myaamia Center - https://miamioh.edu/myaamia-center/
Myaamia Heritage Museum & Archive - https://kaakisitoonkia.org/
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Website - https://miamination.com/about-us/
Lenape Indian Camp
Step into Indiana territory in our earliest historical area, 1816 Lenape Indian Camp. Here you will explore the life, culture and relationship between the Lenape Indians and American fur traders.
Collections: Lenape buildings
Learn about the buildings that are sitting on the grounds in the Lenape Indian Camp today.
Learn more about Native American Heritage Month through our blogs:
Museums and Repatriation
“Visitors Entering the Opening of the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian,” By Sarna, Martin, October 30, 1994, Smithsonian Archives – History Div., SIA2011-1381.…
Centennial Anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Law: Protecting Native Rights
Source: National Photo Company, President Coolidge Meets with Committee of One Hundred, ca. December 12-13, 1923, Library of Congress, and the White House Historical Association, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/fotoware?id=EDD0DA4619B34ACE%20ABE69D2B007FBD8A On June 2, 1924,…
November, Veterans Day, and Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month includes numerous days meant to honor different aspects of Indigenous cultures, identities, histories, and experiences such as National Bison Day (November 4th), Rock your Mocs day…
A Familiar Face at Conner Prairie
Michael Pace, or Mike Pace as he prefers, has been a bastion of education at Conner Prairie for nearly 30 years. He recently retired from full season work at Conner…
The impact of Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month became official in the United States in 1990 after Congress and President George H. Bush signed a resolution that designated November as the first National American…
Important People
Mike Pace
Mike Pace
Mike Pace is a member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and is the great-grandson of Charles Elkhair, the last hereditary ceremonial chief of the Oklahoma Delaware. His mother was Thema Leona Elkhair Pace, a full-blood Delaware elder. At Conner Prairie, Mike shares his history and culture, educates the public, and works to eliminate stereotypes about Native Americans. He is knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics, from how to throw a tomahawk to the intricacies of beadwork and Delaware interactions with fur traders. He also speaks the original Delaware/Lenape language, Unami. Mike's family story remind visitors that all of Indiana land was once tribal land. It is important to acknowledge and understand that Conner Prairie sits on land that was once home to several tribes, including the Delaware/Lenape. We encourage you to visit the Lenape Indian Camp and to explore Indiana's Native American history on your next visit to Conner Prairie.
Little Turtle
Little Turtle
Little Turtle (Miami) fought for the land and the rights of not just the Miami peoples but all tribes in the Northwest Territory. He became known for intelligence, savvy battle strategies, and honoring of his promises amongst whites and Indigenous groups in what would become Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. His negotiations in during talks for the treaty of Greenville saved large portions of land for the Miami, Potawatomi, Wea, and others. After William Henry Harrison violated agreements under the treaty of Greenville with his treaty at Vincennes, Little Turtle reached out to President Jefferson and other American leaders to prevent another war. The secretary of war, however, disliked Little Turtle and his son-in-law William Wells, and prevented the President from reading his letter. Little Turtle continued to attempt to stem indigenous ire against the Americans, trying to limit the land ceded in treaties by tribes which were forcibly removed to Indiana. Little Turtle died on July 14th, 1812 near Fort Wayne, Indiana and was buried with full military honors. He was about sixty-five years old.
Sources:
“Chief Little Turtle (Meshekinnoquah) (Bass #101718-F).” n.d. Images.indianahistory.org. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/dc012/id/7528/rec/10.\
Harvey Lewis Carter. 1987. The Life and Times of Little Turtle. Urbana : University of Illinois Press.
“Michikinikwa - Ohio History Central.” n.d. Ohiohistorycentral.org. https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Michikinikwa.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Images and Author Bio used with permissions from Kimmerer and her team.
Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi) is an author, scientist, decorated professor, and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (Kimmerer, Robin Wall). Her books Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss, are excellent works which encourage readers to connect with their environment in a very personal way (Kimmerer 2013). Kimmerer describes how her upbringing does not infringe on scientific learning but expands her understanding of the flora she studies. A 2022 MacArthur Fellow and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, Kimmerer is a founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment in Syracuse, New York. Interested readers can purchase her book or learn more about the author through her website: https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/ or visit Braiding Sweetgrass | Milkweed Editions.
Sources:
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. 2013. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Milkweed Editions.
“Robin Wall Kimmerer.” n.d. Robin Wall Kimmerer. https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/.
“Robin Wall Kimmerer.” 2016. Milkweed Editions. July 26, 2016. https://milkweed.org/author/robin-wall-kimmerer.
Smithsonian Resources
As a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, below you will find resources provided by the Smithsonian Institute that honor Native American history. We want to celebrate the work that is being done across the nation with regard to community building and activism. Follow along with #SmithsonianNAHM and #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth to learn about the importance of Native Americans by the Smithsonian and partnered Smithsonian-affiliated institutions.
Wanting to discover more about Native American Stories? View the sources below:
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI)
- Google Arts & Culture exhibitions by NMAI
- Youth In Action video series
- Learning Lab collections
- #BecauseOfHerStory articles
- Recovering Voices
- Teaching & Learning about Native Americans (NMAI FAQ)
- Essential Understandings (NMAI)
- Agua Caliente Cultural Museum: Exhibition- For a Love of His People: The Photography of Horace Poolaw.
Programs happening throughout Native American Heritage Month:
- Mvskoke Etvlwv: The Muscogee People Festival on Nov. 1 and 2 (DC)
- Virtual Teach-In on Nov. 2 (online)
- Honoring Native Veterans (DC and online)
- Native Cinema Showcase from Nov. 22-29 (online)
- Native American Heritage Day programs on Nov. 29 (on-site)
- Museum & Cultural Center at 5 Points:
- In Tennessee: Arrow Making and Basket Weaving
- In Tennessee: Whispering Giant Intertribal Native Festival
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services 45.312