Gateway

Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Entertainment

Elizabeth Brown was a guest speaker at last year's festivities. Brown told the story of how she left her abusive boyfriend after he put their newborn daughter in danger. She shared her experience with students in hope that others who find themselves in similar situations end their abusive relationships. Brown will also be holding a social dance and instructional workshop presentation on Nov. 19 for this year's Native American Heritage Month. (Andrea Barbe/The Gateway) [Click to enlarge]

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November is Native American Heritage Month and UNO is celebrating with an assortment of activities on campus.

Events for the month began on Nov. 5 with a seminar titled "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Rely On … Sometimes!" that examined social and relational dynamics. The discussion was sponsored by the UNO Diversity and Equal Opportunity Office with support from the UNO Office of Diversity.

Native American Heritage Month stemmed from several early efforts to gain recognition for American Indians, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1915, the Congress of the American Indian Association held their annual meeting in Lawrence, Kan., to formally approve a day of observation for the Indian nation. The organization's president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, a member of the Arapahoe tribe, proclaimed that Sept. 28, 1915 as American Indian Day. For years following, Coolidge issued a statement that the second Saturday of each May would be declared American Indian Day. This was the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens. However, it wasn't until much later that the "First Americans" had a month dedicated to their culture and ancestry.

Native American Heritage Month was founded in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush. Similar declarations under different names have been issues every year since 1994.

UNO's Native American Heritage Month includes activities ranging from music, games, presentations and a film screening. All of these events are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 554-2711.

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