Federal Friday is a regularly updated page with information about different federal and state resources. Check it out every Friday to learn more about where to find data, media, reports and other content.
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress
This online research guide developed by the digital subgroup of the Native American Collections Working Group links to resources at the Library of Congress that relate to Native communities in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean.
Road to Revolution: Native Americans and the American Revolution (National Archives)
The stories presented reveal that whether Native Americans sided with the Rebels, Redcoats, neither, or both, the actions of tribes and their leaders were primarily motivated by a desire to preserve their land and autonomy.
Explore the work of modern and contemporary Native American artists in the National Gallery of Art's collection.
"The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Native Knowledge 360° Essential Understandings about American Indians is a framework that offers new possibilities for creating student learning experiences. Building on the ten themes of the National Council for the Social Studies' national curriculum standards, the NMAI's Essential Understandings reveal key concepts about the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Native Peoples. These concepts reflect a multitude of untold stories about American Indians that can deepen and expand your teaching of history, geography, civics, economics, science, engineering, and other subject areas."
Framework for Essential Understandings about American Indians (PDF)
Marco de Referencia para las Comprensiones Esenciales Sobre los Indígenas Americanos (PDF)
A Guide to Disciplinary Connections and Classroom Applications (PDF)
| ONLINE | 2025 Native Knowledge 360° Teach-In |
POSTPONED - Native Knowledge 360° Teach-InVisit Teaching for Change for updated information. |
Here, Now and Always (The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture)
Three simple words - Here, Now and Always - tell the story of the Southwest's oldest communities. From elder to younger, each generation has taught the next: We are here, now and we will be here always.
Other online exhibits and virtual tours from The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (NM).
Indelible: The Platinum print photographs of Larry McNeiland Will Wilson (National Museum of the American Indian.)
"The popularity of the platinum print coincided with the peak of the physical and cultural devastation of American Indian nations. Exploiting the aesthetic qualities of the platinum print, art photographers presented a romantic vision of Native peoples even as they struggled against disease, poverty, assimilationist policies, and dispossession of tribal lands.
Today, art photographers Larry McNeil (Tlingit/Nisga’a) and Will Wilson (Diné/Bilagáana) challenge this legacy by integrating the historic platinum process into their contemporary work. They remind us that even neutral technologies—such as platinum printing—can serve significant ideological purposes. These artists’ works emphasize that American Indians, like the platinum print itself, have not vanished but instead remain indelible."
Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations (National Museum of the American Indian.)
"As American power and population grew in the 19th century, the United States gradually rejected the main principle of treaty-making—that tribes were self-governing nations—and initiated policies that undermined tribal sovereignty. For Indian nations, these policies resulted in broken treaties, vast land loss, removal and relocation, population decline, and cultural decimation. The "Indian Problem" was produced to serve as the central video in the exhibition "Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations," on view at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. This video introduces visitors to the section of the exhibition titled 'Bad Acts, Bad Paper.'"
See other Online Exhibitions from the National Museum of the American Indian.
The online exhibit "Rights of Native Americans" includes a visual timeline of the history of American Indian treaties and of Native American activism to defend tribal sovereignty. (National Archives)
"The history of Native American rights is not a progressive march; it’s a story of rights being alternately acknowledged and disregarded. In this struggle, tribes negotiated hundreds of treaties with the Federal Government. Nonetheless, Native Americans lost many rights due to conflicts with Americans and the interests of the Federal Government."
NOAA pumpkin carving templates
Jellyfish, tornadoes, and anglerfish — oh my! We’ve got the perfect design for your jack-o-lantern this year.
Ocean observing pumpkin stencils
NOAA monitors and observes the ocean using different instruments and technologies. Pick your favorite observation instrument and get to carving!
Pumpkin carving stencils from NOAA Satellites
Are satellites and space more your thing? NOAA Satellites has you covered with NASA- and NOAA-themed stencils.
Pumpkin stencils for ocean lovers
Wow your neighbors with ocean-inspired jack-o-lantern stencils from NOAA Fisheries.
