West Hartford Marks Native American Heritage Month

WEST HARTFORD, CT—West Hartford officials have officially recognized November as Native American Heritage Month, and a couple of local events are slated in that spirit.

The programs are being sponsored by the Town of West Hartford's Office of Equity Advancement's Indigenous Recognition and Reconciliation Task Force, with help from the West Hartford Public Library.

The West Hartford Town Council has issued a proclamation in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

"Whereas we reaffirm our commitment to acknowledge the sovereignty, resilience, and lived experiences of all Indigenous peoples," reads the proclamation. " We recognize that this acknowledgment is not an endpoint, but a beginning — an invitation to engage in a deeper process of healing, stewardship, and shared responsibility."

As part of this recognition, the town is:

• Hosting a Native American beading workshop at the Noah Webster Children's Library from 4 to 5 p.m. at the library, which is located at 20 S. Main St., West Hartford.

Space is limited and the program is for children in third- through sixth grade.

• Conducting a film viewing/discussion of the movie "Sugar Cane" on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. in the Noah Webster Library's community room.

To register for the program, click on this link.

• Meanwhile, the library is suggesting folks might want to take a look at some literature by and about Native Americans.

Those include: "If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving" by Chris Newell and "The Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings" by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw.

For more information, call Adrienne Billings-Smith of the West Hartford Office of Equity Management at 860-561-7448