Today is National Native American Heritage Day. If you’ve been following our recent prompts, you’ll know the whole month of November honors the Indigenous people of what’s now the United States.
But today is especially important, because the month-long celebration began as a day. While its timing has faced criticism from Indigenous activists, academics, and communities, the day was also hard-won by countless activists who pushed for Indigenous people to be recognized and protected.
One of the most prominent champions of the cause was Seneca academic Dr. Arthur C. Parker. His list of professional accomplishments is as impressive as it is long — he was an archeologist, activist, editor, museum director, founder of the National Congress of American Indians, to name just a few of his titles.
In 1911, when the New York State Capitol building caught fire, Dr. Parker managed to rescue roughly 50 precious Iroquois artifacts from the blaze — all while wielding the tomahawk passed down through his family for generations.