November is Native American Heritage Month — a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to honor the important contributions of Native people. It’s also a time to acknowledge the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. NEPM is committed to inclusion and representation in media. For Native American Heritage Month, we offer a diverse collection of programs on TV, radio and online. Enjoy!
STREAM LOCAL STORIES
Indigenous science to be focus at UMass Amherst center on climate change research
Indigenous science is the focus of a new $30 million environmental research center, housed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Center For Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science (CBRIKS) aims to highlight the traditional knowledge of Native tribes across the country to address climate-related problems in a way that Western science often misses.
Massachusetts legislators consider replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day
The Massachusetts House held a hearing on a bill that would designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day rather than Columbus Day. State Sen. Joanne "Jo" Comerford, D- Northampton, co-sponsored the bill aimed at acknowledging "the history of genocide and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and to recognize and celebrate the thriving cultures and continued resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples and their tribal nations," as stated in the proposed legislation.
Massachusetts grants $31.5M to cities, towns, tribes to prepare for climate change
Massachusetts has awarded more than $31.5 million in grants to dozens of cities and towns and to two Native tribes to build climate resilience at the local level. The funds are part of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, which provides planning grants to assess and mitigate potential climate hazards such as flooding and extreme heat—along with funds to implement these plans.
WATCH
Native America Season 2
Tuesdays, through Nov. 14 at 9 p.m. on NEPM TV
Season 2 of Native America is a groundbreaking portrait of contemporary Indian Country. Building on the success of the first season, this four-part Native directed series reveals the beauty and power of today’s Indigenous world. Smashing stereotypes, it follows the brilliant engineers, bold politicians, and cutting-edge artists who draw upon Native tradition to build a better 21st century. Stream Season 1 with NEPM Passport
Little Bird
Thursdays through Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. on NEPM TV
The award-winning Canadian drama Little Bird tells the story of Bezhig Little Bird, who was adopted into a Jewish family at the age of five, being stripped of her identity and becoming Esther Rosenblum. Now in her 20s and longing for the family she lost, she sets out to fill in the missing pieces. Her quest lands her in the Canadian prairies where she discovers that she was one of the generation of children forcibly apprehended by the Canadian government.
STREAM
Coming Home
The compelling feature-length documentary by director Erica Daniels, takes viewers behind the scenes of the production of the much-anticipated dramatic series Little Bird and the groundbreaking movement for Indigenous narrative sovereignty as experienced through the series’ Indigenous creatives, crew and ‘60s Scoop advisors.
The American Buffalo
From Ken Burns, the biography of an improbable, shaggy beast that has found itself at the center of many of the country’s most mythic and heartbreaking tales. The series takes viewers on a journey through more than 10,000 years of North American history and across some of the continent’s most iconic landscapes, tracing the mammal’s evolution, its significance to the Great Plains and, most importantly, its relationship to the Indigenous People of North America.
Next at the Kennedy Center: Embracing Duality
In partnership with electronic music pioneers The Halluci Nation, R&B artist Martha Redbone, and performance artist Ty Defoe, The Kennedy Center explores the impact and evolution of indigenous performing arts cultures.
America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston: Utah
From paragliding over the Great Salt Lake to canyon climbing to discovering the science behind nature’s healing powers, Baratunde journeys west to find out what modern-day pilgrims are seeking in Utah’s outdoor spaces.
American Masters: Buffy Sainte-Marie
Experience the story of the Oscar-winning Indigenous artist from her rise to prominence in New York’s Greenwich Village folk music scene through her six-decade groundbreaking career as a singer-songwriter, social activist, educator and artist.
Independent Lens: Attla
The gripping story of George Attla, a charismatic Alaska Native dogsled racer who, with one good leg and fierce determination, became a legendary sports hero in Northern communities around the world.
Independent Lens
Home from School: The Children of Carlisle
"Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.” This was the guiding principle that removed thousands of Native American children and placed them in Indian boarding schools. Among the many who died at Carlisle Indian Industrial School were three Northern Arapaho boys. Now, more than a century later, tribal members journey from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to help them finally come home.
The Warrior Tradition
The largely-untold story of Native Americans in the United States military. Why would Indian men and women put their lives on the line for the very government that took their homelands? The film relates the stories of Native American warriors from their own points of view – stories of service and pain, of courage and fear.
POV: Standing Above the Clouds
Standing Above the Clouds follows Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists as they stand to protect their sacred mountain Mauna Kea from the building of the world’s largest telescope.
PBS KIDS & PBS LEARNING MEDIA
Molly of Denali
Weekdays at 7 a.m. on NEPM TV
Molly of Denali is a PBS Kids action-adventure comedy that follows the adventures of feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl. It is the first nationally distributed children’s series in the U.S. to feature an Alaska Native lead character.
Crane Song: Molly of Denali Read Along from PBS KIDS
Molly of Denali's Berry Itchy Day Read Along with Yatibaey Evans from PBS KIDS
12 Books to Celebrate Native American and Alaska Native Heritage from PBS Parents
Native American Heritage Collection from PBS Learning Media
Find videos, lessons, and interactive activities for Native American Month from PBS Learning Media. Students grades 3–12 can learn about Native American art, history, and culture presented by historians, artists, students, and scientists.
American Experience: The Pilgrims
Alliance with Massasoit’s People and the First Thanksgiving
Native America: Nature to Nations
Early Democratic Principles
Native American Culture:
The Dreamcatcher