Pierce Library invites you to join us in celebrating Indigenous Heritage Month!

Every November, we celebrate Indigenous Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, Native American Heritage Month or American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. "National American Indian Heritage Month" was first proclaimed in 1990 under President George H.W. Bush and is a time to honor and celebrate the diverse constellation of cultures, traditions, and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities. Throughout the year, but especially during the month of November, it is important to recognize the achievements of Native people and raise awareness around both the historical and modern challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples, as well as the creative forms of resistance and resilience shown in the face of those challenges. 

Native people have differing preferences when it comes to terminology. While the terms Native American and American Indian are widely used in the U.S. and are generally considered acceptable, many people feel that these terms reflect settler ideologies, which is why we have chosen to use the term Indigenous here. Whenever possible, it is best to use the name of someone's Indigenous nation or tribe, such as Tataviam, Tongva, Chumash, etc. 

We encourage you to learn about the Native nations who have existed and continue to exist on the lands we inhabit, especially the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and neighboring Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe. Please see our Land Acknowledgement for more information.