Editor’s note: November is Native American Heritage Month. Leena Chapman, from Nat-Su Healthcare in Tooele—owned and operated by the Skull Valley Band of Goshute—contributed this article on local Native American awareness to celebrate the courage, resilience, faith, culture, and hope that encapsulates the Indigenous peoples’ experience in the United States, including Utah and Tooele County.

Nat-Su Healthcare would like to wish everyone a wonderful and enriching Native American Heritage Month!

To bring Native American Heritage Month closer to home, we would like to highlight that Utah is home to eight federally recognized tribes. These are the Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation, Confederated Tribes of Goshute, Skull Valley Band of Goshute, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Navajo Nation.

To find out more about each of these tribes, we encourage readers to check out these sites:

Utah’s official tourism website has some great summaries of each tribe, identifying which tribal land you may be one, and additional resources:

www.visitutah.com/things-to-do/history-culture/tribal-cultures/utah-native-tribes

Native American Curriculum Initiative is a partnership designed to provide educational materials regarding Utah’s eight tribes. You can find curriculums, indigenous stories, local artist rosters, maps, podcasts, children’s books, and more at advancingartsleadership.com/NACI.

Did you know that:

Utah has over 40,000 residents who identify as Native American/Alaska Native.

Skull Valley, just west of Tooele and Grantsville, is the location of the Skull Valley Band of Goshute.

Many of the Native American Code Talkers who helped decide World War II were from the Navajo Nation.

Over 70% of all Native Americans reside outside a reservation.

There are more than 574 federally recognized tribes in the US.

There are so many amazing stories and so much history to learn regarding Native American heritage in the United States, and particularly in Utah. We also want to recognize that Native identity is often stereotyped in media, which portray Native people in negative and inaccurate ways.

We encourage all of us during the next 30 days (and beyond) to find accurate resources and depictions of Native Americans. Find ways to understand the complexities of Native American history and the present struggles and triumphs. Some of these may include:

Native history in Utah at historytogo.utah.gov/native-americans/

Boarding schools at www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/us-residential-schools

Missing and Murdered Indigenous People or MMIP/MMIW at www.bia.gov/service/mmu/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-crisis

Native American inventions at www.history.com/news/native-american-inventions

Prominent Native Americans at www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/g34316734/famous-native-americans/

We hope this Native American Heritage Month will be one of joy, of learning, of celebrating, and of appreciation of the Native Heritage here in Utah and in the United States.

Join Nat-su Healthcare and the Ritz in celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a free viewing of “Smoke Signals.” This groundbreaking film, directed by Chris Eyre, is the first feature film written, directed, and acted entirely by Native Americans. Based on Sherman Alexie’s short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,” the movie tells a heartwarming and humorous story of friendship, forgiveness, and the ties that bind us.

It will be screened on Nov. 23, 7:00 p.m. at the Ritz Theater, at 111 N. Main Street in Tooele City. All are welcome!