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

First Native People Europeans Met | Periscope
First Native People Europeans Met | Periscope
Episode 1

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The Pee Dee were some of the first native people the Europeans met while exploring the Americas. Spanish explorer D'Allyon (dee-al-yon) made contact with the Pee Dee Indians in 1521. Prior to the...
Catawba Then & Now | Periscope
Catawba Then & Now | Periscope
Episode 3

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The Catawba still use the river their ancestors used for hunting, fishing, and clay. Riverbottom clay is used to make traditional Catawba pottery. Pottery is an important tradition that has been...
Catawba & Tribal Land | Periscope
Catawba & Tribal Land | Periscope
Episode 2

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Many members of the Catawba live on a reservation near Rock Hill, South Carolina. In 1994, the tribe asked the United States government to officially recognize the Catawba Indians' right to tribal...
Santee Community | Periscope
Santee Community | Periscope
Episode 2

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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...