NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH | 2021

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021 |

SPECIAL EDITION

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021

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azdailysun.com

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JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

NOV EMBER is Native American Heritage Month F

or Indigenous people throughout Flagstaff and across the country, Native American Heritage Month is not only a celebration of culture, but also a chance to educate the general public about the history, culture and contributions made by tribal communities. President Joe Biden emphasized that Native American roots are embedded in our land during his proclamation naming November National Native American Heritage Month. “Despite a painful history marked by unjust Federal policies of assimilation and termination, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have persevered,” Biden said. “This month and every month, we honor the precious, strong, and enduring cultures and contributions of all Native Americans and recommit ourselves to fulfilling the full promise of our Nation together,” he continued. Arizona is home to 22 federally-recognized tribes, which each have their own cultures and traditions, and a population of more than 320,000 Indigenous people – one of the highest in the US. Tribal land makes up approximately 28% of Arizona’s land.

The Navajo Nation stretches throughout northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah and northwestern New Mexico – making it the largest swath of tribal lands in the country. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer described the month as an opportunity “to honor the hope, future, and resilience of Indigenous people, including Navajo people, and to celebrate Native cultures, languages, and indigeneity.” “The month is a time to cherish and celebrate our rich and diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and legacies,” Nez said. “Our cultures and traditions are very much alive every day and with continued strength and resilience, our children and grandchildren will carry our teachings into the future.” The first proclamation for Native American Heritage Month came in 1990 from President George H.W. Bush. The next year, Congress passed another resolution that again proclaimed November as Native American Heritage Month. Every sitting president has signed their own proclamation since. With this special edition, the Arizona Daily Sun celebrates Northern Arizona’s extensive Native American communities.

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Jonathan Chapman from the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in Jena, Louisiana, dances during an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at the Native American Cultural Center on the Northern Arizona University campus.

INSIDE Celebrating 50 years of NACA

Traditional Indigenous names paint pictures of the past

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Murdoch Center mural features Native impact on Southside PAGE 6

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NAHM Event Calendar PAGE 7

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