CONNECT with the City2025 Native American Heritage Month
Every November, we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, which honors the diverse and resilient traditions of Indigenous people. San Diego County occupies the lands of the Kumeyaay (Diegueño), Luiseño, Cahuilla and Cupeño Indigenous peoples. The southern California region has 18 officially recognized Tribal Nation Reservations, 17 Tribal Governments and two Tribal Governments without federally recognized territories (source).
San Diego Public Library is dedicated to building long-term, collaborative partnerships with Native American communities to provide engaging and educational programming, while ensuring access to materials, resources, library collections and exhibitions.
Quick links:
Featured Programs
Nov. 5 | 4 p.m. | Rancho Bernardo Library
Nov. 21 | 3 p.m. | University Heights Library
Nov. 10 | 6:30 p.m. | Skyline Hills Library
Nov. 15 | 2:30 p.m. | Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Library
Nov. 25 | 5:30 p.m. | La Jolla/Riford Library
Highlights from the Collection
Native American Heritage Month on Kanopy
Access a collection of films honoring history and heritage of Native Americans. A library card is required.
The North American Indian Drama collection contains 244 plays by 48 playwrights representing the stories and creative energies of American Indian playwrights of the twentieth century. The works are representing groups such as Cherokee, Métis, Creek, Choctaw, Pembina Chippewa, Ojibway, Lenape, Comanche, Cree, Navajo, Rappahannock, Hawaiian/Samoan and others. Access for free through the eLibrary.
Complete Set of Edward S. Curtis Folios
Central Library | Rare Books Room
The complete edition of Edward Curtis’ rare work The North American Indian, consisting of volumes of illustrations and photographs chronicling traditional Native American culture can be viewed in Central Library’s Rare Book Room. To access materials located in the Hervey Family Rare Book Room for research, please contact Special Collections, call at 619-236-5852. More than a 1,000 Edward. S Curtis photographs have been digitized and individually described by the Library of Congress’s Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. View these photographs here: Edward S. Curtis Collection.
Videos
The Kumeyaay - San Diego's First People
Native American Heritage
Water Protector Winona LaDuke Talks at Central Library
SD Circuit Sustainability Author Talks
Book Displays
Resources
- PBS Native American Heritage Collection
- San Diego State University Native Resource Center
- Short Overview of California Indian History
- Southern California American Indian Resource Center
- Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
- San Diego American Indian Health Center
- UC San Diego Intertribal Resource Center
- Viejas: Band of Kumeyaay Indians
A Guide for Additional Resources
California Language Archive
Access a digital archive for materials related to Indigenous languages of the Americas, ranging from audio and video recordings to field notebooks to maps and more. This free online resource is managed by Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.
Research Guides: California Native Americans | California State Library
Explore the historical significance of California’s native peoples. Access digitized resources including photographic collections, publications and audio recordings through this free California State Library resource.
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress
Access this resource guide that provides an overview of the resources available at the Library of Congress that relate to Native communities in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Including the following free databases:
- Living Nations, Living Words
This collection contains audio recordings of 47 contemporary Native American poets reading and discussing an original poem. Listen to Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, Natalie Diaz, Ray Young Bear, Craig Santos Perez, Sherwin Bitsui, Layli Long Soldier, and other featured voices. - Vision Maker Media Documentaries Collection
Includes 40 documentary films featuring Native voices from Native producers, created between 1982 and 2012.
Reading Challenge
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with San Diego Public Library’s Indigenous History Month All-Ages Reading Challenge! Read 5 books or for 5 hours—any combination you like—to complete the challenge by November 30th! Discover powerful, diverse stories from Indigenous communities in San Diego and across the Americas and log your reading to earn badges all month long!