NAHM: Erasure and Invisibility

When you think of the month of November, what is the first holiday that comes to mind? I can guarantee that a majority of you all answered with: Thanksgiving. Well congratulations, you just participated in the erasure of Indigenous peoples and our struggles.

WOAH LOU, WAIT A MINUTE! How could you just accuse people of doing such???

I did it because to me, as well as to many other Indigenous and Native people across the United States, the month of November is Native American Heritage Month.

As a follow-up question, who actually knew that the WHOLE ENTIRE month of November was and always has been Native American Heritage Month since the beginning of the 19th Century?

The answer to these questions just further shows how much my culture and history is being erased, and how truly invisible Indigenous peoples are, even during a month long holiday dedicated to us.

Just another example to prove my point; Recently, during Native American Heritage Month, TWO Native women made HISTORY by being elected to Congress. After 229 years of ZERO Native representation in the house, and just 94 years after Native people were legally given the right to vote, we finally see representation in the United States government. However, due to the erasure and invisibility of Native people, USA TODAY tweeted, "A powerful minority bloc is ready to assert clout in the Democratic-controlled House" while linking a picture of the statistics of minorities in the house. The minorities that USA TODAY used goes as followed: White Democrats, Hispanic Democrats, Black Democrats, Asian/OTHER Democrats, and finally Vacant/Undeclared.

USA TODAY would like to say a big "HAPPY Asian/Other Heritage Month" everyone!

The erasure and invisibility only continues every November, when the Thanksgiving Holiday of Genocide, outshines the month long holiday of Native American Heritage Month...

Thanksgiving celebrates the actual genocide and enslavement of Native peoples.

Native American Heritage Month celebrates the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States.

So, from now on, you have the choice to celebrate ERASING A WHOLE ASS CULTURE or celebrate the LIFE OF THE FIRST AMERICANS, who's culture is RICHER than any genocidal holiday.

The colonies and colonist, whose legacy you all chose to celebrate every November 22nd, are ugly, mean, and dead.

For Native American and Indigenous people, our legacy and culture are VERY MUCH ALIVE!

Native American Heritage Month celebrates life, culture, and family.

Which will you chose to celebrate??