Native American Heritage Month is an important celebration that recognizes the achievements and the rich culture, traditions, and history of Indigenous Americans. Considering the historical oppression of Indigenous people and their respective cultures, it is all the more important to uplift Indigenous voices in the present.
The annual celebration and commemoration of Native American Heritage Month serves as a way to debunk stereotypical myths and promote cultural diversity, understanding, and inclusion in the United States and Florida. As Indigenous Americans were the first people to live here, we want to recognize their importance, not just in the past and present, but in the future as well. Right here in Florida, we have six Seminole Tribe of Florida reservations in our state; Florida is also home to the Miccosukee Tribes of Florida. Because Indigenous history is often erased from American history, it is important to honor their contributions and culture to our country and to honor Indigenous people by acknowledging the genocide that our ancestors took part in during the development and settling of our country. In Florida especially, many Indigenous Americans were forced to move west because of the developments of what America was to be and what was to be built.
Team Anna is proud to support, celebrate, and empower Indigenous Americans of any and all tribes this month and every month. Team Anna is fighting for Indigenous Americans’ representation from the house floor, throughout the state of Florida, and all the way back to our district. From the incredible supportive community groups and nonprofits that are pushing for the history and culture of Indigenous Americans, to the amazing small businesses and restaurants, we applaud, commemorate, and honor the enriching culture and heritage of Indigenous Americans across Florida and in our very own House District 42.
To find out more of what tribal land you live on and to learn about the tribes, go to https://native-land.ca/!
Check out Indigenous Americans’ community groups, non-profit organizations, and historical sites across Florida that lead the charge to preserving indigenous history, culture, and life:
- American Indian Association of Florida was founded to promote and care for American Indian inter-tribal social and cultural needs through social gatherings, educational programs and special events.
- American Indian Movement Central Florida Chapter is a non-profit organization and group that focuses on advocacy for local tribes and Indigenous Americans through educational tools and conversation.
- Mission San Luis is Florida’s Apalachee-Spanish Living History Museum located in Tallahassee, Florida, that served as the principal village of the Apalachees and was the Spaniards’ westernmost military, religious, and administrative capital. Mission San Luis was one of over 100 mission settlements established in Spanish Florida between the 1560s and 1690s.
- Mound House is a historic site located in Estero, Florida. Over two thousand years ago the Calusa Indians dominated most of the southwest region of Florida where they assembled in small villages or fishing stations. They possessed a vast knowledge of seamanship and built seaworthy canoes and also engineered water courts with terraced mounds for higher and safer ground from high tides and hurricanes. Calusa people built shell mounds, which are called middens. Although eroded and altered by the human use of the last century, it is still a substantial midden in Florida and the United States.
- Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Indian tribe that was the only tribe in America to never sign a peace treaty. The proud, “unconquered” Seminole Tribal community remains, as always, a valuable legacy of Florida’s rich and diverse heritage and a national leader among American Indian tribes striving for self-reliance.
- Trail of Florida’s Indian Culture is a collection of national, state, and local parks, tourist attractions, and museums that you can visit throughout Florida featuring Native American history and cultural heritage.