November is Native American Heritage Month, a month dedicated to honoring the North America’s first people. There are 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States. Despite the multiple barriers Native American entrepreneurs face (financing, geographic isolation and deeply ingrained discrimination), Native entrepreneurship is still on the rise. How are you supporting Native American Entrepreneurs within your ecosystem? Here are some resources to check out:
This map will tell you who’s land you occupy so you can learn more about the history of your area.
Here’s a story on how New Mexico is supporting Native women entrepreneurs.
This article has resources for Native women entrepreneurs, who are 2/3rds the breadwinners but only make 58 cents for every dollar a white man earns.
Here’s a list of organizations that support Native American Entrepreneurs:
Indian Country Today
Here's a quick list of things you can do to support Native Americans in your ecosystem, and be more culturally aware.
1. There is not one “native culture.” Don’t lump them all together.
Understand that there are over 560 federally recognized tribes across the United States. Each tribe has its own culture and traditions. Don’t assume you know what they are because you read one thing about one tribe. Do your research to learn more about the indigenous people in your communities.
2. Don’t exclude Native Americans in your diversity and inclusion efforts.
People have a tendency to focus on one or two specific cultural groups when creating panels or compiling data. Native Americans are often overlooked in these efforts. Their voices are important and should be heard.
3. Stop telling people you have “Native American blood.”
Being Native means different things to different people. Claiming to have a great great grandfather or uncle who was Native American does not make you Native American. It’s a very complex and emotional topic.
4. Be thoughtful and courteous at events.
Check your ego and privilege before attending an event hosted by the Native American community. Be humble and courteous. Do your research to understand the customs and traditions before attending. Don’t be the first person to participate or hop in the food line. Do the elders eat first? Are there customs around the food? Understand that you are not at an exhibit. Do the work and don’t exhaust others with constant questions and requests for explanations.
5. Help amplify the voices of Native Americans.
Who can you storytell about in your community? What Native American businesses can you highlight and support? What causes or efforts exist in your ecosystem that focus on Indigenous people?
6. Know the land you are on and honor it.
Land is a very emotional subject for Native Americans for many reasons. It has meaning beyond ownership. Understand that every inch of the United States was illegally acquired. Visit your local Native cultural center to learn more about the history. This map is a great place to start. You can enter in your city and it will tell you more about the Nations or tribes whose land you are on.
7. Invite elder leaders to your events.
Invite them to attend, speak, or perform an invocation or prayer.
8. Support Native Businesses.
Buy Native. Support Native American artists and businesses and do the work to avoid buying “Native” items not made by Native people.
9. Stop using terms that refer to Native American culture.
Do the research on cultural appropriation and don’t use terms that refer to Native culture. Here are a few commonly used phrases:
Let’s have a pow-wow
Bury the hatchet
Join my tribe
This is my spirit animal
On the warpath
Off the reservation
Lowest man on the totem pole
Do a rain dance
10. Don’t tokenize.
Do not tokenize Native people in your efforts to be diverse. Build relationships and equitably compensate.
This is just a short list of ways to honor rather than silence, tokenize, and marginalize Native Americans. There’s a lot of work to be done in this area. Start by doing your research on Native American communities in and around your ecosystem. And, if you happen to be reading this on Thanksgiving, consider incorporating these things into your holiday and educate yourself on the real history behind the holiday.