November 16, 2024

Throughout November, the United States celebrates Native American Heritage Month, honoring the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and traditions of America’s Indigenous peoples. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is proud to have funded numerous projects that preserve and document Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian language and history; expand humanities resources for Native communities; and deepen public awareness of the cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples.

See a selection of NEH-supported programs – including some featuring the stories of South Dakota tribes – at https://www.neh.gov/news/neh-resources-native-american-heritage-month, and consult nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/, a collaborative website between NEH and other government organizations, to learn about additional upcoming Native American history exhibitions and resources for teachers.

South Dakota projects highlighted by NEH include the following:

• An NEH grant awarded to Little Wound School in Kyle to fund the production of The Heart of All That Is, a seven-part podcast series on the history of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe.
• An NEH-supported “On Being with Krista Trippett” interview with Ernie LaPointe, a Pine Ridge native, great-grandson of Sitting Bull, and author of Sitting Bull: His Life and Legacy. This program, which also features Cedric Good House, discusses the Lakota leader’s life, legacy, and renewed importance to Lakota people in recent years
• A “50 States of Preservation” blog entry recognizes the Woksape Tipi Archives at Oglala Lakota College in Kyle. The archives house unique language, cultural, and historical materials of the tribe and use these powerful artifacts to reach the decentralized reservation districts and beyond.

To learn more and to create your own Native American Heritage Month reading, listening, and viewing plan, explore the full list of NEH Resources.

Learn more about humanities programming in South Dakota by signing up for SDHC e-Updates!