The Invisibility of Native Peoples and the Transformative Power of Indigenous-Led Narrative Change

Invisibility and harmful stereotypes are two of the biggest challenges facing Indigenous people today. According to research conducted by The Reclaiming Native Truth Project, nearly 80% of Americans know little to nothing about contemporary Native peoples, which leads to systemic bias, racism, and neglect of Indigenous communities. In this episode, Lindsay Smalling talks with Crystal Echo Hawk and Nick Tilsen, two Indigenous leaders who head organizations working to change the narrative and the status quo in order to help Indigenous communities thrive. They discuss their efforts to bring about widespread narrative change, concrete examples of why it is such an exciting time to make big investments and big impact in Indian Country, and where their movements are headed in the future. 
Echo Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation, is Founder and CEO of IllumiNative. Tilsen, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, is Founder, President, and CEO of NDN Collective.