>> Chicago >> is home to one of the largest urban Native American populations in the United States.

More than 65,000 live in the greater metropolitan area, representing about 175 different tribes.

And while November marks Native American Heritage Month, many locals say they don't confine celebrating their traditions, culture and achievements.

Just 2, 1, month.

Here with more.

Our jessamine Curnow board president of the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative.

And Matthew, we saw tribal Council chairman of the Polk is on band of Potawatomi of Michigan and Indiana.

Thank you both for joining us.

Jasmine, I want to start with you.

Tell me about the significance of the fall season for Native Americans, of course.

Well, I can only speak so much for myself and my family's experience but fall is.

>> A season to celebrate harvest to give.

Thanks for the growing season and to prepare for the long cold winter months.

But yeah, definitely a season of of gratitude, but has all year round.

But especially in the fall, something to celebrate all your on your culture and traditions.

That's beautiful.

Matthew.

>> I want to go to you.

And what ways is a parking on ban preserve its culture?

>> Well, we spent 30 years of preserving culture rebuilding our government to fund a reaffirmation in 1994 November is an interesting month.

And that, you know, as you said, it's a, you know, Native American month.

But for Were Native American 365 days a year.

So there's well, we go out and do a lot of teaching.

We get a lot of requests for schools and different groups to, you know, learn more about the native community.

It's something that we live every day.

So it's it's really not a lot of difference just something have to work at.

>> And want to correct myself, poke can write a cage, want to make sure that I'm right.

And and Matthew, you govern over 6300 tribal citizens and your community is constantly growing.

I do want to bring a stat.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that national poverty rate for the natives was 21% in 2023.

Compared to 17% for black people.

16% for Hispanics in 9% for Asians.

Why do you think natives have have the highest rate?

>> You know, that's that's a good question.

Because when you look at our community under the last census, we took our unemployment rate was above 50%.

I think a lot of that is a lot of our elders still suffer from the trauma boarding schools and the attempts are attempts to improve the quality of life of our people is an ongoing project for us.

You know what?

Education is very important to us.

We have a very robust education scholarship program.

Health care is very important with a very nice clinic.

know, we create as many jobs as we can.

And we're building homes to bring more of our people home.

You know, we have 6300 citizens, but yet we have citizens of every state in the country and even some outside the country and many of them want to come home we want to build a place where they can come on and be comfortable and improve the quality of life.

>> Be able to drive jasmine in an effort to increase financial support, though the CA ICC invites foundations to witness indigenous experiences in Chicago Land area.

What does that experience look like?

And what do you want people to take away from that?

Yeah, I would say connected to what chairman we mentioned Native Americans face hyper invisibility.

And so a lot of decision makers, policymakers.

>> Foundation grant makers are not seeing are knowledgeable about the Native American experience.

And so of the things that efforts that cake has done is to educate the phone traffic community on one, catch them up to speed.

That natives are still around.

They still Today's society and we have both great need and a big dreams for our communities.

So I'm helping form and educate the grant makers and foundations talking about education.

You mentioned that most states don't teach their students about natives Post 1900.

What does history show after that time period?

Would he want people to know?

One that native still exist in all of our complexities.

I think in addition to our racialized experience, we also have a legal and political status within the U.S. and so that's because of our treaties with the U.S. government's are sovereignty.

And so I would want folks to understand and learn about the U.S. context.

>> And Matthew, I want to talk about mascots.

Can you tell me what efforts are you making towards mascot removal in school and schools?

And what would you say?

Are those impacts us impacts about having mascots in different communities.

>> Well, one of the one of the big impacts is you have a number of children who will not self identified because of the harassment discrimination they take for being Native American in the school has the mascot Chenault with.

We have a we've had since 2013, a very big push to get rid of the Redskins logo the Redskins mascot in particular native community looks at the rest Redskin what we refer to as the R word the same way the African-American community looks at the N word.

So there's a very big push.

We had 9 schools.

I think we had overnight schools 10 years ago.

I think we're down to one.

But if you look at the research it shows there is a negative impact having these mascots in the schools get in habits, our students learning ability.

And when you look at the school board's system, their number one priority is to create the most positive learning environment they can for their students.

And when you have these types of ceremonial logos and mascots, you're just not providing that environments.

>> What are your thoughts?

has been at see that.

It's not a matter of opinion on whether it's honoring are representing accurate research shows that Native American representation or harmful for not just native children, but all children.

And yet they have no place in our society.

>> We know Chicago has a longstanding history of Native American history.

You know, I want to ask the last question here is when it comes to Thanksgiving, how do you want people to rethink the past of that history?

I think more and more of the this younger generation, especially wants to know the real truth their own country in their history.

And so let's not shy away from that.

Would you say it's more of a day of mourning for groups of Native Americans that say some folks to sober recognize the day as a day of mourning.

could be a day of giving.

Thanks.

could be a day