No meeting scheduled this month; see you in January!
For several years, November has been designated as a special month of honor. Yet, while we live on the lands that for millennia have been the ancestral home of indigenous Americans, the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe, we too often have failed to hear their voices or see materials they have produced about their culture and lives.
Bellingham City Club wants to honor their voices, so our program this month can be found with the links below and on the City Club website. We invite our members and guests to spend some time reviewing and enjoying indigenous works. The following are films, videos and presentations created by local Native Americans that for some of us will be an introduction and for all of us will help increase our understanding of our neighbor’s culture.
- Western Washington University has collaborated to put together a variety of programmatic offerings to learn about Native American heritage and culture and relevant current issues. Open to the public, the offerings include lectures, discussions and music. Find details at: https://www.wwu.edu/nahm
- Children of the Setting Sun Productions (Bellingham) offers a series called “Young and Indigenous Podcast”: https://settingsunproductions.org/young-and-indigenous-podcast
- Check out Children of the Setting Sun’s video, “What About Those Promises?” YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChildrenSSP
- Take time to visit the ongoing exhibit at the Lightcatcher Museum: https://www.whatcommuseum.org/exhibition/people-of-the-sea-and-cedar/
- Interested in learning about Coast Salish People north of the border? https://www.indigenousbc.com/
- A truly exceptional place to learn about the history of the Coast Salish Peoples is the Hibulb Cultural Center in Marysville on the Tulalip Reservation, https://www.hibulbculturalcenter.org/
- The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law that requires Indian children in the foster care system to be placed by their tribal child welfare agencies rather than the State. It allows Indian children to be raised in a tribal setting so that they know their heritage. The U.S. Supreme Court has a challenge to the ICWA on its current docket.
- Cascadia International Women’s festival is presenting an Encore screening of The Daughter of the Lost Bird. This beautiful, tender film tells the story of why this Supreme Court case is so important.
- In-person tickets are available through the Pickford and on-line on the Cascadia Events page
- A summary of the timeline re: ICWA can be found on the NARF website: https://narf.org/icwa-brackeen/
- Cascadia International Women’s festival is presenting an Encore screening of The Daughter of the Lost Bird. This beautiful, tender film tells the story of why this Supreme Court case is so important.
- Take a winter walk in downtown Bellingham and check out the two story trees (totem poles) carved by Lummi artists: https://blog.wa.aaa.com/travel/road-trips/tale-of-two-totem-poles-bellingham-washington/
- For recommended reading, go to: Bellingham Public Library Celebrates Native American Heritage Month in November – Bellingham Public Library
- A small sample of the writings of Native American Authors
- Winter in the Blood by James Welch
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
- So How Long Have You Been Native? by Alexis Buntin
- An American Sunrise, Poems by Joy Hargrove
- Custer Died for Your Sins by Vine Deloria Jr.