November is nationally recognized as Native American Heritage Month. Established in 1990 under President George H. W. Bush. The work to establish national recognition for the contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States date back to as early as 1914.
Pasadena Public Library joins libraries across the country in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize the important contributions of Native people and celebrate their rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories.
Throughout November, children, teens and adults alike have the opportunity to participate in an array of programs and crafts designed to delight and inform.
EVENTS
Book Talk – Nat Read: From Mountain Man to Mayor, Don Benito Wilson: Los Angeles 1841-1878
Author Nat Read presents his book, From Mountain Man to Mayor Don Benito Wilson: Los Angeles. Wilson served as mayor of Los Angeles from 1851-1852 and organized the first Los Angeles police force. President Millard Fillmore appointed him Indian agent and, in 1855 and 1869, he was elected to the California Senate. As a result of his experience, Don Benito Wilson wrote a history of the Indians of the area. To attend this program, sign up at:
https://pasadena.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=6836.
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 5 p.m., Zoom
Adult Book Club – Pasadena Readers: Ceremony
Pasadena Readers book club will discuss Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. Tayo, a young Native American, has been a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, and the horrors of captivity have almost eroded his will to survive. His return to the Laguna Pueblo reservation only increases his feeling of estrangement and alienation by the rejection he encounters from his people. Tayo’s quest for comfort and connection leads him back to the Indian past and its traditions, to beliefs about witchcraft and evil, and to the ancient stories of his people. The search itself becomes a ritual, a curative ceremony that defeats the most virulent of afflictions—despair.
Monday, Nov. 21, 3 – 4:30 p.m., Santa Catalina Branch Library, 999 E. Washington Blvd.
Children’s Book Club – Read Around the World Book Club Visits the Windy Lake First Nation
For kids in grades 3-5 whose minds and hearts know no borders! Learn about the Cree people of Canada and the northern U.S. through Michael Hutchinson’s Mighty Muskrats mystery series. Participants are required to read one of the Mighty Muskrat mystery series books before the book club meeting. At the meeting, the books will be discussed broadly. Be prepared to share something about the book you read. There are unlimited eBooks and Audiobooks from this series available for download from hoopla at https://www.hoopladigital.com/series/6281301551. Also available are print copies for checkout; check out any copy from the series at the Hastings Branch while supplies last. To attend the program, sign up at https://pasadena.evanced.info/signup.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 4 p.m., Hastings Branch Library, 3325 E. Orange Grove Blvd.
Stories to Share
Join us for a special storytime featuring stories written by Native American authors. For ages 3-5 years.
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m., Santa Catalina Branch Library, 999 E. Washington Blvd.
CRAFTS
Take & Make: Woven Basket
Create a Navajo-inspired woven basket. Sign up for your kit at https://cityofpasadena.libwizard.com/f/wovenbasket. Sign-ups begin on Nov. 1. Kits can be picked up at Jefferson Branch Library, while supplies last.
Take & Make: The Three Sisters – Rainbow Corn
Celebrate one of the Three Sisters of Native American Agriculture with this colorful beaded corn craft. Sign up to reserve your kit at https://cityofpasadena.libwizard.com/f/rainbow_corn. Sign-ups begin on Nov. 6. Kits can be picked up at Hastings Branch Library, while supplies last.
Take & Make: The Three Sisters – Bean Mosaic
Celebrate one of the Three Sisters of Native American Agriculture with this charming bean mosaic. Sign up for your kit at https://cityofpasadena.libwizard.com/f/the_bean_mosaic. Sign-ups begin on Nov. 13. Kits can be picked up at Hastings Branch Library, while supplies last.
Take & Make: The Three Sisters – Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash
Celebrate one of the Three Sisters of Native American Agriculture with this delicious acorn squash recipe. Sign up for your kit at https://cityofpasadena.libwizard.com/f/the_sisters_pumpkin_craft. Sign-ups begin on Nov. 20. Kits can be picked up at Hastings Branch Library, while supplies last.
Make & Take Bookmarks
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by making your own heritage bookmark. Choose a decorative design and use string and beads to create a personalized laminated bookmark. All materials provided.
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2:30 p.m., San Rafael Branch Library, 1240 Nithsdale Rd.
The Pasadena Public Library is an information center for the Pasadena community in order to preserve and encourage the free expression of ideas essential to an informed citizenry. A variety of highly vetted programs are presented for children and adults and they represent the research and opinions of the presenter and do not reflect an endorsement by the City of Pasadena nor the Pasadena Public Library.
Pasadena Public Library’s Native American Heritage Month programs are sponsored by The Friends of the Pasadena Public Library. For more information, call (626) 744-4066.
