Connecting with Native Americans
This link to the National Park Service's website provides information to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians about the National Park Service Cultural Resource programs.
Indian Pride 103 Video: Tribal Values and Traditions
Indian Pride showcases the unique lifestyles of North America’s 560 Indian Nations. Each episode of Indian Pride includes a mini-documentary, an in-studio discussion and performances of historical and original presentations. In this episode: "Spirituality—Medicine for the Soul" by Dr. William LoneFight, Sisseton Wahpeton College, SD; Creek Nation, OK; Pat Leading Fox Pawnee Nation, OK; Michael Marchand, Chairman Colville Tribe, WA; Bruce Bozsum, Chairman Mohegan Tribe, CT; Dr. Henrietta Mann, Montana State University; Cheyenne Arapaho Tribes of OK; Joseph Fire Crow, Storyteller/Performer Northern Cheyenne Tribe, MT; A Northern Cheyenne Traditional Flute Artist
Intergovernmental Affairs: Tribal Affairs
This website highlights the Census Bureau's relationship with tribal governments and provides important American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) and tribal resources. The Census Bureau collects data for the AIAN population and publishes specific counts, estimates and statistics.
Symbol Dictionary
This resources provides a listing of common symbols used in American Southwestern Indian arts with their typical cultural meanings.
Symbols of Indigenous Peoples
The Manataka American Indian Council provides an overview about the symbols of the American Indian.
Traditional American Indian Tribal Leadership
This link is to a document describing the basic values surrounding the American Indian tribal approach to leadership.
Wisdom of the Elders
As noted at its website, the "Wisdom of the Elders Radio series offers a series of programs addressing Historical Intro, Elder Wisdom, Speaking Native, Sacred Landscape, Tribal Rhythms, Health and Healing, Artists Circle and Turtle Island Storytellers."
America's Great Indian Nations
This 2013 documentary published by Questar Entertainment is the first comprehensive history of six great Indian nations, dramatically filmed on location at their native tribal lands across America, using reenactments, archival footage, maps and original music. The story of the Iroquois, Seminole, Shawnee, Navajo, Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux Nations unfold in their struggle to protect their lands, cultures and freedoms.
America's Native Prisoners of War
In this 2010 video, while challenging us with stunning images, Aaron Huey relates the fight for survival on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Aaron began photographing on Pine Ridge Reservation as part of a story on poverty in America. However, the story has captured his passion for five years. A quintessential example of the failures of the reservation system, one cannot turn away from what we see at Pine Ridge Reservation.
American Indians Confront "Savage Anxieties"
As part of the $585 billion defense bill for 2015, Congress passed a measure that would give lands sacred to American Indians in Arizona to a foreign company. In this 2014 PBS video interview, Bill Moyer speaks with Robert A. Williams, Jr., a professor specializing in American Indian law, about how such deals are a part of American Indian's tragic history of dispossession.
Four Directions Teachings
This website offers videos discussing culture and values of five First Nations in Canada (Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk and M'ikmaq). As noted at its website, "Four Directions Teachings celebrates Indigenous oral traditions by honoring the process of listening with intent as each elder or traditional teacher shares a teaching from their perspective on the richness and value of cultural traditions from their nation."
In Whose Honor?
Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and Chief Illiniwek are Indian mascots and nicknames which have historically been first draft picks in American collegiate and professional sports. However, for Charlene Teters, a Spokane Indian, transplanting cultural rituals onto the field is a symbol of disrespect. In this documentary, Jay Rosenstein follows Teters' evolution from mother and student into a leading voice against the merchandising of Native American symbol and shows the lengths fans will go to preserve their mascots.
Inside an Apache Rite of Passage Into Womanhood (Video)
For the Mescalero Apache Tribe, girls are not recognized as women until they have undergone the "Sunrise Ceremony," an ancient, coming-of-age ceremony that lasts for four days. VICE was granted rare access to the ceremony for Julene Geronimo, the great, great grand-daughter of renowned Apache leader, Geronimo. VICE followed Julene through each day of her arduous rite-of-passage in order to better understand what womanhood means for the Apache tribe, and how these ceremonies play a significant role in preserving a way of life that almost became extinct.
Thriving in Indian Country: What's in the Way and How Do We Overcome? (Video)
In this 2017 TEDx video presentation, Dr. Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, gives a focused look at mascots, microaggressions and helping Native Americans thrive. Treuer states, "It can’t be a recipe for a healthy nation if our largest demographic of kids is only getting to the finish line a little over half the time. Somehow, we’re going to have to start listening to other perspectives.” An author of 14 books, Treuer has a BA from Princeton University and an MA and PhD from the University of Minnesota. He is editor of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language. Throughout the world, Treuer has shared the following presentations: 'Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask', 'Cultural Competence & Equity, Strategies for Addressing the “Achievement” Gap', and 'Tribal Sovereignty, History, Language and Culture'.
Ute Wisdom, Language and Creation Story
In this 2016 video, Larry Cesspooch shares his thoughts on the Ute Indian people today and shares Ute wisdom, including the Creation Story. Cesspooch, who is a citizen of the Ute Indian Nation/Tribe, is also a filmmaker, a story-teller and a military veteran who served in Vietnam.
Vine Deloria Jr. on Spiritual Yearning in the West
With the 2001 film, 'In the Light of Reverence,' still enjoying widespread use in classrooms around the world, the producers are heartened that the film has withstood the test of time. In June 1997, they were fortunate to film a rare interview with the renowned, beloved Native American intellectual Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933-2005). Deloria is well known for his books, 'Custer Died for Your Sins', and 'God is Red.' Producers went back to the vault and created four extended film clips from their rare, four-hour interview: 'Vine Deloria, Jr. — Spiritual Yearning in the West'; in which he talks about Native American struggles to safeguard their spiritual practices from outsiders.
What It Means To Be A Navajo Woman (Video)
In this 2010 TEDx video, Jolyana Bitsuie shares her journey becoming Miss Navajo Nation in 2001-2002. As a young girl, Jolyana remembers moving away from the Navajo culture during her formative years as a high school student in Phoenix, Arizona. Two days after winning Miss Navajo Nation, the tragedy of September 11th occurred. Tribal leaders asked Jolyana to bring encouragement and pride to the United States from the Navajo Nation, so she spent the next year representing the Navajo Nation across the United States. As Miss Navajo, Jolyana shared how she was the representation of her mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and communicated the importance of knowing who you are as an individual. Today, Jolyana teaches urban Navajos to keep their language alive and to be proud of their roots in order to ensure the survival of Navajo language and culture.
Why the Sioux Are Refusing $1.3 Billion
This 2011 PBS News Hour video claims how members of the Great Sioux Nation could pocket a large sum set aside by the government for taking the resource-rich Black Hills away from the tribes in 1877. But Tribal Leaders say the sacred land was never, and still isn't, for sale.