Girl Scouts Give Native American Cultures Year-Long Focus

November 21, 2003

By Ursula Castrillon, staff writer

Celebrating National American Indian Heritage Month, which is observed every November, is a year-round activity for some Girl Scouts. There are individual troops in states like Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Alaska, and others that have significant native populations that often set aside special occasions to commemorate and reinforce their histories, languages, and cultures.

Alaska's Active Heritage

No one has to remind Alaskan Girl Scouts of November's month-long tribute. In fact, there are three Girl Scout offices in Alaska that today serve more Alaskan Native girls than ever before. They provide girls with the ability to earn Girl Scout patches and other awards based on their knowledge of Alaskan Native Cultures.

Lesley Thompson, CEO of Tongass Alaska Council, feels that American Indian heritage is something they celebrate in Alaska every day. Jane Straight, Executive Director of the Susitna Girl Scout Council agrees. "Since the Alaska Heritage Center has organized their exhibits according to the five distinct cultures represented by Alaska's native peoples, we decided to use that same method to help Girl Scouts focus on their heritage." The result is a series of five patches, one each for the Aleut/Alutiiq Culture, the Athabascan Culture, the Eyak/Tlingit/Haida/Tsimshian Culture, the Inupiaq/Siberian Yupik Culture and the Yup'ik/Cup'ik Culture.

The activities required to earn the awards range from making connections with elders, to learning the history of their people, to studying the art and handicrafts they are known for. The girls can even get credit for learning how to cook native dishes like moose stew!

National Recognition

In the "Lower 48," as states south of Alaska are called, the first national commemoration was declared by the state of New York in 1916 and was called "American Indian Day." In 1990, month-long recognition was achieved when President George H. W. Bush declared the first National American Indian Heritage Month. The official proclamation recognizes the vital cultural, political, social, and moral contributions of American Indian and Alaskan Native peoples to America's history and character.

Summer Celebration

Since 1957, Girl Scouts have participated in an annual week-long seminar organized by the American Indian Scouting Association. In 2003 it was held in Billings, Montana, where more than 250 participants representing 55 Girl Scout councils, 40 states and 46 American Indian tribes gathered. These kinds of get-togethers—or pow-wows—are really helpful, since 50% of American Indians live in urban areas and don't necessarily feel close to their cultures on a daily basis.

The get-togethers were designed to help American Indian young people recognize and use their talents to better serve their communities and to learn more about and appreciate the diversity within this large multi-cultural group. It's also a great way to help adult leaders learn how to promote these goals all year long. In addition to the workshops, participants were given a tour of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations and local historical sites and were treated to a traditional Northern Cheyenne meal and pow-wow.

To find out more about Girl Scout activities where you live, contact your local Girl Scout council.