NOVEMBER 2021

CARLISLE INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL OPENS Founded by Richard Henry Pratt, Carlisle was the first federally-funded, off-reservation Indian boarding school.  Believing that Native Americans were equal to European-Americans, Pratt wanted the school … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 1, 1879”

ROSALIE ENOS KELI’INOI DIED-1ST WOMAN ELECTED TO HAWAIIAN TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE Born September 18, 1875, in Wailuku, Maui, Rosalie was a student at St. Anthony’s School for Girls in Wailuku, but eloped … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 2, 1952”

CHILEAN MAPUCHE UPRISING OF 1881 BEGINS The Mapuche uprising of 1881–the last major rebellion of the indigenous Mapuches–took place during the last phase of the Occupation of Araucanía (1861–1883) by the … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 3, 1881”

NISGA’A FRANK ARTHUR CALDER DIED—CANADA’S FIRST ABORIGINAL CABINET MEMBER Born August 3, 1915, in Nass Harbour, British Columbia (B.C.), Frank attended Univ. of B.C.—its 1st Status Indian student–graduating in 1946.  Elected … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 4, 2006”

303 SANTEE SIOUX SENTENCED TO HANG AFTER 5-MINUTE COURT-MARTIAL TRIALS Over 300 Santee Sioux found guilty of raping and murdering settlers as part of the “Minnesota Uprising,” were sentenced to hang … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 5, 1862”

KLAMATH DRUG/ALCOHOL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACTIVIST ALFRED LEO SMITH BORN Born in Modoc Point, Oregon, Smith was a counselor for Native people with drug and alcohol addictions.  In Roseburg, Oregon, working in … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 6, 1919”

YELLOWKNIVES (COPPER INDIANS) SAVE MEMBERS OF COPPERMINE (FRANKLIN) EXPEDITION The Coppermine expedition (1819-22) was a British overland undertaking to survey and chart the area from  Hudson Bay to the north coast of Canada, eastwards … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 7, 1821”

PANAMA ESTABLISHES COMARCA EMBERÁ-WOUNAAN AUTONOMOUS REGION By Law No. 22, Panama created the Emberá-Wounaan Comarca—an indigenous territory set aside for the collective use of the Embera and Wounaan indigenous groups.  The … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 8, 1983”

MÉTIS LEADER JIM SINCLAIR DIED Born on June 3, 1933, in Punnichy, Saskatchewan, Jim joined the Métis Society of Saskatchewan as a field worker in 1964.  In 1967, he was elected … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 9, 2012”

OGALALA LAKOTA AIM LEADER/ACTOR WANBLI OHITIKA (RUSSELL MEANS) BORN Born on the Pine Ridge reservation, Means grew up in San Francisco.  By the early 1970s, he became the Director of the … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 10, 1939”

TREATY OF CANANDAIGUA [PICKERING TREATY] The Treaty, between the United States (U.S.) and the Six Nations (Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois) Confederacy, was signed in Canandaigua, New York, by sachems of the Grand … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 11, 1794”

INUK ARTIST AGNES NANOGAK GOOSE BORN Born on the Baillie Islands in the Northwest Territories, in 1937, her family relocated to Holman, on Queen’s Bay.  In the 1960’s, she joined the … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 12, 1925”

LAKOTA LAWYER/SCHOLAR/AUTHOR VINE DELORIA JR. DIED Born on March 26, 1933, near Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Reservation, Deloria served in the U.S. Marine Corps and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Iowa … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 13, 2005”

NATIVE HAWAIIAN OLYMPIC SWIMMER PUA KEALOHA BORN Born in Waialua, Hawaii, Pua was an American competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium as … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 14, 1902”

AYMARA LEADER JULIÁN APASA NINA (TUPAC KATARI) EXECUTED Born circa 1750, Apasa took the name “Tupac Katari” to honor two earlier rebel leaders: Tomás Katari, and Túpac Amaru, executed by the … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 15, 1781”

