Pay tribute to American Indian Heritage Month—with a little help from the Smithsonian
Every November, the Smithsonian celebrates American Indian Heritage Month through a series of events, performances, exhibits and discussions in Washington, D.C. But even if you can’t make it to our nation’s capital this month, you can still count on the Smithsonian to help you make American Indian Heritage Month come alive in your own classroom.
The National Museum of the American Indian offers a wide variety of online educational resources, complete with grade-specific lesson plans. Tour the western hemisphere through the museum’s Indigenous Geography site, which offers students new insight into indigenous ways of life and contemporary issues affecting indigenous peoples. Teach your students about the critical role that American Indian code talkers played during the world wars with Native Words, Native Warriors, an interactive educational program. Or draw from the museum’s extensive selection of online exhibitions.
Plus, several other Smithsonian museums have also contributed to the vast number of American Indian heritage resources available online. Open your students’ ears to the traditional music of Native communities through Smithsonian Global Sound and Smithsonian Folkways lesson plans. The National Museum of Natural History’s Anthropology Outreach Office provides educational activities about Native American languages, rituals, games and more.
Click here for a full list of Smithsonian resources to truly engage your students in their studies about American Indian heritage throughout November and the rest of the year as well.