Please support our indigenous communities
On August 3, 1990, President George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, also called National Native American Heritage Month. This month is close to my heart since my mother was Mescalero Apache and I have always treasured that heritage. Before law school, I graduated from Harvard University with a Masters of Divinity, where I wrote my thesis on the repatriation of sacred objects and human remains back to Indian tribes.
My work to support Native Americans
Since establishing my practice, I have worked multiple times with Native Americans and it warms my heart to be able to support them. An example case is where I helped Native American grandparents gain custody of their grandchild. My clients Ted and Anna (not their real names), who lived in Colorado, came to me about the case of their granddaughter Mary (not her real name), who lived with her father in New Mexico. Mary had been in a dangerous situation in New Mexico, and Ted and Anna wanted to gain custody of her. Ted and Anna are both Cherokee and wanted to move with Mary to the Cherokee reservation in Oklahoma. This was a complex case, made more challenging by the fact that we were arguing the case across two states, in both New Mexico and Colorado. Nevertheless, I was successfully able to help this little girl escape from an abusive situation and reclaim both her heritage and land birthright. You can read more details about this case on my blog.
How you can help
Tragically, members of this country’s Native American indigenous population are some of the most vulnerable people around the country and need our support. As November and December are months of giving, please consider giving generously to one of these charities:
- Native American Rights Fund
- Denver Indian Center
- National Museum of the American Indian
- American Indian College Fund
Getting involved
If you are interested in getting more involved with National Native American Heritage Month, you can learn more about several events marking it across the US. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are joining in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. Visit the official Native American Heritage Month page for special events.
