DVIDS – News – MSC Observes National American Indian Heritage Month

Military Sealift Command (MSC) hosted a virtual celebration of American National Indian Heritage Month via Microsoft Teams on November 17, learning about the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

“This memorial month provides a platform for Indigenous peoples of the United States of America to share their cultures, traditions, music, crafts, dances, ways and concepts of life,” said Monica Henin, host of the ceremony, during her opening remarks.

The theme for this year’s celebration was “Celebrating Respect, Culture and Education”. The celebration honors service members of American Indian and Alaskan heritage, and one of Virginia’s most historic Native American tribes in which it is headquartered.

Chief Frank Adams, Chief of the Mattaponi Upper Indian Tribe, King William County, Virginia, was the honored guest of the celebration.

According to their website, Upper Mattaponi own over 400 acres of land and are a proud and humble people with strong character and values, with a lot of optimism and hope for the future. The tribe was officially recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia on March 25, 1983, and received federal recognition on January 29, 2018, via Public Law 115-121.

Adams spoke of the tribe’s long and rich history, which can be traced back to the seventeenth century. He also shared how they overcame the expulsion of…