Native American Day
September 26, 2008 by Kimberly · 2 Comments
Today, the Fourth Friday in September (September 26th this year) is a holiday called Native American Day. This is a great day to teach our kids to honor and celebrate the first “Americans” who lived in the United States. Following are a few suggestions to help your kids (and us parents!) to learn about the various Indian tribes and their traditions.
-Visit the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. This museum is focused on preserving, studying and exhibiting the “life, languages, literature, history, and arts” of Native Americans. Almost every American Indian tribe in the United States, most of those in Canada, and many from Central and South America as well as the Caribbean are represented. Their collections include not only cultural and historical objects but also spiritually significant pieces. In addition to the various collections and exhibitions, the museum also offers a variety of events including films (including ones especially for kids), performances, workshops and special programs. Located at The George Gustav Heye Center (Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House; One Bowling Green; New York, NY 10004; Phone: 212-514-3700), the museum offers daily free admission. For more information, visit their site at www.nmai.si.edu.
-Enjoy performance by Native American artists. The Kiowa War Mothers will be performing on Saturday, September 27th at 1 & 3 PM at the Rotunda of the National Museum of the American Indian. At this free concert, they will be singing traditional songs from the Kiowa War Societies along with providing educational information about their history and modern Native society.
-Learn about the role that clothing plays for Native American women. The exhibit, “Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses” addresses this issue. Beginning Friday, September 26th, this exhibit will be on display for a year at the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian. Showcasing a wide variety of over fifty dresses and accessories from the Plains, Plateau, and Great Basin regions of the United States and Canada, the display demonstrates how dresses are expressions of culture and identity for Native American women and their communities.
-For a special treat, take your family to a Pow Wow. From the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning “spiritual leader”, a Pow Wow is a traditional Native American gathering. Dancing, singing, socializing and honoring American Indian culture are usually included in the get-togethers. The American Indian Community House (AICH) maintains a Pow Wow Calendar on their site (www.aich.org). If you’re willing to travel upstate a bit, you can participate in the Native American Heritage Celebration of the Lower Hudson Valley at FDR State Park in Westchester, NY on Saturday, September 27th – Sunday, September 28th. For more information, please call (718) 686-9297. (The AICH also host various performing arts events that can be found on their site’s Events Calendar.)
Glad you recognized and enjoyed Native American Day. Most people don’t know about this official holiday, a fact that is sad considering how important they have been in not only the history of North America, but also in our Nation’s history. Perhaps they need a whole week of recognition.
Thank you for taking the time to educate others about this important historical celebration.
There are numerous celebrations recognising the Native Americans in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions.
For more information, you can contact Hudson-Valley-Traveler.com , which specialize in custom tours of these areas for individuals or groups.
Myriam Bouchard