Native American Heritage Month

Dear MAT Community Members,

November is Native American Heritage Month. This month, we remember the violence committed against Native American families. The forcible abduction of Native American children was a nationwide practice in all US colonies, including Hawaii and Alaska. In May 2022, the Bureau of Indian Affairs published Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report. You can also view the “Indian Boarding Schools” locations in these maps, published as a part of the May 2022 report. The Indian Civil Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, banned this reproachable practice. 

You may have already learned about the indigenous people of Orange County via the Trailer for Indigenous Voices of San Juan Capistrano. I am attaching the entire voice project at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzBPBkVIM3wj6p7ASWnMnT189gmmt7Z34. Some videos are only 3 minutes long, and most are 5 minutes. This playlist comprises interviews with 28 individuals with Native American heritage. 

I hope you enjoy the resources provided to you on behalf of the Teacher Diversity Advocates. Don't hesitate to contact the TDA Fellows at gayony@uci.edu (Gayon Yang), jessijh2@uci.edu (Jessica Hernandez), terryaw@uci.edu (Terry Wilson), or jmesropi@uci.edu (Jacky Mesropian)  if you have any ideas or suggestions for future events. We look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Gayon Yang

MAT + MS Credential Candidate

Teacher Diversity Advocate Fellow 2022-2023