Spook-tacular ocean-themed pumpkins
Pick your favorite jack-o’-lantern stencil inspired by the ocean, the NOAA Fisheries mission, and research on the West Coast!
NASA-Themed Pumpkin-Carving Templates and Stencils
Explore these Pumpkin-Carving Templates
James Webb Space Telescope Templates
Create a Halloween Pumpkin Like a NASA Engineer
Park Pumpkin Carving Templates
Add a little park pizzazz to your autumn decorations with a park-themed jack o' lantern using these templates or creating your own!
USFWS Pumpkin Carving Templates (Hawai'i)
Printable pumpkin carving stencils for Hawaiian ‘ua‘u kani (wedge-tailed sheer water), ‘ā (red-footed booby) and 'ōpe'ape'a (Hawaiian hoary bat).
Trout Pumpkin Carving Template with Instructions
Looking for a way to make your pumpkin carving really stand out from the crowd? Make your neighbors jealous with this trout stencil!
Have howling good time with this stencil from Recreation.gov.
Smokey Bear Pumpkin Stencil (New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department)
You can help remind people that only they can prevent forest fires.
"In 2023, Illinois maintained its leading position in pumpkin acreage, harvesting more than twice as many pumpkin acres as any of the other top States, at 15,400 acres. In the same year—California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Washington—each harvested between 2,800 and 6,500 acres."
Study reveals ancient link between mammoth dung and pumpkin pie
"Squash seeds found in fossilized mammoth dung is clear evidence that these prehistoric giants ate the bitter squash and that the wild plant relied on them to disperse its seeds, the scientists report in their paper."
How to make a floral arrangements, included with a pumpkin.(Smithsonian)
Octonauts deep sea creature chart
What lurks in the deep? Could it be a Vampire Squid? A Spookfish? A Yeti Crab? Check out the very cool Octonauts corner for some fun resources.
For more fun from NOAA see the Spooky Science page with patterns for fun pumpkin carving ideas, shipwrecks, tentacled creatures and more educational content.
Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) USGS Factsheet 2006-3061
Call Number: I 19.127:2006-3061
Publication Date: 2006
The 1959 classic film, The Giant Gila Monster actually featured a Mexican beaded lizard. You can learn more about the real Gila in this document. “The Gila monster is not only the largest lizard native to the United States, but also one of only two known species of venomous lizard in the Americas. This stout-bodied lizard can grow to 50 cm (20 in) and is covered with black and pink or orange markings and bead-like scales.”
Ready for some spooky science? Brace yourself, and dive into a dreadful dozen … If you dare
National Science Foundation’s (NSF) blog post of October 27, 2021, By Tamara Dietrich highlights real creatures with spooky traits and characteristics, including:
"The most famous of the park's mammals are the bats. The park hosts 17 different bat species. The large colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats wow visitors every evening from spring through fall with its spectacular outflights. Two other species have also been found regularly in Carlsbad Cavern—cave myotis and fringed myotis bats. They typically roost in a different part of the cavern and fly about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before exiting the Natural Entrance."- learn more.
There is a children's book about the Carlsbad Cavern bats! It is Hungry Bats and Buggy Nights
Shape-Shifting Worm Blobs Could Inspire Future Robot Swarms
Research news on Blackworms, or Lumbriculus variegatus.
It was a dark and stormy night with NOAA.
Tales from the Haunted Library: Halloween Stories and Songs from Our Online Collections (LOC)
Library of Congress (LOC) blog post, October 21, 2021 by Danna Bell, with links to ghostly articles and resources.
Spooky Science- 13 tales from the USGS
"USGS researchers frequently brave potentially haunted field sites and study spooky-looking creatures. Here’s a list of 13, right in time for Halloween. "
The Supernatural : Haunted Houses and Legendary Ghosts by Dept. of Commerce, United States Travel Service
This booklet has an "eight‐page foldout lists more than 20 ghosts in eight states and 29 sites, including Southern plantations, boyhood homes, a Governor's mansion, an Army fort and an anchored frigate."
