When you think of American Indians, do you consider from the Cherokee? Or perhaps tribes in the western United States, like the Sioux, Shoshone or Apache? You might be surprised to learn that North Carolina is home to more than 130,000 American Indians. That number includes eight tribes and four urban Indian organizations. Actually, North Carolina has got the highest Native population east from the Mississippi River!
November is American Indian Heritage Month – a time to celebrate and raise awareness about the diverse American Indian population we have here in North Carolina. At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New york (Blue Cross NC), we know that educating our employees and members about American Indian populations is definitely an investment in the health and well-being of tribal communities.
I am an enrolled member of the Sappony Tribe, whose traditional homelands, called High Plains, straddle Person County, North Carolina and Halifax County, Virginia. Being Sappony has always been an important part of my identity. We have a rich heritage, and throughout centuries of change, we have maintained our tribal and family bonds as Sappony people. We celebrate our culture through tribal events and art, maintaining our community whilst educating others about our culture and heritage.
As Blue Cross NC's Tribal Liaison for Healthy Blue members, I meet a lot of people who wish to learn more about us, particularly in November when individuals want to know what they can do for Native communities.
Listening and learning are some of the easiest ways you can help celebrate American Indian Heritage Month. Simply by reading an article or watching a relevant video, you can find our remarkable culture and history and learn how to be an ally for indigenous people.
Here are several ways to do that:
Learn
Learn more about the present-day experience with Native people. The easiest method to do this is to buy your information from sources authored and compiled by Native people.
Books: Read this list of culturally appropriate books beginning with Nations Development Institute.
Movies: Variety and a public library have compiled lists of movement pictures from Native filmmakers, not only Native stories and actors.
Articles/Videos:
Listen
Want to know how you can truly listen to members of the Native community? Check out these guidelines to be a friend to indigenous people.
Contribute
One the best way to help tribal communities directly without creating burden would be to donate monetarily. Many tribes have donation links or addresses on their websites. See links below.
