The Ann Arbor District Library acknowledges that it benefits from the colonization of Indigenous lands. The Library pledges to support Indigenous people and culture, through partnership with and recognition of Anishinaabek artists, writers, teachers, and performers.
For more information, please visit aadl.org/land.
AADL recognizes Native American Heritage Month in November with videos, staff recommendations, quotes, and more.
Special Content, Recent, and Upcoming Events
Diversity in the Outdoors Speaker Series | Fire is Medicine with Mary Parr
Indigenous land steward Mary Parr will discuss Ishkode, or “fire” in Anishinaabemowin, and its significance in Anishinaabeg culture and historical use to maintain resilience in fire-dependent communities. This presentation will also explore findings from Parr’s graduate thesis at Grand Valley State University, which examines the use of historical fire regimes in present-day restored tallgrass prairie. Following the presentation, Parr will lead a short hike through the prairie of Stapp Nature Area to discuss prescribed fire application and plant community response. This event will include a nature trail walk at Stapp Nature Area, so make sure you dress for the weather and for potentially muddy trails
Mary Parr is an Indigenous woman, land steward, graduate student, and seasoned fire practitioner passionate about traditional knowledge and its applications in restoration ecology. Parr has participated in prescribed fires across the Great Plains and Midwest while working for the Nature Conservancy Nebraska and Minnesota Chapters. Currently, Parr is the Stewardship Manager for Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings, MI, where she manages 850 acres, coordinates conservation efforts, leads the prescribed fire program, and mentors undergraduate students in land stewardship.
This event is in partnership with Natural Area Preservation
The Fight to Exist: Pontiac's Rebellion and the Start of the American Revolution
Land has always been central to many conflicts in the United States, especially regarding the land that Indigenous people lived on. Continuously moving westward, it became increasingly difficult for tribal nations to continue to hold onto their land. Having sided with the French during the French and Indian War, at the war's end and a British victory, life was changing drastically for tribal nations. Pontiac's Rebellion was in response to a British victory in the French and Indian War and the disdain for British policies that were coming into play. The Rebellion was also a step towards the American Revolution. Learn how this single event leads to a Nation's independence and native nations' right to exist.
Heather Bruegl, inspired by a trip to Wounded Knee, South Dakota, quickly developed a passion for Native American History. Curiosity for her own heritage led her to Wisconsin, where she has researched the history of the Native American tribes of that region. Heather is a graduate of Madonna University of Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in U.S. History. She currently travels and lectures on Native American history, including policy and activism.
50 Years of Celebration: The Dance for Mother Earth Powwow
"In 1972, when many aspects of Native American religions and sacred ceremonies were still prohibited by law, American Indians at the University of Michigan (AIUM) held their first powwow in Ann Arbor. Over the years, the Native American Student Association (NASA), consisting of community members and students, evolved into a group fully dedicated to making the powwow a success. In March of 2024, the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 50 Years of Celebration: The Dance for Mother Earth Powwow, a variety of voices from multiple generations share what the powwow has meant to them." - Filmmaker Jen Howard
Click to stream and download now!
The Sounds of Ojibwe with Asiginaak-Negamojig
Listen and sing along with the Blackbird Singers (Asiginaak-Negamojig) to learn the sounds of Anishinaabemowen. Led by Stacie Sheldon, American Indian language advocate and co-founder and co-creator of Ojibwe.net.
Events Coming Later in the Year
Native American Dance and Cultural Performance with Reg Pettibone
Saturday, December 21, 2-3 PM | Downtown Library
Champion powwow dancer and full-blooded Native American from the Ho-Chunk Nation, Reg Pettibone presents an engaging cultural program that amazes, entertains and educates audiences. Along with his wife Marca, who is from the Paiute Nation, Pettibone draws on his traditional upbringing to provide the audience with a better understanding of true Native American culture through dance, song, stories, audience participation, and a hands-on artifact display.
AADL's IndigiLit Book Club
This discussion series celebrates Native American authors and books, across genres, across time, and across the continent.
