Hailing from Hawaii, where holidays like May Day and King Kamehameha Day would shut down schools and traffic, I was fairly familiar with how local and cultural traditions could rise to the level of an island-wide celebration.

When I moved to the mainland (and through the grade levels) I became increasingly aware and involved in commemorating the contributions of African Americans during Black History Month in February.

College brought me even more exposure to the sections of the year that government officially carved out to highlight America’s diverse cultures: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May and Hispanic Heritage Month that kicks off on Sept. 15, for example.

So it was with some surprise that I learned only recently that an American Indian Heritage Month existed. It’s in November. I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, in producing December’s cover story, “Trail to Progress,” it became clear that for a majority of the public, Native Americans, their history, their issues, and their way of life were largely invisible and not entirely understood.

To be fair, American Indian history from the time the first European settlers landed until the present is a complicated and nuanced story, typically told from the non-Indian perspective. The history of Indian education is just as complex, as it became a tool in the federal government’s drive to control and assimilate the hundreds of tribes living in the country.

But the history is important if you want to understand where American Indians, especially American Indian students are today and why, statistically, they struggle more than most other demographic groups.

I could not tell it all in the pages of our magazine. So in the weeks leading up to the December edition’s release and even beyond, I’ll try to share what I learned during my reporting … which was a lot, though I feel like I just barely touched the surface.

For starters, I’ll leave you with a study that the non-profit research center, the Public Agenda, released in late August. “Walking a Mile: A First Step Toward Mutual Understanding” (www.publicagenda.org/WalkaMile) is a candid and revealing look at how Indians and non-Indians view each other.

When asked by the moderator what he wanted non-Indians to know about Indians, one Indian male said, “Maybe you should tell that we still exist.”

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor