November

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Join our Library as we pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Do you know that there are 547 recognized Indian Nations in the United States? The largest are Navajo, Cherokee and Sioux. More than 3 million people in the U.S. are Native people.

There are currently 109 federally recognized tribes in California which is home to the largest Native American population in the country.

We live in the Sacramento area and we have a rich Native American heritage and culture. This area was and is still the tribal land of the Nisenan people. They lived throughout the central valley and the Foothills along with the Southern Maidu people, and the Valley Miwok and Me-Wuk people. To the west of the American River and the south of the Sacramento River, are the Patwin people, the Wintun People and the Wintu people.

Try out these Native American Heritage Month activities

Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos

It's Dia De Los muertos

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons).

Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s.

The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.

Try out these fun Day of the Dead activities

VOTING! VOTING! VOTING! VOTING!

Election Week

Time to Vote!

Have you noticed commercials or advertisements for people who want people to vote for them? Or have you heard your parents or teachers talking about the election? That is because this November our country will hold an election to vote for our new President.

WHat is Government?

A government is a small group of people that create rules to keep a larger group of people safe and happy.

What is Democracy?

A democracy is when a group of people are led by an individual that the people choose to put there. Therefore, a democracy is a government run by the people. Every person has a say in how the government is run. This means that their classmates, their teachers, and anyone they see around them, all possess a right to have their voices heard!

What is Voting?

Voting is how a democracy works. Individual people vote for the person they want representing them and the rules they want or don’t want. You call the people that we vote for “candidates”. If more people agree on who or what they want, that is called a “majority”.

What Are Elections?

An election is when leaders are chosen for public offices or jobs by voters. Elections can be held for people who have local jobs. An example of a local leader is a mayor, who works to help make life better for people living in their town or city. There are also elections for state and national leaders, like your state's governor.

So where do people go to vote? There are sites called polling places, which are usually public buildings like schools or libraries where people who live close by can come and vote.

Who can vote?

American citizens who are 18 and older, who have not commit a felony or are menially incapacitated can vote.

Did you know that there was a time when certain groups of people were not allowed to vote? Sadly, this happened in our country not very long ago. Up until 1920, only white men were allowed to vote. However, women and African Americans fought for the right to vote, which is often referred to as suffrage. So while everyone should vote, it is especially important that women and African Americans vote today, to honor those who fought hard for this right.

Read the poem If I Were in Charge of the World and then tell us what you would do if you were president!

Get your kids ready to vote by reading some of these election and presidential books! Or check out Ms. Amanda's book readings to hear some election inspired stories!

November 11th is Veterans Day

What is Veterans Day?

Veterans Day honors all of those who have served the country in war or peace — dead or alive — although it's largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.

Today when you are enjoying your day off of school, take a minute to thank Veteran for their service!

Happy Thanksgiving

On the 25th of November, people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, a national holiday honoring the early settlers and Native Americans who came together to have a historic harvest feast.

NATIVE AMERICANS

Long before settlers came to the East Coast of the United States, the area was inhabited by many many Native American tribes. The area surrounding the site of the first Thanksgiving, now known as southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island, had been the home of the Wampanoag people for over 12,000 years, and had been visited by other European settlers before the arrival of the Mayflower in 1620. The native people knew the land well and had fished, hunted, and harvested for thousands of generations.

THE SETTLERS

The people who comprised the Plymouth Colony were a group of English Protestants called Puritans who wanted to break away from the Church of England. These "separatists" initially moved to Holland. But after 12 years of financial problems, they received funding from English merchants to sail across the Atlantic Ocean in 1620 to settle in a "New World." Carrying 101 men, women, and children, the Mayflower traveled the ocean for 66 days and was supposed to land where New York City is now located. But windy conditions forced the group to cut their trip short and settle at what is now Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

SETTLING AND EXPLORING

As the Puritans prepared for winter, they gathered anything they could find, including Wampanoag supplies.

One day, Samoset, a leader of the Abenaki people, and Tisquantum (better known as Squanto) visited the settlers. Squanto was a Wampanoag who had experience with other settlers and knew English. Squanto helped the settlers grow corn and use fish to fertilize their fields. After several meetings, a formal agreement was made between the settlers and the native people, and in March 1621, they joined together to protect each other from other tribes.

THE CELEBRATION

One day that fall, four settlers were sent to hunt for food for a harvest celebration. The Wampanoag heard gunshots and alerted their leader, Massasoit, who thought the English might be preparing for war. Massasoit visited the English settlement with 90 of his men to see if the war rumor was true.

Soon after their visit, the Native Americans realized that the English were only hunting for the harvest celebration. Massasoit sent some of his own men to hunt deer for the feast and for three days, the English and native men, women, and children ate together. The meal consisted of deer, corn, shellfish, and roasted meat, different from today's traditional Thanksgiving feast. They played ball games, sang, and danced.

What are you thankful for?

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