Indigenous Heritage Month Events

November is traditionally Indigenous or Native American Heritage Month. During this month, we have the opportunity to pay special attention to the history and contributions of Native American people and communities across this country. To help you get started, we recommend checking out Native Land Digital, an incredible resource that maps out indigenous territories across the world. You can input your home address, for example, and learn the name(s) of the communities who originally dwelled there. This is a great starting point for learning more about Native American history!

NOVA has a number of opportunities to help you honor Native American Heritage Month. See below for some events happening across our campuses. If you know of an upcoming event that should be listed here, please email Sherrene in the Office of DEI (sdelong@nvcc.edu). You can also contact Sherrene for accommodations or questions about any of these events, and she will direct you to the appropriate contact person.

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Event: DEI Spotlight Event, Indigenous Heritage Month
Date: Thursday, November 10, 2022, 11am-noon
Location: Loudoun, HEC Event Center

SPEAKER BIO: Mark Charles is a speaker, writer, and consultant. The son of an American woman (of Dutch heritage) and a Navajo man, Mark teaches the complexities of American history regarding race, culture, and Christendom in order to help forge a path of healing and conciliation for the nation. In 2012, Mark hosted a public reading at the US Capitol of the buried apology to Native peoples in the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill given by the 111th Congress. He is the co-author of the book, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, and he authors the blog Reflections from the Hogan. He is a co-founder of the Would Jesus Eat Frybread? college-conference series and has served on the boards of the Christian Reformed Church of North America and the Christian Community Development Association. Mark ran as an independent candidate for the presidency of the United States in 2020, advocating for a Truth and Conciliation Commission – a formal and national dialogue on issues of race, gender, and class. Find out more about Mark on his website: https://wirelesshogan.com/
Three signed copies of Mark’s book will be raffled off during this event! Registration is requested. Click here to register.

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Event: Celebration of Indigenous Heritage Month
Date/Time: Wed, Nov. 16, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Location: Loudoun, HEC Event Center, Room 213

Presenter: Dr. Eugene Scheel is a historian and maker of detailed historical maps, including one of the American Indians of Loudoun County. He has written 13 books on the history of Loudoun, five others on Piedmont Virginia counties, and a critical bibliography of works about the American Indians in the northern Virginia Piedmont. In 2008, the Loudoun Laurels Foundation named Dr. Scheel one of its three initial laureates––honoring his lifetime contributions to the history and heritage of Loudoun County.    

Dr. Scheel is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Clark University and holds graduate degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Virginia. He is also a U. S. Marine Corps veteran.

Come hear this impactful talk as a way to honor Indigenous Heritage!

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Event: Trip to the National Museum of the American Indian
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 4, 9:30am – 4:00pm
Location: Departing from Woodbridge
Cost: $5- Transportation provided (seats are limited)

The Woodbridge campus is taking students to visit the National Museum of the American Indian on Friday, Nov. 4. Sign up in Woodbridge Student Life, WS 158.