Today we recognize November as Native American and Alaskan Native Heritage Month. Native American interests are relevant to BridgingApps and Easter Seals Greater Houston because:
- The Native demographic includes a high percentage of seniors and people with disabilities.
- 70,000 residents of southeast Texas identify as Native American.
- Harris County has the most diverse Native American population in Texas (150 tribal groups) and the 11th most diverse in the nation.
Now BridgingApps is building a partnership with the American Indian Center of Houston (AIC). From Amy Fuchs, BridgingApps Program Manager:
“Our first AIC event was in late September. It was sponsored by Comcast, and we got involved to help them out.” AIC invited us to come back, and the “next event is Saturday, November 23. [Digital Navigator] Walter Prescher will offer individual digital-skills training to people who received laptops at the Comcast event.”
From the BridgingApps Facebook thread (October 3): “We were so honored to work with the American Indian Center of Houston on Saturday’s Digital Literacy Workshop! We had so much fun talking all things #DigitalSkills and #TechForAll and can’t wait to come back. So grateful to Comcast for sponsoring this event.”
About the AIC
The AIC opened in February 2020. Its mission is “improving the lives of Native Americans” and “empowering Indigenous families” through civic engagement, employment-training programs, health fairs, better access to government services, and workshops like BridgingApps’ digital training.
From the AICHouston website: “We provide a welcoming space that respects Native traditions while addressing the needs of our community. Through partnerships and culturally relevant programs, we work to support well-being, preserve culture, and empower individuals … uplift our community, and inspire a future built on resilience and unity. Together, we can create meaningful change.”
This year, AIC headquarters moved to a new location on Highway 6 North. Interested parties can sign up for the e-newsletter, and for Center membership, online.
Native American Heritage Month 2024: Local Events
Other groups have organized other events to honor Native American heritage this month:
- Traders Village hosted its 34th annual Native American Pow Wow November 9–10. Activities included Native dances, traditional foods, carnival rides, and a market with over 1,000 vendors.
- The AIC presented a lecture at the West University Senior Center on November 11, sharing ways that Native Americans are preserving their heritage and traditions.
- The Children’s Museum of Houston is hosting a Native American Heritage Month Celebration on Saturday, November 16. Planned activities include art workshops, music, and Native American Storytime.
- The American Indian Alliance will present a dance program at Barbara Bush Library on November 22.
- The Fort Bend County Libraries system will host lectures on the Karankawa tribe, November 22 (Missouri City Branch), 25 (Sugar Land Branch), and 26 (Fulshear Branch). (Familiar to early Texas explorers, the Karankawa lived in the Gulf Coast area. Though the tribe did not survive as a group, they have living descendants who today identify as “Karankawa Kadla.”)
See also: Houston Public Media Celebrates Native American & Alaskan Native Heritage Month