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About IllumiNative and the Data Project

IllumiNative was founded in 2018 to activate the findings of the Reclaiming Native Truth project, the largest public opinion research and strategy-setting project ever conducted by, for, and about Native peoples.

Reclaiming Native Truth shows that we must disrupt and interrupt the erasure of Native peoples that drives systemic racism. Dismantling erasure and harmful stereotypes begins to clear a path so that we can re-educate and engage Americans and key institutions by activating contemporary and authentic narratives about Native peoples.

Invisibility of Native Peoples

The invisibility of contemporary Native peoples, voices, contributions, and issues creates a void that is filled with toxic stereotypes and misperceptions.

Picture of a Native woman and her child wearing blue dresses with mountains and desert in the background. The text on the image reads: "72% of Americans never encounter or seek out information about Native Americans."
Photo by Gabriella Norte
A black and white photo Native child holding their right arm to the sky in a fist. There are mountains and desert in the background. The text on the image says "87% of state history standards don't mention Native American history after 1900" and "27 states make no mention of a single Native American in k-12 curriculum"
Photo by Josue Rivas
A Native woman doing an ollie on a skateboard with text on the image saying "78% of Americans know little to nothing about Native peoples"
Photo by Tomas Karmelo Amaya

 

A roll of film. The text says "Native American characters only make up between 0-0.4% of primetime tv and films.

Invisibility is the modern manifestation of systemic racism and one of the greatest threats to Native lands and livelihoods.

- Crystal Echo Hawk

A headshot of Crystal Echo Hawk, Executive Director of Illuminative. The text says "Less than 0.4% of Philanthropic Resources goes to Native Americans."
Crystal Echo Hawk, Executive Director of IllumiNative

 

Americans Hold Negative and Romanticized Stereotypes Simultaneously

  • Separate and part of U.S. culture

  • Caring for the land and living in trash-filled or polluted reservations

  • Spiritually focused and struggling with alcohol and drugs

  • Savage warriors and noble savages

  • Resilient and dependent on government benefits

  • Poor and flush with casino money

To be seen as diverse nations not a monolithic whole

- Quote from Indigenous Futures Survey

Pathways Toward New Narratives

Diversity of Native Communities

Showing diversity including mixed Native identities.

Depicting specific tribes and cultures rather than "Pan-Indianism". 

Sovereignty

Educating state and federal policymakers on the sovereignty of Native American tribes and treaty rights.

Today, There are 574 federally recognized tribes, many state-recognized tribes, as well as several other sovereign Native nations.

Native Art, Culture, Voice and Influence

Lifting up Native peoples and their history, culture, and stories. Showing indigenous joy, humor, and humanity.

K-12 Education

Recognizing the historic mistreatment of Native peoples by the U.S. government and how it still affects Native Americans today.

Entertainment

Investing in new Native stories in film and TV and replace false depictions with Native peoples' stories.

Hiring more Native artists in the full storytelling process as writers, producers, directors, actors, designers, etc.

An elderly Native woman on the left in an orange shirt and an African Native American girl on the right with an orange shirt and white necklace.
Illustrations by Lynne Hardy

Indigenous Futures Survey 2020

Representing 6,400 Native Peoples and 401 Tribes

The Indigenous Futures Survey is the largest research conducted in Indian country representing a diverse sample across age, gender, and geography.

This data captures insight on Native American voting and political engagement. Democracy is the cornerstone of the U.S. government; however, voter suppression, campaign finance fraud, and the ongoing systemic disenfranchisement of Indigenous, Black, and other communities of color have inhibited the creation of a truly representative democracy.

Many conversations on voting norms and behaviors neglect Native peoples and dismiss the Native vote as inconsistent, Native people as unengaged, or the Native population as too small to make a difference in elections.

This survey is the first step in a yearslong process to understand the motivations, priorities, and the changing demographics and beliefs of the Indigenous community.

A 2.0 version of the Indigenous Futures Survey was conducted in 2021-2022 and a new report will be published by Illuminative at the end of 2022.

Identity

A Native woman with a black shirt that says "The Future is Accessible". There is a bar chart breaking down identity of Native Americans who took the survey including 94% Native American, 6% First Nations, 3% Alaska Native, and 2% Native Hawaiian

 

Residence

Percentage of Native Americans living in cities is 49%, small towns is 19%, reservations is 23%, and rural is 9%

 Enculturation

A picture of a Native American elder man and a Native boy. The text on the image says 98% socialize with other native americans, 98% know and share native american history, 95% eat or cook native american food, and 92% attend pow-wows or social dances.
Photo by Paul Robert Wolf Wilson

Indigenous Peoples are Civically Engaged

A bar chart depicting civic engagement including: 82% of Native Americans have signed a petition, 77% share political content online, 49% participate in a grassroots org, 47% have contacted a public official, and 37% attended a protest prior to the murder of George Floyd.

More Trends in Civic Engagement 

  • Indigenous Trans, Non-binary, Genderqueer, and Two-spirit peoples engage in more civic activities.

  • Indigenous people who participate in more cultural activities engage in more civic activities.

  • Indigenous peoples are motivated most by candidates platform and track record on Native and tribal issues.

Priorities of Indigenous Communities

Several pie charts depicting different percentages of Native American priorities including: 69% Native Americans want to improve mental health, 65% care for tribal elders, 64% address violence against women, children and LGBTQ+, 63% preserving tribal languages.

Barriers to Voting

A picture of a Native man holding a baby. There is a bar chart on top of the picture depicting data to barriers of voting: 32% do not receive absentee ballot on time, 27% are not able to access polling due to work hours, 19% say the polling place is too far away, and 17% reported the line was too long at polling place.
Photo by Jaida Grey Eagle

Other Trends in Barriers to Voting

  • 48% of Indigenous Trans, Non-binary, Genderqueer and Two-spirit peoples experience more barriers to voting.
  • 39% of Indigenous young people (20-29 years) experience more barriers due to lack of transportation to the polls.

Data from this Project are Drawn From:

Illuminative Insights and Action Guide

From Protests, to the Ballot Box, and Beyond: Building Indigenous Power

Reclaiming Native Truth: Narrative Change Strategy

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