Cultural Observances and Awareness Events: National American Indian Heritage Month 2023

National American Indian Heritage Month (NAIHM) is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, stories, and important contributions of Native American and Alaska Native peoples.  Currently, there are over 9 million American Indian and Alaska Natives living in the United States. With over 574 federally recognized tribes, there are hundreds of different cultures that are as unique as the people they represent.

For this year's theme, the Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) has chosen “Tribal Nations Soaring to New Heights.”

An example of soaring to new heights can be seen in the generations of Mohawk ironworkers who shaped the skylines of North American cities. The Mohawk tradition of ironworking began in the mid-1880s. They were hired as unskilled laborers to build a bridge over the St. Lawrence River onto Mohawk land. Over the years they earned a reputation for being hard workers on high steel, garnering the nickname “skywalkers.” They helped build prominent landmarks, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the George Washington Bridge, and the World Trade Center. In the 1960s, when New York City announced plans for the World Trade Center, which would be the tallest buildings in the world, hundreds of Mohawk men played a vital role in the construction. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the towers, descendants of the original ironworkers provided aid in rescue and cleanup at ground zero. Fittingly, Mohawk ironworkers then helped build the new Freedom Tower, now known as One World Trade Center.

Below is a sampling of LRC books selected in observance of NAIHM.  These books are either available for check out from the LRC or can be accessed online as eBooks through our EBSCOhost eBook database subscription or by logging into you LRC account (EBSCO login credentials are posted on Blackboard under Services or see LRC staff).