Written by Anjali, Foster City Library
November is Native American Heritage Month! Join us in celebrating this month and beyond by engaging with our events, collections and programs hosted by Native neighbors in your own community. Native peoples are not only part of our region’s history, but remain vibrant and active today, continuing to shape the Bay Area’s culture and future.
Celebrate Native American Heritage at San Mateo County Libraries
We invite you to join us for these Native American Heritage Month programs happening at our libraries all month long!
Native Art Workshop and Lecture: Through artwork and storyboards, learn about the Red Power Movement and the occupation of Alcatraz Island. Join the discussion to share your story and paint what inspires you. This special one-time event is on Friday, November 7, at 3:15 PM, at Pacifica Sharp Park Library.
All Nations Singers & Dancers Pow Wow Presentation: A visually captivating collective of Pow Wow dancers representing many Native American Tribes will share their styles of dance.
Pine Needle Weaving: Join us for a hands-on 90-minute medallion workshop geared towards teens, teaching traditional pine needle weaving.
Native American Drumming and Dance: Feel the rhythm of the drums and take in the beauty of the dances at a Native American drumming and dance presentation!
Read About Native American Culture
Continue celebrating Native American heritage by bringing home incredible stories hand-selected and beloved by our staff. Dive into Native American culture, history and stories by exploring our curated book lists for kids, teens and adults.
Discover all our reading recommendations for Native American Heritage Month.
Local Native American History
The Bay Area is both home to the Ohlone and the site of a catalyzing movement in modern Native history. In 1969, the group Indians of All Tribes—consisting of young Native activists and students from across the country—organized an occupation of Alcatraz Island, which had become abandoned federal land when the prison had closed a few years prior. The occupation aimed to reclaim the island as Native land and draw attention to issues such as broken treaties, poor living conditions for Indigenous communities and the loss of tribal lands.
Although the occupation ended in mid-1971, when federal authorities forcibly removed remaining protesters, the 19-month demonstration became a powerful symbol of Native American resistance, encouraged a shift in federal policy and helped spark the modern Indigenous rights movement. Today, Native community members continue to commemorate the original occupation by meeting on Alcatraz Island every October for the Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering.
We honor and affirm the rights of the Ohlone and the other Indigenous Peoples who call the unceded territories of the San Francisco Bay Area their traditional homeland. They are the descendants of the village sites that are seen and unseen. We pay respect to the Ancestors, Elders, and Relatives of Indigenous Peoples for their historic and current contributions to San Mateo County.
To further explore the history and continuing contributions of the Ohlone people, check out these resources curated by the San Mateo County Office of Education.
Add a comment to: Celebrate Native American Culture With Us