Heritage. Heritage may be defined as any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors. In relation to cultural heritage, it is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible properties passed from one generation to the next, maintained in the present, and preserved for the benefit of future generations. Cultural heritage is unique and irreplaceable, and should be preserved for generations to come.
Museums, Ethics and Cultural Heritage
Cultural Heritage in a Changing WorldWaking LionsThe Ethics of Cultural Appropriation
As I mentioned in my Chinese Moon Festival post, one of my homeschool goals for 2014 is to teach my children about the various cultures that surround us here in St. Louis, as well as in the broader sense of the cultural heritage of our great nation. To that end, I wanted to look up what some of the cultural heritage observances are in the USA. I want them to learn to Celebrate Cultural Heritage- it is a National Treasure.
^By the way, the Celebrate Cultural Heritage image is a 5X7. You can click on the image or the title to open the pdf in a new window for printing.
Cultural heritage observances in the USA include:
- January- none to date
- February- Black History Month*
- March- Women’s History Month*, Irish American Heritage Month, Greek American Heritage Month
- April- Arab American Heritage Month, Scottish American Heritage Month
- May- Asian Pacific American Heritage Month*, Jewish American Heritage Month, Haitian Heritage Month
- June- Caribbean American Heritage Month
- July- French American Heritage Month
- August- none to date
- September 15- October 15- Hispanic Heritage Month*, Christian Heritage Month
- October- Filipino Heritage Month, German American Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Polish American Heritage Month, European American Heritage Month
- November- American Indian Heritage Month*
- December- none to date
Those with an “*” denote federally recognized observances.
I am working on material to use in teaching the kidlets about the heritages that surround us. I will be sharing some of them as we go.
- If you know of any great resources, I would love to know!
It is important, when celebrating cultural heritage, to avoid cultural appropriation. There is a big difference between honoring another culture and appropriating it.
