Sonoma State University

Native American Heritage Month - November 2023

"The United States would not exist if not for a great deal of sacrifice, blood, and tears by Indian Tribes across the country." – Deb Haaland

Learn more about Secretary Deb Haaland

Native American Heritage Month Celebration

Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of all Native cultures and to acknowledge the important contributions of Indigenous peoples. In our fourth annual celebration, the Native American Studies Department, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and the HUB Cultural Center is honored to coordinatewide range of events that celebrate Native American culture with the SSU campus community. Below is the list of events for this year's Native American Heritage Month.

Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria 

Sonoma State University sits on the borderlands of the Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok Nations, the descendants of whom today are the enrolled citizens of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. The mission of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is social justice and environmental stewardship. The Tribe hopes and encourages the larger community to join them in this necessary mission.

Basketry with Rose Hammock

Thursday, November 2nd | 5:00pm - 6:00pm | HUB Cultural Center

Join us in the HUB Cultural Center to learn about the art and culture of basketry with Rose Hammock (Round Valley Indian Tribes, Maidu, Wailaki, and Pomo) Communications and Community Outreach with Redbud Resource Group.

Native American Heritage Month Gathering

Tuesday, November 7th | 12:00pm - 1:00pm | HUB Cultural Center 

Join us in the HUB Cultural Center for a lunch gathering honoring Native American Heritage Month and an opportunity to learn beading from artist and Native American Student Mentor, Nicole Jones. All are welcome to attend.

Jeffrey Palmer (Kiowa) Speaker

Wednesday, November 8th |2:30pm - 3:30pm | Join the Zoom

Join the Native American Studies Department as they host a discussion with Jeffrey Palmer, an Associate Professor of Performing and Media Arts at Cornell University,. Jeffrey is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, and is an award-winning filmmaker and media artist. He describes his work as a multimedia exploration of Indigenous people's lives in twenty-first century America. He recently completed the feature film, N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear, examining the life and mind of the first and only Native American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature.

Botanical Bus: Planting Seeds of Self-Care

Thursday, November 30th | 12:00pm - 1:00pm | HUB Cultural Center

Breaths of Autumn
Let's breathe deeply the grace of autumn, with gratitude for the year, and in preparation for the time of rest that is upon us. Learn to make respiratory syrup with echinacea, elderberry, ginger, and figs.  

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