November is Native American Heritage Month! This designated month celebrates and honors the history, cultures, and contributions of Native Americans to the United States. The idea for a day to recognize and honor the American Indian was first promoted around 1911 by Dr. Arthur C. Parker. Parker, of Seneca descent, was director of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences and once President of the Society of American Indians, worked to educate the public on Native American history. As part of his efforts, Parker suggested the Boy Scouts of America adopt a “First Americans” day. Then, beginning in 1916, many states enacted an “American Indian Day” as the result of campaigns by the American Indian Association. In 1990, under President George H.W. Bush, the U.S. officially proclaimed November as Native American History Month.
To celebrate, the State Library is highlighting a few titles in our collection that enhance the historical narrative of the nation’s indigenous populations. These engaging, informative titles shed light on the often-untold events and experiences of Native Americans.
Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip's War (2018) by Lisa Brooks - Centered on the events of King Philip’s War (1675-76), or the First Indian War, which was primarily waged in southern New England between chief Metacom (also known by the English name Philip) of the Wampanoag Tribe and the English colonists of Plymouth Colony. Brooks crafts a compelling narrative of the war told through two different perspectives, one from Weetamoo, a female leader of the Wampanoag, and the other through James Printer, a writer and scribe of the Nipmuc Tribe. Lisa Brooks, a writer and historian of Abenaki descent, is an Associate Professor at Amherst College.
Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory (2020) by Claudio Saunt
- Described as “masterful and unsettling,” Saunt’s Unworthy Republic details the U.S. government's extreme efforts for ‘Indian Removal’ during the 1830s. This title provides an important and well researched retelling of the violence, betrayal, and political schemes to displace Native Americans from their lands and homes to benefit the expanding country. Saunt is a historian, author, and Professor in American History at the University of Georgia.
Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America (2021) by Nicole Eustace - A gripping account of the 1722 murder of an indigenous man in the woods of Pennsylvania by two white colonists. Eustace relays the crime and the subsequent criminal investigation, while at the same time exploring the disparities between Native American forms of justice and the colonists’ ideas of British law. Eustace is a Professor of History at New York University.
To learn more about Native American Heritage Month, including information on the exhibitions and webinars available for you to view this month, visit NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov. And for more information on the titles listed above, contact the State Library’s Reference Department by emailing reference.department@mass.gov, by calling 617-727-2590, or by chatting with us.
April Pascucci
Reference Librarian