And sometimes, you wind up in court.
Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991), also known as the Ghostbusters ruling, was decided July 18, 1991. It is often used in law school courses.
Helen Ackley had claimed her Nyack, NY house was haunted - in local and national news and magazines, over several years. Jeff Stambovsky signed a contract to purchase the house. And Ackley didn't sign until her real estate agent disclosed the the haunting to Stambovsky. After the contracts were signed, Stambovsky met with Ackely and heard her discription of the hauntings. He filed an action requesting rescission of the contract of sale and for damages for fraudulent misrepresentation by Ackley and Ellis Realty - which was dismissed by New York trial court. Stambovsky appealed and lower court decision was reversed. The opinion of the court explained that the value-reducing defect was not physically visible, therefore undetectable with standard inspections - but the part often quoted is "as a matter of law, the house is haunted."
"Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991), commonly known as the Ghostbusters ruling, is a case in the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, that held that a house, which the owner had previously advertised to the public as haunted by ghosts, legally was haunted for the purpose of an action for rescission brought by a subsequent purchaser of the house. Because of its unique holding, the case has been frequently printed in textbooks on contracts and property law and widely taught in U.S. law school classes, and is often cited by other courts."
Zombie Preparedness Graphic Novel
”CDC has a fun way of teaching about emergency preparedness. Our graphic novel, “Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic” demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy.”
Preparedness 101 : Zombie Pandemic by Maggie Silver, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Accessible text version https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo22986
CGP #000854567 ; (OCoLC)757952896
CGP: "Presents in graphic novel format a fantastical public health emergency to convey the actions and tools necessary for citizens to protect themselves. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins to spread and turn ordinary people into zombies. Includes a preparedness checklist for readers to assemble an All-Hazards Emergency Kit."
This Smithsonian Magazine article features U.S. Patents for coffins with a very special safety features.
How do you tell the condition of an ancient coffin? The USDA knows!
About the 2025 poster: "Today, the badlands, sagebrush steppe, and riparian habitats of the John Day River Basin of eastern and central Oregon support diverse systems of plants and animals. Beneath the surfaces, the rocks and deposits include evidence of many millions of years of living things that came before, shaping those modern systems. There is an unparalleled record here telling the stories of how life in their environments has changed during the Cenozoic Era, from the Eocene Epoch to the late Miocene Epoch in northwestern United States. Paleontologists from many institutions have been delving into the rocks and fossils of the John Day Basin for more than 160 years to understand this history of life. In recognition of these fossil resources, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (JODA) was established on October 8, 1975 and is administered by the National Park Service. Today it encompasses 13,944 acres, divided among three units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno.". For the 2025 National Fossil Day Logo, we feature the 29-million-year-old Oligocene assemblage of the Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation, inspired by new and old discoveries made at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Learn more, Dig 20 Ideas Inspired by National Fossil Day."-National Park Service
Fossil Footprints Across Our Parks -Join us on a hike through time
"Fossils are clues life left behind. From them we can learn how the Earth changed and life evolved over a billion years. There are two types of fossils that can tell us different things about the ancient animals that roamed the Earth. Body fossils can tell us about where ancient animals died, but trace fossils can tell us how ancient animals lived. Today you can walk in parks where ancient animals walked. You can see their footprints and other impressions they left behind."
Huellas Fósiles a Través de Nuestros Parques -Acompáñanos en una caminata a través del tiempo
"Los fósiles son evidencias dejadas por antiguas formas de vida. De ellos podemos aprender cómo ha cambiado el planeta y cómo ha evolucionado la vida entre billones de años. Hay dos tipos de fósiles que pueden decirnos cosas diferentes sobre los antiguos seres que habitaron la Tierra. Fósiles corporales nos pueden enseñar sobre dónde un animal murió, pero las trazas fósiles nos pueden decir más sobre cómo animales extintos vivieron. Hoy en día uno puede caminar en parques dónde estos animales antiguos caminaron. Se pueden ver las huellas y las impresiones que ahí dejaron."
