November is Native American Heritage Month, but we're going to extend it a little into December, too.
For our next Issues Among Us gathering, on Saturday 12/6 we'll meet at Western Presbyterian Church at 12pm to head off on a DC Indigenous History walking tour. Created by American University Professor and Chickasaw Nation citizen, Dr. Elizabeth Rule, the walking tour features sites of importance to Native peoples across the nation's capital, emphasizing policy and culture. We'll finish our journey at the Museum of the American Indian in time to visit their Native Arts Market, where you can meet Native artists, learn about traditional crafts, and purchase traditional and contemporary handcrafted artwork. This is a 2.5 mile journey, so please dress for the weather and a lot of steps, and plan to take public transit or a ride share back to church or home when we're through.
If walking all over the city in the winter weather isn't for you, the National Museum of the American Indian is making available several short films in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, and you can watch them from the comfort of your own home. Click here between Nov. 21 -28 to watch several short films featuring indigenous people and their stories.
***Issues Among Us is a series of gatherings where we go out into the city to learn about issues facing our community right now. Together, we go to museums, speakers, film screenings, library events, music performances, etc. and then often share a meal together and discuss what we learned and how it relates to our faith. We work to always make sure these gatherings are free and accessible to all.