November was National Native American Heritage Month, a time where we celebrate the rich, varied cultural traditions and contributions of the first inhabitants of the Americas. Today, there are 574 federally-recognized Tribes in the United States, with another 200 in petition status. According to Aaron Carapella of Tribal Nations Maps (https://www.tribalnationsmaps.com/), there were upwards of 1,100 Nations, Tribes, bands and sub-bands across the lower 48 states with another 200 in Alaska, prior to colonization of the U.S.; across the Western Hemisphere, over 4,200 Nations, Tribes, bands and sub-bands, once existed.
Hudson Valley Community College is located on the sacred homelands of the Muhheaconneok or Mohican people, who are the stewards of this land. Today the community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past, present, and future, as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
— In recognition of lands once occupied by Indigenous People.
Let’s take the time to acknowledge trailblazers from the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation (info. from the Berkshire Museum):
- Electa Quinney made history as Wisconsin’s first public school teacher. She taught for six years in New York before she and other members of her community were forced to relocate to Wisconsin, where she taught in a log building that was the first public school in Wisconsin. It opened in 1828, educating both Indigenous and white children.
- Captain Hendrick Aupaumut was a veteran of the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Aupaumut served as a diplomat between Indigenous nations and the United States. He was a prolific writer who recorded Tribal histories, translated religious texts, and left some of the earliest written records from an Indigenous American. He also facilitated land negotiations, financing the Tribe’s relocation to Wisconsin.
- Mary Kauknausquoh Doxtator established a spinning enterprise in New Stockbridge, New York. The school provided training for women as well as cloth and income for the community. It was so successful that Doxtator opened similar schools in other nearby Indigenous communities. She also became involved in land negotiations in 1818 and by 1824 was designated a Tribal attorney.
Check out our social media posts from November, where we’ve highlighted Native Americans that have made contributions to various STEM fields:
https://www.facebook.com/HVCCODEI/
https://www.instagram.com/hvcc_odei/
Here are some additional resources for Native American Heritage Month:
https://explore.berkshiremuseum.org/digital-archive/7-people-to-know-from-stockbridge-munsee-history
https://www.pbs.org/specials/native-american-heritage-month/
https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/
In solidarity,
Kayla Miller
Technical Assistant
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
k.miller1@hvcc.edu
Published: Fri, 03 Dec 2021 13:05:35 +0000 by k.miller1