November is Native American Heritage Month, and it’s a great
time for those of us who pack up our Iowa
RVs and set out to explore this great nation and to take an extra moment to
appreciate all the ways Native Americans have influenced our shared American
experience, whether it’s through food, art, music or crafts.
Whether your next RV
road trip takes you across the country or across the state, we found several
resources to help us all learn more about the rich, varied, triumphant (although
sometimes heartbreaking) history of American Indians.
Where to start:
Nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov
A number of institutions, including The Library of Congress,
National Park Service and Smithsonian, have joined forces to create a one-stop
info-site for events around the country, online museum exhibits, veterans’
support, audio, video and resources for teachers.
Around the country:
·
The National Park Service has created a special
list of park sites called “Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary:
Places Reflecting America’s Diverse Cultures” not only for sites of Native
American significance but all cultures of the Americas.
·
The National Museum of the American Indian,
Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC, is not to be missed.
In Iowa:
·
Visit Effigy
Mounds National Monument in northeast Iowa and explore 200 prehistoric
American Indian mound sites built along the Mississippi River between 450 BC
and AD 1300.
·
The Lewis
and Clark National Historic Trail includes 41 historic places covering the
2-year expedition, also described as the greatest camping trip of all time, a
voyage of high adventure, and an exercise in manifest destiny, which carried
the American flag overland to the Pacific.
Did you know?
·
The original inhabitants of the area that is now
Iowa included: The Dakota Sioux
tribe; The Illinois
(Illini) tribe; The Ioway tribe; The Missouria tribe; The Otoe tribe.
·
There is one federally recognized Indian tribe
in Iowa today, The Meskwaki.
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