Before George H. W. Bush declared November Native American Heritage Month in 1990, there were many efforts to acknowledge Indigenous people. In 1916, “American Indian Day” was introduced. In 1976, Oct. 10 to Oct. 16 was considered to be “Native American Awareness Week” to provide opportunities for more conversations regarding Native Americans. In 1986 Nov. 23 to Nov. 30th was given the name “American Indian Week”.
This month is a designated time to celebrate the history, culture and contributions of Native Americans.
On Nov. 3 the Office of Institutional Culture and Belonging will be holding an ICE Event; “Native American Heritage History Month: Sacred Land, Environment Inequality and Indigenous People” in celebration. This will be a presentation by Dr. Michelle Petrie regarding environmental justice issues faced by Indigenous Americans.
Dr. Michelle Petrie developed a personal interest in social and racial justice upon enrolling in college in the 1990s. She spent her college career majoring in sociology and psychology up until attending the University of Georgia’s doctorate program where she was able to learn more about race, class, gender inequality and racial inequality.
“…there were two topics that I had explored as an undergraduate student that I wanted to learn more about…examining racial differences in the implementation of the death penalty and studying environmental justice. I landed on environmental justice for my dissertation research. As part of this area of study, I learned about many of the unique environmental justice issues faced by Indigenous Americans.”
Petrie disclosed that she uses her personal research and classroom instruction as methods to share what she has learned. ICE Events are a way to educate students and generate important conversations, in this context, it provides information about the Indigenous community.
