Organizations to Support
United American Indians of New England
The United American Indians of New England (UAINE) provides educational resources around the National Day of Mourning and highlights current issues impacting the Indigenous community. They also provide speakers for educational events at schools and universities.
Native Governance Center
The Native Governance Center is a Native-led nonprofit dedicated to assisting Native nations in strengthening their governance systems and capacity to exercise sovereignty. Native Governance Center creates introductory-level resources on a variety of topics related to sovereignty, governance, and nation rebuilding.
UMass Boston Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS)
The mission of INENAS is to develop collaborative relationships, projects, and programs between Native American tribes of the New England region and all of the UMass campuses so that the tribes may participate in and benefit from university research, innovation, scholarship, and education.
Participating in Indigenous Community Events
The Indigenous community holds events on the following days to raise awareness about historical and current issues. Anyone can participate in these events either in person or through remote engagement, such as donations, sharing information with others, etc.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day
May 5
Murder is the third leading cause of death for Native women. Both an awareness day and resources have been created by the Indigenous community about the amount of Indigenous women who have gone missing or been murdered as well as the overall impact of violence on all Indigenous people.
National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools
September 30
National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools is a day to reflect on the historical trauma of Indian Boarding Schools and how that trauma continues to impact Indigenous communities today.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Second Monday of October
Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the past, present, and future of Indigenous peoples throughout the United States. The holiday recognizes the legacy and impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities, and celebrates the cultures, contributions, and resilience of Indigenous peoples.
National Day of Mourning
Fourth Thursday of November
National Day of Mourning is held every fourth Thursday of November in Plymouth, Massachusetts on the same day as Thanksgiving. Many fast for 24 hours and tribes come from both the states and abroad to speak and participate in the event.
Books by Indigenous People
#Ownvoices: Kids Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators
Books for children by Native American and First Nations authors and illustrators. Many are recommended by the American Indian Youth Literature Award, author Cynthia Leitich Smith, or American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL).
Must-Read Books by Indigenous Authors (Adult and Kids Books Included)
This list was compiled by Penguin Random House and includes a variety of genres, including science fiction and moving memoirs.
Educational Videos
Recognizing Our Implicit Bias Towards Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous people have so much to contribute. But our implicit bias prevents us from seeing that—and then we all lose out. Canadian Kelly Terbasket, having both Syilx Okanagan and European heritage, has been exploring the hidden misconceptions that fragment relationships between North American settlers and Indigenous people for 30+ years. She shares 3 steps we can all take to right relations.
What Does Two-Spirit Mean?
Geo Soctomah Neptune, a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe from Indian Township, Maine, explores the history of the term "Two-Spirit" in an episode of Inqueery. Does it mean two genders? Can anyone use it to describe themselves? InQueery is the series that takes a deeper look at the meaning, context, and history of LGBTQ+ vocabulary and culture.