Diversity
Day Programs for Businesses
Native American Heritage Programs has been designated a Woman/Minority
Business by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania & Certified by the State of
Delaware.
Programs on a variety of Native American topics -
We offer a variety of off-site programs and exhibits for adults of all ages and ability levels, including special needs groups. Our presenters can work with one group at a time and are happy to tailor the program to your group’s needs. Please call well in advance to reserve your date of choice.Providing programs for: Philadelphia Free Library - Rittenhouse Square, Defense Supply Center PA Dept. of Aging Veteran’s Administration IRS Wilmington Trust Lutheran Theological Seminary Citibank Longwood Gardens US Mint and others
Ask about our Lifelong Learning Program Series.
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Lenape Lifeways
An introduction covering family life, clothing, hunting, gardening, past and present contributions, and much more!
Lenape Lifeways 1: Introducing the First People of Pennsylvania
At the time of Columbus, as many as 10 million Native Americans lived in North America. Many thousands lived in "Lenapehocking," the vast homeland of the Lenni Lenape, who were the first inhabitants of eastern Pennsylvania and parts of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. Admired and respected by William Penn, the Lenape were later betrayed and forced from their villages by the policies of Penn's sons and the infamous Walking Purchase. This program explores the life and times of these peaceful, progressive people, comparing and contrasting their social customs, history, religion, family life, agriculture, hunting, healing practices, arts and crafts, past and present contributions (and much more) with those of the Europeans and Colonial Americans of their time. This program features a lecture / demonstration and interactive exhibits. Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, depending on the room a microphone might be needed. Adult or Family oriented.
Lenape Lifeways 2:
The Lenape in Peace and Conflict
A follow-up to Lenape Lifeways 1: INTRODUCING THE FIRST PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA this program explores in depth the peaceful ways of the Lenape and the conflicts that arose with the many European cultures that came to our shores.
As “the
Grandfathers” who counseled for peace and arbitrated issues
among Native Nations and later as the negotiators who tried to maintain
their hold on both their cultural values and their relationship to their
part of “Turtle Island,” the Lenape struggled for a balance between many
worlds. Meeting with and
dealing with the early explorers/traders such as the Portuguese, Holland
Dutch, and French, then with the settlers (English, Germans, Scottish,
Irish, and Welsh) and “Americans,” the Lenape had many choices to make.
None were easy.
Learn about the Lenape in peace and conflict - how they lived in love
with William Penn and the Quakers, fought in the French and Indian War,
then served as Commissioned Officers in Washington’s army during the
Revolutionary War, and how they were forced across the continent.
A lecture with maps, a video and exhibits will guide us through
these turbulent times.
Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, depending on the room a microphone
might be needed.
Adult oriented.
Native American
Contributions
Introduce your group to a variety of Native people and their inventions.
This lively presentation compares and contrasts Native American cultures of the United States. Emphasis will be on the many and surprising contributions Native Americans have made to our national life (inventions, discoveries, vocabulary, customs, values, etc.) and on exploring and exploding the myths and stereotypes that have shaped our perceptions, policies, and portrayals (in textbooks, films, fiction, and other art forms) of the first people of the Americas. We will provide a true picture of Native American life, then and now. In addition to a lecture the program will include hands-on exhibits and a question and answer session. Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, depending on the room a microphone might be needed. Adult or Family oriented.
Life
Is
A Mall!
Learn how the first environmentalists achieved a sustainable lifestyle through reuse and recycling! Explore the many uses of plants in a program that covers living off the land, gardening, gathering, fishing, and hunting.
Over 50% of the food we eat is Native American, 45% of our medicines are Native plant extracts, and we live a Native American lifestyle!
Learn more about
plant uses in this adult program.
Via a lecture, videos, exhibits, and a handout we will discover
Native contributions that continue to be a part our lives.
Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, TV/VHS equipment, related
cables, and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be
needed.
Family oriented.
The Native World View
Over 500 Native Nations remain in the USA today -
each with a different world view!
You will be introduced to the cultures of several Native Nations
through videos and a lecture, which should produce a lively discussion.
There will also be exhibits and a handout.
Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, TV/VHS equipment, related
cables, and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be
needed.
Adult oriented.
The
Role of Women In Native Society, Then & Now
The role of Native American women in Native life and their contribution to our nation's history has always been elusive and greatly underestimated, because early European writers were unwilling to accept and value women in roles other than the limited ones allowed in their own culture. Reservation life forced men to abandon their traditional roles as hunters and warriors and to conform to European social customs, leading them to usurp female roles. In contemporary Native American life, what women try to accomplish is often distorted or ignored. Exploring the roles and achievements of women in Native society through the eyes of a Native woman and a historian, participants will also view video and exhibits, such as the visual creative arts contributions of Native Women - Their “Beautiful Visions” which were handed down through many generations. Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, TV/VHS equipment, related cables, microphone and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be needed. Adult oriented.
The Indian Wars in Pennsylvania
When European powers fought each other for dominance in 18th
Century America, Native Americans took sides in the conflict. Because of
the friendship between the Lenape, the Quakers, and other likeminded
Europeans, peace lasted longer in Pennsylvania than in other states.
Eventually, however, the French and Indian War erupted here.
Betrayed and their way of life threatened by the infamous Walking
Purchase and treaty violations, the once-peaceful Lenape joined the fray
on the side of the French. The fighting drove settlers from Western
Pennsylvania until the Lenape recognized their cause was hopeless, and
the Proprietors of Pennsylvania decided that buying peace was cheaper
than waging war. But Pontiac’s Rebellion ignited a struggle in the Ohio
River valley that lasted until “Mad” Anthony Wayne smashed the Indian
resistance at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.
Participants in this program will trace the tragic consequences of the
breakdown of respect between peoples as they delve into the Natives’
struggle to survive, the
complexities of Native and European interaction, and the battles of the
early Colonial era.
Designed for adult audiences.
NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE CIVIL WAR
Civil War buffs, family audiences, and students of Native American
history of all ages will be fascinated by the surprising, almost unknown
story of the Native American warriors who fought on both sides in the
War Between the States.
An estimated 20,000 Native Americans of various backgrounds participated
in the conflict. Participants in this program will learn why, where, and
how they took part as they explore the divided loyalties and complex
political realities that pitted Native American tribes --even family
members-- against each other in battles that raged across America.
The presentation also will trace the astonishing biographies and
impressive exploits of important Native American leaders in the War. One
of them was a full-blooded Seneca chief who was a Brigadier General and
Aide to General Grant and drafted the terms of surrender signed at
Appomattox!
Offering a new perspective on the Civil War that explores its impact on
the fate of Native Americans, this program begins with a lecture. It
goes on to offer the opportunity for a lively Q and A session and for
in-depth post-presentation conversation that well-informed audiences
often enjoy. Exhibit material available for browsing will focus on
individual Civil Warriors and Native battle sites in the West.
Designed for adult audiences.
We will provide a unique and rewarding educational experience for your
group!
Please tell us your needs when you call.