Local tribes celebrate Native American Heritage Month

Nov. 24—Local tribes are celebrating Native American Heritage Month this November. They say they hope the nationally recognized month encourages education and awareness of their cultures.

"We worked hard to get this month and have it recognized," said Glenna Wallace, chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. "It's important that we celebrate this."

Many area tribes have held events, educational seminars and exhibits to commemorate Native American Heritage Month.

Kim Garcia, cultural preservation officer for the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma, said among their activities are daily educational social media posts, crafts and song preservation.

The tribe recently sent a group to Wyandotte Days in Monroe, Michigan, where Wyandottes lived in the 1700s. The group hosted field trips for about 2,000 kids at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

Garcia said there are 576 tribes in the United States. In Oklahoma, there are 39 tribes that have come from all over the U.S.

People can have stereotypical images of Native Americans, lumping them all in together, she said.

"I think that people don't realize that each one of us is different," Garcia said of the different tribes. "We all have different cultures, we all have different languages, we all have different histories. This is a great time to share our culture so that it's respected, not looked down upon."

Wallace said she views the month as a time of inclusivity. The Eastern Shawnee tribal land is located adjacent to Jasper and Newton counties, but the invisible line of the border seems to block their presence from people, she said.

She used to teach at Crowder College and talked with students who thought there were few minorities in the area. It's quite the opposite, she said, as within a few miles there are nine tribes. Seven of those tribes were forcibly removed from the Ohio Valley.

"I am always amazed at how little the people of the Missouri side know about the Native Americans on the Oklahoma side," Wallace said. "There's much to learn."

Sonny Glass, vice chairman of the Quapaw Business Committee, said the month is a good time to remind people that Native Americans have always been here. They've consistently tried to take care of their culture, their lands and their people.

Art exhibit

One of the ways the Quapaw Nation is celebrating Native American Heritage Month is a collaborative exhibit with the Post Art Library in Joplin. Currently on display through the end of the month, the exhibit showcases Quapaw art and history.

Quapaw potter Betty Gaedtke's work showcases the techniques that have fallen to the wayside. Gaedtke digs her clay from ground and often uses traditional Quapaw techniques to make her pottery.

In addition to pottery such as bowls, the exhibit includes her ceremonial pieces to be placed in graves. Gaedtke said her goal is to bring these pottery pieces back to burial ceremonies.

Through her efforts and research, the Quapaw now have a dedicated pottery studio to carry on these techniques and teach them to younger generations.

"I really hope this exhibit encourages people to ask about the Quapaw Nation," Gaedtke said. "Who are we, where did we come from? Some people think the Quapaw completely perished. But we want to tell you we are here and here to stay."

In addition to education, another way to celebrate the month is through supporting Native American-owned businesses, Garcia said. There's many local gift shops run by area tribes. Online shops owned by tribes are also a good option, like Eighth Generation or Teton Trade Cloth.

Garcia said some people might be worried that it is appropriation to buy Native American beadwork or clothing.

"It's actually appreciation as long as you're purchasing it from an actual Native American," Garcia said. "You just have to be careful that it is a Native American tribe or person. There's a lot of misleading people who say they are Native, which is in fact illegal."

Leading to awareness

Native American Heritage Month should lead to awareness, Wallace said. She said the tribe was recently active in having eight of the Eastern Shawnee's mounds in the Ohio Valley entered into world heritage status through UNESCO.

One of the Eastern Shawnee's concerns is the history books are largely missing history about Native Americans, she said.

"It would be interesting if people would check and see textbooks their school is using," Wallace said. "Check to see what they say about Native Americans and how much are they included."

All of the leaders encourage the education and awareness to extend far past November.

Glass said for the past 151 years, they've had a Quapaw powwow over the Fourth of July holiday. This is a good place to start becoming familiar with Native American history and culture.

Everybody is willing to talk with them, and asking questions opens up a lot of doors, he said.

Even the experience itself can be a moment of revelation.

"There's the music itself from the drums," Glass said. "It feels like it's your heart singing to you. These are the things we are proud of and are glad the community is seeing that."