Native American Heritage

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated from November 1 through November 30 each year.

November

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated from November 1 through November 30 each year. What began as a day of honoring the first Americans became a full month in 1990 when President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as "National American Indian Heritage Month. Other variations of the month-long celebration include "Native American Heritage Month" and "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month."

Within this Collection

<div>Catawba</div>
Catawba

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<div>Cherokees</div>
Cherokees

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<div>Chicora</div>
Chicora

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<div>Edisto Natchez-Kusso</div>
Edisto Natchez-Kusso

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<div>Pee Dee</div>
Pee Dee

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<div>Santee</div>
Santee

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<div>Sewees</div>
Sewees

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<div>Tuscarora/Iroquoian Tribe</div>
Tuscarora/Iroquoian Tribe

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<div>Varner Town</div>
Varner Town

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<div>Waccamaw</div>
Waccamaw

Collections

Title:
Santee Community | Periscope
Santee Community | Periscope
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Like most Native Americans in South Carolina, the Santee have a history of trading with early colonists from Europe. In 1701, English explorer John Lawson described his meeting with the "King" of the...
Santee Tribe | Periscope
Santee Tribe | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The Santee Tribe are one of the most unique in South Carolina because of their limited population. It is estimated there are fewer than 400 descendants of the Santee Tribe in the state.
Native American Culture | Periscope
Native American Culture | Periscope
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 4 8

The histories of Native Americans in South Carolina also have much in common. Beginning in the early 1500s, European colonization meant disease, enslavement and loss of land for most Indian people...
Modern Tribes in South Carolina | Periscope
Modern Tribes in South Carolina | Periscope
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Modern tribes in South Carolina share many of the same interests. They all make great efforts to keep tribal traditions -- arts, language and customs -- intact. Many tribes also share in a desire for...
The First South Carolinians | Periscope
The First South Carolinians | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Recently, Native American history in South Carolina has been in the national spotlight. At an archaelogical dig in Allendale, archaeolists found artifacts -- sharpened stone blades, hammer heads, and...
Traditions Passed Down | Periscope
Traditions Passed Down | Periscope
Episode 20

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In this edition of Periscope, we have seen many Native American traditions practiced by the Snowbird community and other Cherokee people. Ask yourself why you, your friends, or your family continue to...
Playing Anetsa Currently | Periscope
Playing Anetsa Currently | Periscope
Episode 18

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Tradition: Anetsa Anetsa resembles our modern game of lacrosse, but can be much rougher! Players erect goal posts on each end of a field, and use ball sticks shaped like miniature rackets with long...
Tradition: Anetsa | Periscope
Tradition: Anetsa | Periscope
Episode 17

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Tradition: Anetsa The game of Anetsa, or stick ball, is played at many Cherokee festivals. Anetsa has been played for hundreds of years. It was traditionally played to settle disputes or for spiritual...
Tradition: The Cherokee Language | Periscope
Tradition: The Cherokee Language | Periscope
Episode 15

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Tradition: The Cherokee Language Children in Snowbird schools learn the Cherokee language at a young age. They, in turn, may teach a future generation of students the language. In the early part of...
Mound Ceremony | Periscope
Mound Ceremony | Periscope
Episode 14

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Mound Ceremony During the Mound Ceremony, people bring a turtle shell full of dirt from their homes. Participants then walk around a sacred fire seven times, one time for each of the seven Cherokee...
Tradition: The Fading Voices Festival | Periscope
Tradition: The Fading Voices Festival | Periscope
Episode 13

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Tradition: The Fading Voices Festival Each year, on the Saturday before Memorial Day, the Fading Voices Festival is held in Snowbird. The festival commemorates community elders and celebrates Cherokee...
Tradition: The Trail of Tears Singing | Periscope
Tradition: The Trail of Tears Singing | Periscope
Episode 12

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tradition: The Trail of Tears Singing Every year since 1968, the Snowbird Cherokee have held a ceremony called "The Trail of Tears Singing." The ceremony is held in memory of the Cherokee who were...
Tradition: Gadugi | Periscope
Tradition: Gadugi | Periscope
Episode 11

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Tradition: Gadugi (ga-doo-gee) The word gadugi means "working together." Originally, the gadugi were a group of people in a Cherokee community who helped others in a time of need. The gadugi planted...
Children Learn Cherokee Language | Periscope
Children Learn Cherokee Language | Periscope
Episode 10

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In Snowbird, some children learn the Cherokee language before they learn English. There are festivals to celebrate Cherokee ancestors and elders and the changing of seasons. Traditional arts, dance...
Tradition and The Snowbird | Periscope
Tradition and The Snowbird | Periscope
Episode 9

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Over 500 Cherokee now live on tribal lands that make up the Snowbird Community. Tribal lands, or reservations, are protected for use by Native Americans. The Snowbird Cherokee have kept much of their...
Snowbird Cherokee Community | Periscope
Snowbird Cherokee Community | Periscope
Episode 8

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The Snowbird Cherokee community looks like a typical American community in many ways. There are schools, churches, cars and roads. The Snowbird Cherokee play on local football teams and Snowbird youth...
Chapter 3: The Snowbird Cherokee | Periscope
Chapter 3: The Snowbird Cherokee | Periscope
Episode 7

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Only a few Cherokee escaped the Indian Removal Act. Those who remained found safe hiding places in the remote mountains and valleys of Appalachia. Today, the Snowbird community is home to many...
Map: Trail of Tears National History Trail | Periscope
Map: Trail of Tears National History Trail | Periscope
Episode 6

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Between 1838 and 1839, over 15,000 Cherokee people were forced to march over 800 miles. The Cherokee's dangerous route began in the Appalachian mountains and ended in Oklahoma. Over 4,000 Cherokee...
Chapter 2: The Trail of Tears | Periscope
Chapter 2: The Trail of Tears | Periscope
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

So what became of the once grand Cherokee nation? In 1830, the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. The government of the United States wanted to move Native Americans from land in...
Legendary War Chief, Oconostota | Periscope
Legendary War Chief, Oconostota | Periscope
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Oconostota: The original site of Echota was flooded while building a lake, but prior to its loss, archaeologist John Green discovered the grave site of the legendary war chief, Oconostota. Photo...
Cherokee Government, Trade & More | Periscope
Cherokee Government, Trade & More | Periscope
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

The Cherokee had a system of government, trade and a religious order. The Cherokee also had a capital city. In the 1700s, the capital of the Cherokee tribe was Echota, which means "a peaceful place."...
Chapter 1: The Early Cherokee | Periscope
Chapter 1: The Early Cherokee | Periscope
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

The group of Native Americans known as the Cherokee have lived in the southeastern United States for thousands of years. Their population at one time numbered over 20,000 people. Before the 1800s...
Snowbird Cherokee | Periscope
Snowbird Cherokee | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

More than likely, you have heard of the Cherokee Indian tribe. Before the 1800s, they were one of the largest tribes in the eastern United States. After the 1800s, the Cherokee people still living in...
Dreamcatcher | Periscope
Dreamcatcher | Periscope
Episode 10

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

We saw many Native American crafts at the powwow. Jewelry, clothing, and crafts such as "dreamcatchers" were popular items. The origin of the dreamcatcher is hard to determine. Different tribes...