Native American Heritage Month

Environmental Science/Ecology:

• Activity: Analyze contemporary environmental justice issues disproportionately affecting Tribal Nations (e.g., pipeline protests, water rights, mining impacts).
• Focus: Study Indigenous land management practices (like traditional ecological knowledge, controlled burns, and sustainable harvesting) and compare them to Western scientific methods.

Journalism:

• Focus: Critically analyze how Native peoples are represented (or rendered invisible) in news, film, and social media.
• Activity: Host a screening and discussion of contemporary Indigenous-created media (e.g., the TV series Reservation Dogs or films by Native directors).
• Ethics: Discuss journalistic ethics when reporting on Tribal communities, emphasizing the need for Native voices and perspectives.

Business/Economics:

• Focus: Study Tribal economies, business enterprises, and the unique challenges and opportunities of operating businesses on sovereign land.
• Activity: Case study on successful Tribal-owned businesses (e.g., in gaming, hospitality, energy) and their role in self-determination.