In the month of November and beyond, we celebrate the incredible contributions Native Americans have made to contemporary American culture. Today, there are 574 federally-recognized American Indian tribes in the United States alone; a testament to the resilience and fortitude of these nations. As tribes build towards the future of their communities, they are also drawing from their rich histories and cultures to inspire new generations.
On the occasion of Native American Heritage Month in the United States, we are proud to be collaborating with Google Arts & Culture and over 40 other cultural institutions to bring online 90+ stories to the new Indigenous Americas hub: a collection of Indigenous art and culture that spans beyond the U.S. and across the Americas to make these stories available to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Since its inception in 1998, the Harvard Project’s Honoring Nations has awarded 148 tribal programs that represent the very best in local self-governance, and serve as models of inspiration, innovation, and achievement. We invite you to dive into the stories of the Ohero:kon Youth Rites of Passage Program that supports Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) teens reconnect with their roots, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Language Revitalization that builds pathways for their people to maintain cultural identity through learning their native language, the Chickasaw Nation Sick Child Care Program that supports working families and improves community health, the Joint Tribal-State Jurisdiction which focuses on rehabilitation through the justice system, or the Tulalip Tribal Court AlterNative Sentencing Program to better understand the new standards of a culturally appropriate justice system to create safer communities.
These highlights from Honoring Nations are part of the the 90+ stories now available in one place for the first iteration of the Indigenous Americas hub on Google Arts & Culture, building on our work with long-standing Google Arts & Culture partners including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and Indian Arts and Crafts Board at the US Department of the Interior, among others.
On this new hub, dive into new and existing content from partners across the Americas – from the historic work of the Native American Code Talkers in the U.S. to the masters of the Totonac Spiritual Cuisine in Mexico – and celebrate the past and present of Indigenous cultures with a tour of the dizzying dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park and a look at contemporary Inuit ceramics.
We’re hoping this will inspire you to start your journey of learning more about Indigenous cultures in the Americas, and that you’ll come back regularly as we work with cultural institutions to tell more Indigenous stories.
