PBS Utah's Native American & Alaska Native Heritage Collection
November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The celebration of Indigenous cultures began as a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of Native American and Alaska Native communities.
We celebrate by listening to and learning about Indigenous and native voices from across the continent. You can learn more about the diverse experiences of Native Americans and Alaska Natives with this collection of documentaries. You can stream these films and shows and more on the PBS App.
PBS Utah has a long history of producing documentaries and outreach projects that give voice to Utah’s Native American population. PBS Utah's award-winning documentaries explore stories, past and present, of Native American boarding schools, veterans returning from war, the debate over the Bears Ears Monument, and Utah’s five tribes. Education Resources enhance these films and bring them to life in the classroom. Explore PBS Utah's Native Heritage Education Collection.
FROM PBS UTAH
Examines the history, operation, and legacy of the federal Indian Boarding School system.
Enjoy a cultural celebration through performances of a group of Paiute Indian Tribe youth.
New insight on PTSD from America's first warriors, Native Americans.
While many cases remain unsolved, what needs to change to protect Utah's Native women?
Basket weaver Elsie Holiday’s designs range from traditional Navajo patterns to pop art.
Learn about the growing indigenous food activist movement.
Legend has it the jingle dance originated from an Ojibwe man who dreamt of its healing power during the Spanish Flu. Now, Fine arts photographer Eugene Tapahe travels the west photographing his daughters and friends in National Parks and Monuments as a way to reclaim indigenous spaces and bring healing to the world.
Learn about the indigenous Paiute, Goshute, Navajo (Diné), Northwestern Shoshone & Ute peoples who have lived on the land we now call Utah for generations. Unprecedented collaborations between Native and non-Native filmmakers place native voices at the heart of five heartbreaking yet inspiring stories.
MORE: watch full videos and learn more at pbsutah.org/weshallremain
At its heart, it’s a battle for homeland and sovereignty. Bears Ears, a remote section of land lined with red cliffs and filled with juniper, sage, is at the center of a fight over who has a say in how Western landscapes are protected and managed.
MORE: watch full Battle over bears ears
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
PBS kids
Awesome Alaskan Kids!
Inspired by Molly of Denali, the “Awesome Alaskan Kids” short series shows real kids from across Alaska filming their own vlogs. Each kid shares a unique perspective, culture and adventure as Alaskans and Alaska Natives.
PBS Learning Media & PBS Utah
- Battle Over Bears Ears (Multi-media interactive lesson) - In December 2016, a distinctive area of Southeastern Utah called Bears Ears was established as a national monument. In this interactive lesson, you will learn about the Bears Ears region through various media and content that will help you understand the evolving issues surrounding this land. By the end of the lesson, we hope you are able to reflect and respond to the different viewpoints and come to your own conclusion about the pros and cons of the monument.
- Native America(PBS LearningMedia for Teachers) reaches back 15,000 years, examining ancient city planning and early systems of science and spirituality and extends to present-day exploration of Indigenous knowledge and language preservation.
Bears Ears Curriculum
Curriculum focusing on the complex social, cultural, and scientific issues surrounding Bears Ears drawing on the principles of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Learn ideas for introduction, role-play, and follow-up ideas to engage students of all levels.
Critically Informed Cultural Texts
Explore challenges and opportunities associated with using culturally sustaining texts in an era of commercially packaged curriculum. Design K-12 lessons that encourage the development of a critically informed stance toward text.
Books and Written Material About and For Indigenous Peoples
- Native American Children’s Literature Recommended Reading List
- Learn to Evaluate Books and Written Material
- Explore the tool for evaluating material about indigenous peoples for use in the classroom.
Molly of Denali Compilation | Celebrate Alaska Native Heritage! | PBS KIDS
Celebrate American Indians and Alaska Natives during Native American Heritage Month with this Molly of Denali compilation, as she shares Alaska Native culture and traditions!
FROM PBS
Indie Alaska
American Masters
Zitkála-Šá: Trailblazing American Indian Composer and Writer
Zitkála-Šá co-composed and wrote the libretto for the first American Indian opera and co-founded the National Council of American Indians to lobby for increased political power for American Indians.
Local, USA
In Their Element
Indigenous leaders protecting our natural resources in the face of the climate crisis.
Growing Native
Native America
Explore the world created by America’s First Peoples. The four part series reaches back 15,000 years to reveal massive cities aligned to the stars, unique systems of science and spirituality, and 100 million people connected by social networks spanning two continents.
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