• This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake
• Sweetgrass Burning: Stories from the Rez by Barbara Robidoux
• This is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid To Ask by Anton Treuer
• Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Stream These Films With Your Library Card
Powerlands
Ivey Camille Manybeads Tso, a young Navajo filmmaker, investigates the displacement of Indigenous people and the devastation of the environment caused by the same chemical companies that have exploited the land where she was born. She travels to the La Guajira region in rural Colombia, the Tampakan region of the Philippines, the Tehuantepec Isthmus of Mexico, and the protests at Standing Rock. In each case, she meets Indigenous women leading the struggle against the same corporations that are causing displacement and environmental catastrophe in her own home. Inspired by these women, Ivey Camille brings home the lessons from these struggles to the Navajo Nation.
The Condor and the Eagle
Four leaders from impacted communities embark on an extraordinary trans-continental adventure from the Canadian Boreal forests to deep into the heart of the Amazonian jungle to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of justice. The Condor and the Eagle documentary offers a glimpse into a developing spiritual renaissance as the film's four protagonists learn from each other's long legacy of resistance to colonialism and its extractive economy. Their path through the jungle takes them on an unexpectedly challenging and liberating journey, which will forever change their attachment to the Earth and one another.
Rez Metal
When Navajo heavy metal band I Dont Konform sent out a demo album to Flemming Rasmussen, the Grammy Award-winning producer of Metallica, they never imagined that a few months later they would be rehearsing with him inside a hot Hogan on the Navajo reservation. As Rasmussen states after hearing their demo, "a specific technical element wasn't what stood out for me but the raw emotion and the thematic rage running through their music stood out as something refreshing and unique" - something true to the life of this metal band. Rez Metal explores the thriving heavy metal scene on the Navajo reservation through the remarkable story of I Dont Konform and their journey gaining popularity on reservations and recording their debut album in Denmark with one of the music industry's most influential producers.
Biblio Files: Episode 113 | Native American Authors
Each episode, a few AADL staff members present a book of their choice from a specific book topic such as favorite classic, book about nature, fiction under 200 pages, beloved children's book, etc. The topics span a multitude of genres. The theme this episode is books by Native American authors.
Local History: Who Lived Here?
Christopher highlights a West Park sign that commemorates the many Native Americans, including the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Wyandotte of the Huron Valley. The path through West Park is one of the many footpaths used by Native Americans at the time.
History of The Cherokee Phoenix Newspaper
Sequoyah, a Cherokee born in the late 18th century, invented a system of writing called the syllabary, which includes symbols that refer to consonant-vowel pairs instead of individual sounds. Christopher discusses The Cherokee people's adoption of the syllabary and the significance of The Cherokee Phoenix, the first indigenous American newspaper, in 1828.
Native American Heritage Month: Staff Recommendations
AADL staff members recommend several fiction and nonfiction books, podcasts, films, TV shows, and regional artists that explore different Native American nations, people, and cultures in rural and urban settings.
Staff Picks
- New Fiction by Indigenous Authors
- Teen Fiction by Indigenous Authors
- Reading for Native American History Month
Quotes
Inspirational quotes are captured through collage art, calligraphy, printmaking, and hand lettering. Each quote encourages reflection about nature, sovereignty, and creativity.
Poems
Native American poets explore kinship, heritage, and wildlife through their impactful words. Their poems are brought to life through collage art, watercolors, and printmaking.
More from AADL
Discussion: No, Not Even for a Picture
An online presentation with Veronica Williamson and Lindsey Willow Smith, curators of the online exhibit No, Not Even for a Picture at the Clements Library, and the resulting poster exhibit previously on display at AADL's Downtown Library.
Art from Around the World | Anishinaabe Watercolors
Learn about Anishinaabe artworks, both historical and contemporary, and then create your own work inspired by an Anishinaabe story. Presented by Jamie John, enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians based in Traverse City.
The Power of Native Women
Throughout history, women have played an important role in the family and the community. But Native women have also helped shape our nation by fighting alongside warriors, becoming doctors and performing other courageous feats. Learn about the impact of these women from historian Heather Bruegl.