Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month. Glendale Library, Arts & Culture will be offering virtual events and featuring online content to pay tribute to Native Americans of the local community and beyond, in celebration of history and culture, and in recognition of the community’s struggle for inclusion and equity—with acknowledgment that we are here as guests of the indigenous peoples who are the traditional land caretakers.
On Thursday, November 5 at 6:30 pm, the Library will host a virtual literary event. Author and attorney Walter R. Echo-Hawk will discuss his book, In the Courts of the Conqueror: The 10 Worst Indian Law Cases Ever Decided, in conversation with Autry Museum President and Chief Executive W. Richard West Jr. Another author talk will bookend the month—on Monday, November 30 at 6:30 pm, Author and Professor of Native American Studies and Political Science David Heska Wanbli Weiden will discuss his new novel, Winter Counts in conversation with award-winning author Marcie R. Rendon. Both books are also available in digital formats through CloudLibrary. For additional information and registration for both events, click here.
This month the Library’s ReflectSpace Gallery is proud to present Nowhere and Everywhere: Indigenous in America, an exhibition that investigates the many ways in which Native Americans are represented and misrepresented through popular-culture imagery, while creating a counterpoint to this imagery through humanistic photography and contemporary art by two Native artists: Navajo artist and filmmaker Pamela J. Peters and Kiowa photographer Horace Poolaw. The exhibit also examines the insidious spaces of the California Mission System—through imagery and a critical approach. Pamela J. Peters co-curated “Erasure” at ReflectSpace Gallery in 2019 and is currently at the UCLA Department of Indigenous Studies.
All month long the Library will be offering online content and programming in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Teen Glendale Empowerment Now will feature biweekly talks with Native American artists, activists and educators in conversation with our Teen G.E.N. Talks hosts Melissa and Desiree, as they discuss identities, passions, and what inspires them. Other events include powwow dance performances on Monday, November 9 at 4:30 pm, and fry bread baking instruction on Monday, November 16 at 4:30 pm.
As part of our regularly scheduled online children’s programming, some of the standalone stories, story starters, and book talks this month will feature Native American titles. For additional book recommendations for readers of all ages, please see our booklists for children, teens, and adults. And for more information and additional resources about indiginous Los Angeles, please visit our Native American Heritage Month page.