Youngstown Daily Legal News

Effort underway to create Native American Week in Ohio

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: July 28, 2014

The Ohio Senate has adopted a resolution to designate the last week of September as Native American Week.

The measure, House Concurrent Resolution 26, was endorsed by the Ohio History Connection, formerly known as the Ohio Historical Society.

“On behalf of the (History Connection), for the past five years I have been working to build good relationships with the federally-recognized tribes historically connected to Ohio,” said Sharon Dean, an OHC official.

“Many people have asked me why this work is important. After all, there are no contemporary Indian tribes living in on federal land in Ohio. Why should we care?”

Dean conceded the state does not have any federally-recognized tribes or tribal lands within its borders and noted that Ohio is considered a “donut hole” because it’s surrounded by states that do have federally-recognized tribes.

“For those who are mildly interested about why we should care, I tell them that learning about Native Americans who lived in Ohio until the mid-19th century gives us a much richer understanding of our state and nation’s history and has long been missing from the record,” she said.

The sponsor of HCR 26, Rep. Bill Hayes, R-Granville, said the resolution is designed to increase awareness of the heritage and impact of Native Americans on Ohio’s landscape, history and culture.

He said it has become apparent that the general constituency, including the state’s Native American population, is not aware that a day promoting this heritage is already exists.

“My office was contacted by Barbara Crandell of the Native American Alliance of Ohio to request that the state recognize a Native American Day in November in order to provide the Native American population the opportunity to teach their culture and traditions to the next generation,” he said.

“Upon researching the request, it was discovered that there has been a Native American Indian Day every year since September of 1987, as seen in the Ohio Revised Code.”

Furthermore, Hayes said that in 1992, Gov. George Voinovich designated the month of November as Native American Heritage Month for that year.

“Since then, the awareness that month provided and Native American Indian Day have lost their presence in the community. The fact that the Native American Alliance of Ohio was not knowledgeable of this annual day in honor of their heritage is testimony to the need for recognition of Native American Heritage in Ohio,” he said.

“It is important that the heritage, spirituality and traditions of Ohio’s past are not lost, but rather maintained and continually passed on from one generation to the next.”

Hayes said HCR 26 will be crucial in upholding Native American culture across the state.

“This legislation will help revitalize public awareness of the role that Native American Indians have played in Ohio’s history,” he said.

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