Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month in the United States. It is a time when the country celebrates the culture, history and accomplishments of the people of Native American and Alaska Native heritage.

In 1900, Dr. Arthur Parker, a Seneca archaeologist and historian, proposed the idea of having an American Indian Day. Then in 1916, the first American Indian Day was established in New York by Governor Charles Whitman, who chose the second Saturday of May for this
celebration. However, it wasn’t until 1990 that President George H. W. Bush signed a joint resolution to make November National Native American Heritage Month.

While there are no federally recognized tribes in Ohio, the state was once home to five major tribes: The Shawnee, Miami, Delaware, Ottawa and Wyandot. These tribes lived around Portage County and frequently traveled through the Akron Portage Path. This 8-mile path begins at the Cuyahoga River and goes to the Tuscarawas River. In 2001, a bronze statue of a Native American carrying a canoe and a sculpture of an arrowhead was installed on the path to pay homage to the tribes that lived in the region. This large statue can be seen near the intersection of Portage Path and Merriman Road in Akron.

To learn more about Native American history here in Ohio, check out Historic American Indian Tribes of Ohio.

For a broader perspective on Native American and Alaskan culture, PBS provides a variety of movies and shows on its website. We encourage the NEOMED community to listen and learn about indigenous voices by engaging with these resources.

- submitted by Sean Gauntner, student intern, Academic Affairs and Student Services