www.hnmagazine.com HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE
89
September 23 - 25, 2021
Phoenix Arizona
National Conference
Together To ds Tomorrow Together To dsTomorrow
AMERICAN INDIAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SOCIETY GINEERIN NG SO OCIET OCIET N INDIAN SCIENCE AND E CAN RIC MER SC NCE AN ENG CE A
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advocates who want a true representation of all peoples in school curricula that an honest account of Native history would significantly impact the experiences of Native people throughout society. When Indigenous peoples history, culture and contemporary experiences are integrated into school curriculum, Native students and their families can heal; non-Native students and their families can learn how to accurately portray our nations history to support Native peoples, and the nation itself can take a step towards a healthier future. In 2018, Reclaiming Native Truth, a joint project of Echohawk Consulting and First Nations Development Institute studied Americans knowledge of and attitudes about Native people. The study revealed that most Americans know very little about Indigenous people but were open to the opportunity to learn. Among its recommendations that came from the study was the development of K-12 curriculum to educate the public about Native people. The IllumiNative organization was established upon completion of the research and serves as both a resource for research and an advocate for increased visibility of Indigenous peoples. HNM: What programs and organizations are at the forefront of bringing about change and educating Americans in a way that is lasting and effective? CCB: The American Indian College Funds mission includes promoting public understanding of the historical and contemporary lives of Native people through a variety of channels including public relations, digital media, video and print strategies, and sharing its expertise with Indian education and Native communities as a national expert. The College Fund collaborates with other national Native scholarship providers and is part of a network of Native-led organizations including Native Ways Federation, which includes the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Native American Rights Fund, the National Indian Child Welfare Association, Running Strong for Indian Youth, the Association of American Indian Affairs and the First Nations Development Institute. On a national level, organizations influencing representation, advocacy and public policy include the National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Education Association, IllumiNative and other advocacy and membership groups. HNM: How has the gross disenfranchisement of Native and Indigenous voters amplified these issues and what can be done to counteract that? CCB: Indigenous peoples systems of governance and civic participation served as the model for the federal government system. Voting disenfranchisement of Native people occurs through oppressive practices such as requiring street addresses or multiple forms of identification to register to vote, lack of access to voting sites and the general disregard of the power of the Native vote. As sovereign nations, Indian Tribes have negotiated treaties with the United States government and those treaties affirm the trust relationships and responsibilities of the United States to the Tribes party to those treaties. Tribes retained treaty rights to socialize and educate their people, while agreeing to the United States governments role as trustees of Indigenous people's lands. Registered and engaged Native voters are necessary to ensure that Native Nations maintain those rights while holding the government accountable for its responsibilities. Counteracting disenfranchisement of Indigenous peoples requires the same strategies that other groups are using to ensure their voting rights, including targeted support to address the significant numbers of Native people who are living in rural areas and who are poor.
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