IllumiNative Launches Toolkit to Help Change Indian Country Narrative

Published July 11, 2019

TULSA, Okla.  —  One-year ago IllumiNative was founded to translate the groundbreaking research from the Reclaiming Native Truth project into action. It was the largest public opinion research project ever conducted by, for and about Native peoples that was co-led by Echo Hawk Consulting.

 

The research has been a game changer in helping to start important and potentially transformative conversations with leaders in entertainment, media, K-12 education, philanthropy and other sectors. It has helped to validate, through data, the experiences of Native peoples across the country of how invisibility and toxic stereotypes that are perpetuated primarily by media, pop culture and K-12 education fuel bias and racism against Native peoples. It has raised important awareness among non-Natives allies about these systemic issues and the abundance of opportunities to work in partnership with Native peoples to advance narrative change and social justice.

Crystal Echo Hawk, president of Echo Hawk Consulting

IllumiNative’s mission is to illuminate the vibrancy and importance of contemporary Native stories, voices and issues and to end the invisibility and harmful stereotypes that have dire consequences for Native peoples. 

To this end, we just launched a new narrative change toolkit that translates the research into more actionable tools that can be easily shared.

To date, IllumiNative has partnered with local organizations in Minnesota and Oklahoma to co-convene statewide convenings with a total of 250 participants to share the research and create spaces for stakeholders to create local and statewide plans for narrative change. IllumiNative would love to see these types of convenings, action planning and/or other strategies happening in more cities and states. IllumiNative also wants to explore how narrative change for Native peoples connects with other priority issues and organizing for allies, especially as it ramps up into 2020.

The Bush Foundation generously provided funding for the development of the toolkit.

The post IllumiNative Launches Toolkit to Help Change Indian Country Narrative appeared first on Native News Online.