Prehistoric Life Coloring Book (National Park Service)
“In order to tap into your scientific detective skills and encourage your creativity, we are excited to share with you the Prehistoric Life of the National Parks coloring book. The main coloring book features 40 simple line drawings of ancient animals and plants known from fossils discovered in national parks. An additional 10 bonus “web exclusive” drawings are available only by visiting this website.”
Junior Paleontologist Activity Booklet—English >
PDF 38 MB
Paleontólogo Juvenil Libreto de Actividades—Spanish > PDF 45.6 MB
"In this book you can learn about ancient life, complete fun activities, and explore just some of the national parks
that offer you a look into the past.
As a Junior Paleontologist, you will:
EXPLORE the ways that paleontologists work, and the methods and tools they use to understand ancient life.
LEARN about Earth's history, ancient plants and animals, and changes to past climate and environments.
PROTECT our national parks, including fossils and the rocks in which they are found."
NOTE: This is a publication of the National Park Service. It contains copyrighted artwork and is being made available in this format exclusively for non-commercial, educational purposes.
Paleontological Resources (Bureau of Land Management)
"The BLM paleontology program works to preserve and protect paleontological resources for the benefit of current and future generations; assess for the presence and significance of paleontological resources prior to making land use decisions; facilitate insightful research into the geology and paleobiomes that preserve extinct organisms; and produce programs that increase the public’s awareness and appreciation of paleontological resources. "
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
About: Pterosaur is the name for a group of flying reptiles lived from about 228 million years ago until the most recent mass extinction, 66 million years ago. They are the earliest flying vertebrates, and although not technically dinosaurs, that is how most people think of them. Their wings, which could span up to 12 feet, were formed by a membrane, and they had hair-like filaments on their skin. They likely ate fish, small animals, and insects. They laid eggs. Pterosaurs are neither dinosaur descendants nor bird ancestors, although they are closely related each.
Instructions | Colored Version | Black and White Version
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
About: The Triceratops is named for its three horns. They first appeared in the late Cretaceous, about 68 million years ago, and died off in the mass extinction 66 million years ago. Triceratops were plant-eating dinosaurs, located in what is now North America. The Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction (the 5th in the geologic record) occurred when a large meteor hit Earth near what is now the Yucatan Peninsula. This event killed 75% of all life on Earth, including all non-flying dinosaurs. Triceratops is the state dinosaur of Wyoming and the state fossil of South Dakota. Instructions here.
Instructions | Colored Version | Black and White Version
About: Nautiloids are a subclass of marine mollusks that have been around for about 500 million years. There were more than 2500 species of Nautiloids. This one is straight-bodied; there are also coiled Nautiloids, like the Nautilus which is still in the oceans today. A large percentage of marine mollusks died in the mass extinction; nautiloids and coleoids (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) were the only cephalopods to survive. Put a small LED light inside to make your model glow.
You can print your own fossils with files from the Smithsonian's collections!
National Park Service Paleobiology
"This collection of fossils from the National Museum of Natural History features items found on National Park Service lands and 3D scanned by Park Service staff."
Fossils are the remains of once living things and give scientists evidence of what environments were once like when those things were alive. Fossils are also helpful to sciences trying to distinguish periods of geologic time.
Caves and Karst Trace Fossil Activity Instructions
"A trace fossil is the remains of something other than the animal itself. So, a footprint, tail, an old home, or many other things would be considered trace fossils. Today we will be using seashells or an item chosen from your home to make a trace fossil."
The State Fossil of New Mexico is Coelophysis bauri, you can find a coloring page here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fossil Identification and Collecting- New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Natural
Clayton Dinosaur Track ways virtual tour
The Land of the Giants, New Mexico Magazine
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
New Mexico: the Tyrannosaur State
"September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month. The observance began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to a full month under President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The reason for the specific timing, September 15 to October 15, is quite intentional. These dates coincide with national independence days in several Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua celebrate on September 15, followed by Mexico on September 16, and Chile on September 18."
