SACRAMENTO, Calif. — November is Native American Heritage Month and November 25 is Native American Heritage Day. This time is dedicated to honoring Indigenous peoples past and present.
But - no matter the date - you can recognize Native people, history, and culture year round. You might want to start by visiting the California State Indian Museum at the corner of 26th and K Streets in the downtown Sacramento.
According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Indian Museum opened in 1940. It, mainly, focuses on Native people in Northern Califonia. That includes highlighting three major themes of Native life: Nature, Spirit, and Family.
The museum houses several Native exhibits and cultural items. That includes "traditional baskets, a redwood dugout canoe, ceremonial regalia, beadwork, and hunting and fishing tools." Some of the items on display are more than 2,400 years old.
There's also a hands-on space in the museum for visitors to learn more about Native tools, like the pump drill, used for making holes in shell beads, and the mortar and pestle, used for grinding acorns.
According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the museum has an exhibit depicting the life of Ishi, "reputedly the last survivor of the Yahi tribe, illustrating how Native culture was powerfully impacted and forever changed when outsiders arrived."
The museum also comes with a wall of photographs to honor tribal elders who worked to preserve Native culture, like languages and songs, for younger generations.
"We do not allow any photography inside the museum," Devin McCutchen, Park Interpreter, State Indian Museum said. "We want to make sure we respect the people who created the items and respect the cultures that continue to find great significance within those items."
Mike Duncan, who's Native American, is the founder of Native Dads Network. It's an organization on a mission "to actively preserve and/or restore physiological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual wellness of Ingenuous/Native communities dwelling in Northern California and nearby areas."
Duncan says he, practically, grew up in the State Indian Museum. Now, as an adult, he says he appreciates the museum even more. He's encouraging others to visit the museum to learn about the importance of Native people and their communities.
"The museum is a beautiful place," Duncan said. "I remember being a young child, going to the museum with my father. I remember walking through the museum and looking at all the artifacts and the things that represented our people. We were given a month to show our pride as Indian people, but the most important thing is that every day is a beautiful day to recognize who we are as people."
Every year, in November, the museum presents a "Native Arts and Crafts Market" to support Native businesses, too. It features dozens of Native vendors with unique, hand-made gifts, like jewelry, clothing, drawings, and other items. The event also comes with Native food trucks, selling fry bread, sweets, and coffee.
Pati Hatch is the co-owner of J&J Hatch, a Native handcrafted beaded jewelry and crafts business. It's one of the vendors participating in the market for the first time. Hatch says she uses the family business to help teach others about Native culture.
"In some Native American beading, there's a lot more than just the image," Hatch said. "There's meaning, down to the number of beads and what beads you're using. It is very important to recognize Native American Heritage and peoples of all cultures, as far as their Indigenous side, because that's their history and ancestry. That's what needs to be remembered, followed through, and passed on."
The "Native Arts and Crafts Market" is a two-day event. It began on Friday, November 25 and ends on Saturday, November 26. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information about the market, visit the museum’s Facebook page. You can also learn more about recognizing Native people, history and culture year-round by visiting the official museum website.