November is National Native American Heritage Month
Here’s what you should know when talking to your Girl Scouts.
Questions? Email us at customercare@gsema.org.
It’s National Native American Heritage Month! At GSEMA, we acknowledge that the land on which we gather for Girl Scout activities and events is the unceded territory of the Wampanoag, Massachusett, Narragansett, and Nauset People* as well as that of other smaller tribes. We are committed to honoring this land by learning about and sharing its history and leaving no trace. We encourage you to talk to your Girl Scouts about Indigenous and Native American heritage this month, especially as it relates to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
It’s important to note that oftentimes, we discuss Indigenous and Native American History as if it only exists in the past. However, members of many of the tribes native to this area are still living, working, and building community here.
There are so many ways that Native American people identify. Depending on the region or the individual, you'll hear people identify differently, including terms like Indigenous, American Indian, Aboriginal, First Nations, or other names.
Why should we discuss Indigenous and Native American Heritage in relation to Thanksgiving?
For some, Thanksgiving is celebrated with family gatherings over delicious food. For Native Americans and allies, it is a National Day of Mourning and remembrance of the suffering inflicted on the Indigenous people of this region by English colonists.
Did you know? Massachusetts' name derives from the Algonquin word Massa-dchu-es-et, meaning: great hill small space. The great hills are known to be the Blue Hills bordering Boston.
Some Massachusetts town and city names also have Indigenous origins, including:
- Natick means "Place of Searching" in the Massachusett-Natick language
- Mattapan means "a good place to be," named by the Neponsett people
- Nantucket comes from the Wampanoag word Natockete, which means "faraway land"
- Sagamore is from the Algonquin language, secondary to a sachem or "high leader"
- Mashpee is derived from the town's Native name, Mâseepee: massa, meaning "great," and pe, meaning "water"; Wampanoag people
Earn your Native American Heritage Month Fun Patch. We invite you to take this opportunity to learn more about the cultures of the Native Nations in Massachusetts and across the country. We have plenty of activities to choose from, so you can make new discoveries and have tons of fun learning while earning a fun patch!
Visit Native Land Digital to find out which native nations are indigenous to the land that you occupy.
