"Language is the roadmap to culture." - Wayne Newell, Passamaquoddy elder and language educator, Princeton, Maine

First dedicated in 1990 by then President George H.W. Bush, Native American Heritage Month was established so as to celebrate and recognize the contributions of Native Americans to American society. The month of November was specifically chosen as it is traditionally a time when many Native American communities hold harvest festivals and other cultural events.

One of the most important aspects of Native American heritage is the preservation of indigenous languages and oral traditions. Many Native American languages are in danger of being lost forever, as younger generations are not learning them at the same rate as their ancestors. When languages disappear, communities miss out on a trove of information about their past, cultural practices, the surrounding ecosystem, as well as the traditional perspectives. However, in recent years, many tribes and organizations have put forth efforts to preserve indigenous languages and oral traditions.

Explore Native American perspectives by checking out any of the titles listed below, or try your hand at learning an Indigenous language through our new language learning app, Mango!

Always wanted to learn a new language??

Choose from over 70 languages, plus a variety of English courses through our new language learning app, Mango!

Start the new year in a new language; like Spanish, Mandarin, or French. Try one of their Specialty Courses; like Slang, Zodiac Signs, or Wine and Cheese. Or explore Endangered Indigenous Languages; such as Cherokee or Potowatomi.

Learn on the go or offline, on desktop, or mobile - absolutely free. All you need is a Glen Ridge Public Library card!!

**Click on the Mango logo to get started today!**

Support Your Community

Want to support nature

in your own backyard?

Want to attract birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects to help manage pests naturally? Want to grow beautiful perennial flowers for color and curb appeal? Then you need native plants, and the Glen Ridge Library is here to get you started. 

The Glen Ridge Public Library and the Glen Ridge Environmental Advisory Committee are pleased to present a free native seed library. These seeds are not varieties you're likely to find at your average garden store, but they've been lovingly harvested from Glen Ridge and surrounding yards. 

Native plants are hosts for our local butterflies and bumblebees, along with many other nifty insects that nourish songbirds and their young. While some popular, commonplace nonnative plants serve as "convenience stores" for our pollinators, native plants have evolved alongside NJ native insects for thousands of years to provide them with the sustenance they require.

Seed varieties include: violets (the NJ state flower and host to the fritillary butterfly), asters, penstemon, Joe Pye weed, rattlesnake master, and many more! 

We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to add native plants to your garden, help build habitat for our native species, and add to Glen Ridge's wonderful Pollinator Pathway -- learn more here: https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/towns/glen-ridge

The seed library is located on the second floor of the Glen Ridge Library, near the travel section. Instructions for winter sowing are included on each package. Limit of two seed packets per visit, please.