NORTH TUTCHONE STORYTELLER TSE DUNA (LOUISE PROFEIT-LEBLANC) BORN Born in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Profeit-LeBlanc was raised in the traditional lifestyle of the Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation and spoke the Northern … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 16, 1951”

PENOBSCOT ACTRESS MOLLY SPOTTED ELK BORN Mary Alice Nelson, born on Indian Island in Old Town, Maine, attended Swarthmore Prep. School but, needing money, left to dance on vaudeville and in … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 17, 1903”

WAMPANOAG LINGUIST JESSE LITTLE DOE BAIRD BORN Born in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Baird, since 1993, has worked to resurrect spoken Wopânâak, the language that the Wampanoag spoke when greeting the Pilgrims.  She’s … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 18, 1963”

JACINTO CANEK STARTS MAYAN REVOLT Born circa 1731 in Barrio de San Román, City of Campeche, New Spain, Jacinto Uc de los Santos studied Latin and history in the Franciscan monastery … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 19, 1761”

CHEROKEE BILLY WALKABOUT EARNS FOUR DECORATIONS IN ACTION IN VIETNAM Born in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, March 31, 1949, Walkabout was of the Blue Holley Clan.  On November 20, 1968, Sergeant Walkabout … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 20, 1968”

TSIMSHIAN PHOTOGRAPHER BENJAMIN HALDANE DIED Born on June 15, 1874, in British Columbia, Haldane migrated in the late 1880s with 800 Tsimshian people to Metlakatla, Alaska, where they sought secure land … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 21, 1941”

MI’KMAQ CHIEF KOPIT (JEAN-BAPTISTE COPE) REACHES PEACE WITH NOVA SCOTIA Born in the Shubenacadie valley of Nova Scotia (N.S.) in 1698, Kopit, whose name meant “Beaver,” probably was a Chief when … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 22, 1752”

PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS PUBLIC LAW APOLOGIZING FOR THE OVERTHROW OF THE KINGDOM OF HAWAII  On this date, Congress adopted and President Bill Clinton signed U. S. Public Law 103-150 (107 Stat. … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 23, 1993”

CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO SUZAN SHOWN HARJO AWARDED PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM Born on June 2, 1945, in El Reno, Oklahoma, Suzan, in the 1960s, co-produced (with eventual husband Frank Harjo) Seeing … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 24, 2014”

OJIBWE TOMMY PRINCE–CANADA’S MOST-DECORATED WAR HERO–DIED Born in Petersfield, Manitoba, October 25, 1915, Prince joined the Canadian Army in 1940 and served in the Canadian-American “Devil’s Brigade.”  At Anzio, he ran … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 25, 1977”

OJIBWE POET WRITER HEID E. ERDICH BORN Born in Breckenridge, Minn., raised in Wahpeton, North Dakota, Erdrich graduated from Dartmouth College (1986).  Earning Master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 26, 1963”

INUK FILMPRODUCER/CARVER ZACHARIAS KUNUK BORN Born in Kapuivik, in the Canadian Arctic, Kunuk’s youth involved summers hunting with his family and winters going to school in Igloolik.  Kunuk, in 1982, joined … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 27, 1957”

JOHN KAMEAALOHA ALMEIDA- DEAN OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC-BORN John Celestino Almeida Jr. was born in the Pauoa Valley on the island of Oʻahu.  Blind by age 10, he moved to Wai’nae where … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 28, 1897”

SAND CREEK MASSACRE OF PEACEFUL CHEYENNE Black Kettle, the local chief of a village of approximately 800 Cheyenne Indians, had approached a United States Army fort seeking protection for his people.  … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 29, 1864”

BATTLE OF MILLARAPUE-MAPUCHE WARRIOR GALVARINO THROWN TO DOGS The Battle of Millarapue was intended by the Toqui Caupolicán to be a Mapuche ambush of the Spanish army of García Hurtado de … Continue reading “NOVEMBER 30, 1557”