03
November
2016
|
12:06 PM
America/Chicago

UHD Celebrates National Native American Heritage Month

5188445791_b75829ded8_o-798x562National Native American Heritage Month is a time to commemorate the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and traditions of Native Americans. Starting this week, the Center for Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CSDEI) of the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) will celebrate this significant time of the year with a series of events spotlighting the important contributions and accomplishments of the native people and the shared histories between tribal nations and other communities.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration created to acknowledge, honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush was the first United States president to recognize Native American Heritage Month in November and, to this day, U.S. presidents carry on with this tradition.

John Hudson, director of the CSDEI, encourages the UHD community to use this month as a time to become more knowledgeable about Native American heritage.

UHD is celebrating National Heritage Month with several educational activities that are open to the public. Audiences will have the opportunity to explore the American Indian culture through discussions, films and various tabling events.

This week, the celebration kicked off with a screening of the documentary, "A Good Day to Die: Dennis Banks & The American Indian Movement." Next week, the CSDEI will host a screening and discussion titled "Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian," from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 7, in the Girard Street Building (GSB), Travis Room. A full list of the remaining events can be found here.

By Toni Carter