Native American people were our nation’s first artists, inventors, scientists, and stewards of the land where we live, learn, work and play today. In Oregon, their descendants make up 4% of the total population and live in every county of our state. They are not a monolith: some are members of the nine federally-recognized tribes, others are not. But collectively and individually, Native Americans continue to make important contributions in their communities and beyond. One shining example would be our very own Yakama Elder Virginia Beavert, who we lost earlier this year at age 102. Virginia Beavert was Women’s Army Corps in New Mexico during WWII, and later dedicated her life to Native languages and culture, coauthoring the Yakama Sahaptin Dictionary. The first woman to be elected to the Yakama Nation general council, Virginia Beavert also made history as the oldest doctoral graduate of the university, earning her Ph.D. at 90 years young. We speak her name. 
 
In November 1990, National Native American Heritage Month was made an official period of observation by President George H. W. Bush. Originally intended to promote activities that enhance self-esteem of Native American youth, the month evolved into an ideal time for engaging in advocacy both on an individual and institutional level. Although progress towards equity has been made, the Native American community still faces challenges stemming from but not limited to voter suppression. The Native American Voting Rights Act of 2021 (NAVRA) was introduced in the U.S. Senate and in the U.S. House of Representatives to addresses equal access to voting, particularly in rural areas. 

Here on campus, we encourage all students to exercise their right to free expression, including voting. Our commitment to Native American equity and inclusion is demonstrated through scholarship, student support, and programming. This began almost fifty years ago when indigenous students established the Native American Student Union and conceptualized the Many Nations Longhouse (MNL). Today, the MNL is a welcoming, culturally specific third space that continues to serve as a symbolic embassy for tribal governments.  
 
Each year during this month, we recognize our Native American and Indigenous Studies Advisory Council, the Native American Strategies Group, and the ongoing scholarship of our Native American and Indigenous Studies Program. We welcome new faculty Associate Professor Brian Klopotek was honored with the Herman Distinguished Teaching Award for Specialized Pedagogy by the Office of the Provost for AY 2023-24. And Associate Professor of Native American and Indigenous literary and cultural production in the Department of English Kirby Brown was awarded an outstanding teaching award. Professor Brown also received an endowment that will help him continue his research of Cherokee culture. And I’d like to extend a L.A.C.E.ful welcome to Professor Ashley Cordes, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Media Studies, and Jorney Baldwin to our division as a new Home Flight advisor in the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence.  
 
Recognizing that flourishing requires an authentic commitment to equity and inclusion, I encourage us to move beyond simply “celebrating” Native American Heritage each November. (Did you know we are the only university in the world that teaches Yakima Ichishkíin/Sahaptin?) May we enter the month knowing that in order to create actionable change, we must challenge ourselves to move past land acknowledgments, learn about the Indigenous people who lived on the land we currently occupy and engage with love, authenticity, courage and empathy. Let us honor Native American people by supporting events on campus, hearing their voices on campus, mobilizing resources in ways that facilitate the success of Native faculty, staff and students and really listening to the stories of lived experience.  
 
Even with a major election, we can use November wisely and develop a more nuanced understanding of Native American heritage. Continuing to make efforts to learn about this rich history, past and present, will allow us to become better agents of change. So, let’s dig deeper and explore policy changes, Native American health equity and funding for tribal languages. And let’s uplift all the work Native Americans have done and continue to do, and the American history they continue to make.