Educational Efforts | American Indian Heritage | Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs.com

An integral element of this ongoing collaboration has been joint education efforts. This began with an education for the organization, and grew into education opportunities for our fans, both of which have been steered by members of the American Indian Community Working Group since the relationship began.

The ongoing educational efforts are centered around the annual American Indian Heritage Month Game, which takes place during a game at Arrowhead each November. First designated as National American Indian Heritage Month in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush after years of American Indian Week proclamations from 1986-1989, the month of November serves as an annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate the numerous contributions of Native people. It also serves as a time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and, in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

In 2014, the Chiefs, along with the American Indian Community Working Group, announced plans for, and held, the inaugural American Indian Heritage Month Game at Arrowhead Stadium. Each gameday, with the help of the Working Group, members of the American Indian community are identified and asked to represent their tribes in various gameday production elements, which are then supported with video and PA scripting for fans in the stadium.

These celebrations have included a Blessing of the Four Directions in pregame, performed by different spiritual leaders, many times with multiple tribal leaders displaying their tribal sovereign nation flags, to bring a sense of preparation and good spirit to the day's celebrations. The Blessing of the Drum has been performed annually at the game, typically performed in honor or recognition of someone, such as former Mayor H. Roe Bartle, and Chiefs longsnapper James Winchester, who is Choctaw. Multiple American Indian color guards and national anthem singers have participated in pregame ceremonies as well.

Outside of the stadium in the Ford Fan Experience, an informational table is set up to engage Chiefs fans, as well as fans of visiting teams, about American Indian culture and history. Staffed by members of the Working Group or a volunteer educators, the table is stocked with American Indian Heritage Month collateral pieces (pamphlet/brochure) for fans to take with them explaining who the American Indian Community Working Group is, the goals of the ongoing dialogue with the team, as well as key educational elements, such as links to outside resources, and information about the symbolism and spiritual treasures of American Indian culture, including headdresses, war bonnets and face paint.