National Museum of the American Latino
Congress enacted legislation in 2020 to establish an American Latino Museum in Washington, DC. There is not yet a building, but you can take tours of virtual exhibits. Learn more about the American Latino Museum.
National Hispanic Cultural Center- Albuquerque
Explore Hispanic Materials from the Library (of Congress) & Celebrate Hispanic Heritage
Facts and numbers
Hispanic Heritage Month: 2025 (U.S. Census)
National Hispanic Heritage Month: fact sheet (Congressional Research Service)
"This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed from September 15 to October 15. It contains links to census and demographic information, a CRS report, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, and presidential proclamations. It also contains links to additional cultural and historical resources and selected educational, cultural, and advocacy organizations."
Hispanic-American Representatives, Senators, Delegates, and Resident Commissioners by State and Territory
This table is supplemented by an interactive map of the United States and is based on information drawn from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. States are listed in alphabetical order. Names are followed by the Congress in which the Representative or Senator first took office.
(Image to the right is of José Manuel Gallegos, Image courtesy of the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives)
There are many more biographies about New Mexicans available at NewMexicoHistory.org
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
"This treaty, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its
territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. Mexico also relinquished all claims to Texas, and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States."
The Mexican Boundary Survey
The Mexican Boundary Survey was the most comprehensive vegetative investigation ever conducted on the 1,969 mile border between Mexico and the United States. The U.S. government commissioned the survey in order to map and mark the new boundary that resulted from the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The government also commissioned several naturalists to gather plant and animal specimens in order to understand the natural resources of the area.
"Cartoneras are hand-painted books made of recycled and repurposed materials with cardboard covers. Sometimes they are self- or community-authored and filled with copied literature. Unique designs on the cardboard covers make each cartonera one of a kind."
"In genealogical research, maps can provide clues to where our ancestors may have lived and where to look for written records about them. Beginners should master basic genealogical research techniques before starting to use topographic maps"
Soldiers and Sailors DatabaseThe Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Other information on the site includes histories of Union and Confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records, which will be amended over time. The CWSS is a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and several public and private partners whose goal is to increase Americans' understanding of this decisive era in American history by making information about it widely accessible.
Learn more.
The National Archives has made many of their popular records available on Internet archive. This includes census rolls.
"Agents and superintendents at American Indian reservations annually submitted census rolls starting in 1885. These rolls include individuals and families who maintained a formal connection with federally recognized tribes."
"Census records can provide the building blocks of your research. The first Federal Population Census was taken in 1790, and has been taken every ten years since. Because of a 72-year restriction on access to the Census, the most recent year available is 1950. The 1950 Census was released on April 1, 2022." About Census Records
Free to Use and Reuse: Genealogy (Library of Congress)This Free to Use set features family registers, family trees and photos, maps that document land ownership and more.
The Library offers many resources for researching your family history including historical newspapers, land ownership maps, tips on researching African American family histories and guides to the Library's genealogy collections. Consult the Local History & Genealogy Reference Services for help getting started.
For a list of events happening in the state, see this November's issues of the Guardian.
Albuquerque Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony
Nov 11 @ 9:00 am – 11:30 am
The Albuquerque Veterans Day Parade will start at 9:00 AM at USS Bullhead Memorial Park and end at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park.
The Ceremony will be held at 10:30 AM and include music by the Dukes of Albuquerque Concert Band, Flyover, and other activities.
For more information:
11.11COA 2025 Veterans Day Ceremony
Parade information:
Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells. USDA. MyPlate Kitchen. SNAP Recipes.
Pumpkin Fruit Dip. SNAP-Ed. Food Hero.
MyPlate Kitchen Recipes with Pumpkin. USDA. MyPlate Kitchen. SNAP Recipes.
Food Hero Recipes with Pumpkin. SNAP-Ed. Food Hero.
Sugar Pumpkin Information and Recipes. Tufts University. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
Have a Plant® Recipes with Pumpkin. Foundation for Fresh Produce. Have a Plant®
