Museum Center at 5ive Points honors Native American Heritage Month
Photo courtesy of Museum Center at 5ive Points
This November was the 29th Native American Heritage Month and the Museum Center at 5ive Points, located in downtown Cleveland, hosted a variety of exhibits to honor the rich culture of the Ocoee region.
In1992, President George H. W. Bush designated the month of November as the first “National American Indian Heritage Month” to respect and recognize the indigenous land upon which modern America was built. The Museum Center at 5ive Points celebrated this history by collaborating with other programs for education on Native American heritage. Executive Director of the museum center Lucy Rymer organized numerous exhibits in commemoration of the month.
“From Sept. 11 through Nov. 28, the museum hosted a Smithsonian exhibit, ‘Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge Shared Science,’” said Rymer. “We also held 3 Coffee with a Curator Programs during November, which featured the Hiawassee Heritage Center, Jamie Russell from Red Clay State Park and Greg Vital discussing the history of the Buffalo.”
In addition to the Smithsonian exhibit and the Coffee with a Curator Programs, the Museum Center at 5ive Points is home to a unique display, providing information about the Ocoee region.
“We have an exhibit in our lobby created by our own curator called, ‘The First Inhabitants’ that tells the story of the first humans to inhabit our area and displays artifacts from the Hiawassee Heritage Center, Red Clay State Park and our own collection,” said Rymer.
In Tennessee, names used today speak to the lasting influence of native communities: Etowah, Chattanooga, Hiwassee and Tullahoma, reports the Tennessean. Bradley County, Cleveland and Charleston were once the heart of the Cherokee Nation. For a full list of sites dedicated to honoring Cherokee heritage in the Bradley County area, click here.
What started as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the first Americans’ significant contributions to the establishment and growth of the U.S. has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose, according to the Native American Heritage Month website.
Dr. Arthur Parker, one of the first proponents of an American Indian Day, was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York. According to the Library of Congress, Parker persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the “First Americans”.
The National Archives holds thousands of U.S. Government records relating to Native Americans, from as early as 1774 through the mid-1990s. These include every treaty signed with Native Americans, records from the Indian Schools, Indian Census Rolls and Bureau of Indian Affairs records.
Bush originally approved a joint resolution designating November “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name, have been issued each year since 1994. President Joe Biden made a proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month on Oct. 29.
“The United States of America was founded on an idea: that all of us are created equal and deserve equal treatment, equal dignity, and equal opportunity throughout our lives. Throughout our history — though we have always strived to live up to that idea and have never walked away from it — the fact remains that we have fallen short many times,” said the proclamation. “During National Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present, honor the influence they have had on the advancement of our Nation, and recommit ourselves to upholding trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthening Tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal self-determination.”
On Nov. 15-16, Biden hosted the first tribal nations summit since 2016. During this summit, according to AP News, the Biden administration and Tribal leaders discussed key issues, policy initiatives and goals for Indian Country.
Although 5ive Points serves as an informational hub for the history of the Ocoee region, additional resources are available for those who want to learn more about Native American history within different regions and cities. For Lee students, 5ive Points is a local source of information about the history of Cleveland and provides the opportunity to engage in appreciating the foundation of Native American heritage.
To learn more about the Museum Center, click here.
Editor in Chief Anna Shand contributed to this article.
