This challenge runs November 1 - 30 and includes both reading and activities that explore the heritage of Native Americans. To start, log into Beanstack and register for the Native American Heritage Month challenge. You'll earn a Medicine Wheel Beading Kit, available at the Adult Services Desk, just for signing up. Complete the Book Recommendations Activity Badge, plus any two of the additional badges explained below, to win a special Native American Heritage Month Button.
Activity Badge #1 Book Recommendations(required):
- Read a book written by an Indigenous author. Choose from one of the recommendations for Adults listed in Beanstack, select a book from the Native American Heritage display at the Main Library, or ask a library staff member for a recommendation. Type the name of the book you choose in the box at the bottom of the recommendations list.
Complete two of the following Activity Badges and record your progress in Beanstack
Activity Badge #2 Events from Algonquin Library: Attend ONE of these in-person or virtual library events:
- Forever Young Book Club- Monday, November 14, 7-8 pm, in-person at the Eastgate Branch Library. We will discuss The Marrow Theives by Cherie Dimaline.
- Oh, the Horror Book Club- Tuesday, November 29, 7-8 pm Virtual on Zoom. We will discuss The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
- No On Sees Indians: Native Americans in the Media. Thursday, Dec. 1, 7-8 pm, Virtual on Zoom. Filmmaker, author, and Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Ernest M. Whiteman III discusses the many representations of Native Americans in the media and how these inform audiences' perceptions of Native peoples and issues.
Activity Badge #3 Land Acknowledgements: Complete BOTH activities to earn this badge:
Activity Badge #4: Local Indigenous History: Explore ONE of these websites:
- Visit the Cahokia Mounds website. Cahokia Mounds is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located near Collinsville, IL that contains the archaeological remnants of an ancient Indigenous settlement.
- Explore the Trickster Cultural Center website. The Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg features contemporary Native American art, and exhibits relating to the contributions of Native people to the U.S. military.
- Visit the website of Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston. You can also get two free regular admissions with your Algonquin Library card and the Museum Adventure Pass, while supplies last. Contact the Main Library or Eastgate Branch to check availability.
- Visit the American Indian Center Gallery website. The Gallery is dedicated to Native American First Voice Art. Explore the website and plan a visit.
Activity Badge #5: Native American Voices. Watch ONE of these webinars:
The Native American Voices Webinar Series was presented in collaboration with Illinois public libraries, and the College of DuPage Native American Studies Committee. The webinars are recommended for ages 14 and over.
Activity Badge #6: Suggested Viewing. Complete ONE of these activities:
Watch something on Kanopy or Hoopla about Indigenous people. An Algonquin Library card is required to access these resources. Don't have an Algonquin Library card? Check with your home library to see if they have access.
Activity Badge #7: Visit the Museum. Complete ONE of these activities:
Google Arts and Culture works with institutions and artists to bring the world's art and culture online so it's accessible to anyone.
Nina, a Lipan Apache girl has always felt there was something more beyond her quiet life, and still believes in the old stories. Oli is a young cottonmouth from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home, but has found a new one on the banks of a bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend brings their worlds together, even as there are those who will kill to keep their worlds apart.