Celebrate Native American Heritage Month: Learn, Support, Engage!
Though the month is ending, and today is Native American Heritage Day, the need to support and uplift Native communities continues beyond. In this e-blast, we will be highlighting Native organizations across the country that are doing incredible work to empower their communities. Explore ways to learn, support, and engage meaningfully through supporting these organizations:
Tewa Women United (TWU), The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), New Mexico Community Capital, and the Native American Media Alliance.
Photo: Tewa Women United
Located in the ancestral Tewa homelands of Northern New Mexico, Tewa Women United (TWU) is a multicultural and multiracial organization founded and led by Native women.
Tewa Women United blends cultural knowledge, community organizing, and advocacy to address critical social and environmental challenges, fostering healing and leadership among Indigenous women and girls.
Key Initiatives & Programs:
Environmental Justice: The Environmental Justice Program uplifts Indigenous families through advocacy, education, and global activism for human and environmental rights.
Gender & Generational Healing Justice: TWU’s Gender and Generational Healing Justice Program envisions a Northern New Mexico where all genders experience safety, health, and body sovereignty while addressing the root causes of gender-based violence. This project focuses on cultivating consent culture through education and the creation of inclusive community spaces.
Reproductive Justice: TWU’s Reproductive Justice Program empowers families by reclaiming traditional health practices.
Birth Justice Tips for Our Relatives: TWU’s team has compiled a list of essential tips for hospital labor and delivery, including key information about insurance for Native Americans. See the Birth Justice Tips.
Statement on U.S. Presidential Election: As the country navigates the election season, TWU centers the importance of Nava T’o i Yiya, the land-working mother. Read TWU’s Full Statement here.
The Native American Media Alliance (NAMA) is an initiative of the Barcid Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles. NAMA's mission is to promote an authentic Native American voice in the entertainment industry through a multi-faceted educational program aimed at studios, networks, production companies, talent agencies, and unions.
NAMA focuses on empowering Native American content creators in the entertainment industry by offering various programs designed to build skills and increase opportunities for Native professionals. They provide education and training through initiatives and their work extends to organizing the LA SKINS FEST, showcasing Native filmmakers and storytellers.
Key Initiatives & Programs:
Writers Seminar:Mentors new and developing Native American writers, helping them refine their scripts and provide insight into the film and TV industry.
Showrunner Program:Multi-month intensive that provides mentorship to experienced Native American writers, helping them gain skills and opportunities to become executive producers in television, and help in the creation of a new pilot and series bible.
Writers Room: Initiative that brings together Indigenous storytellers to create new scripted projects for film and television, addressing the lack of Indigenous representation in entertainment while fostering collaboration and creative development.
Animation Lab: Helps Native American writers, filmmakers, and artists develop their animated projects, offering creative development, pitching opportunities, and meetings with corporate partners to gain skills for employment in film, television, and media.
Native Media Apprenticeship Program: Provides mentorship and training to California-based Native American and Indigenous youth in animation and television production, creating career pathways in the entertainment industry.
Recent Highlights:
LA SKINS FEST:Native American Writers & Creators Showcase
Native American Writers Accelerator Grant: Twelve writers from their programs received grants and professional development opportunities to enhance their careers and address the underrepresentation of Native American writers in the entertainment industry.
How You Can Support:
Donate to the Barcid Foundation, the parent organization of NAMA, to support creative programs for Native American youth and adults.
New Mexico Community Capital (NMCC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to transform Native-owned businesses. Serving Native communities across New Mexico and the U.S., NMCC focuses on bridging the digital divide and fostering economic sustainability for Indigenous entrepreneurs.
NMCC offers a variety of programs that empower Native entrepreneurs to succeed in today’s economy. These programs focus on the intersection of financial literacy, technology, and mentorship, helping Native communities build and scale businesses with cultural relevance and peer-to-peer learning. NMCC also promotes food sovereignty through its agriculture programs, and they aim to be a nationally recognized leader in training, mentorship, and thought leadership in Indian Country.
Key Initiatives & Programs:
NMCC offers and supports the following programs, some of which are in collaboration with other organizations that support Native communities.
Technology Training & Support: Bridging the digital divide with IndigiWork and Grow with Google partnerships, providing tech skills for business growth.
Native Farmer in Residence: Supports Native farmers with financial literacy, marketing, and sustainable agriculture training.
Business & Marketing Essentials (BME): Teaches foundational business skills, including budgeting, marketing, and business development.
Native Entrepreneur in Residence (NEIR): A mentorship-driven program helping Native entrepreneurs grow their businesses with financial literacy and peer support.
Community of Practice: A network for NEIR and BME graduates offering continued learning and mentorship.
The Future is Indigenous Women (TFIIW): Empowering Indigenous women entrepreneurs with resources to scale their businesses.
IndigiExchange Marketplace: NMCC supports small businesses by connecting customers with Indigenous artists across Indian Country through an online platform that features products from graduates of NMCC's BME, NEIR, and NFIR programs.
The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is dedicated to advancing knowledge and appreciation of Native cultures through exhibitions, educational programs, and public events. With locations in Washington, D.C. and New York City, the museum serves as a hub for the celebration, education, and preservation of Native American heritage and history.
The museum offers educational programs, cultural events, and exhibitions which showcase the histories, arts, and cultures of Native peoples across the Americas. Through in-person and online events, NMAI strives to amplify Native voices and foster a greater understanding of Indigenous cultures and their contemporary relevance.
Key Initiatives & Programs:
Native Knowledge 360°: A program aimed at educating K-12 educators about Native American history, culture, and contemporary issues, equipping them with accurate resources for teaching about Native peoples.
Native Cinema Showcase: An annual film series highlighting Native filmmakers and storytelling, addressing issues such as missing and murdered Indigenous women, intergenerational trauma, and environmental challenges.
Educational Events & Cultural Celebrations: The museum regularly hosts cultural festivals, such as the Muscogee People Festival, Native American Heritage Day, and Día de los Muertos, which offer music, dance, and educational opportunities to engage the public in Native culture.
Upcoming (In-Person & Online):
Native Cinema Showcase 2024 (November 22–November 29, 12 AM–11:59 PM ET, daily, On-demand): The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film.
Native American Heritage Day – Honoring Zitkala-Ša (November 29, in D.C. - 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM): A performance by hoop dancer Starr Chief Eagle and a celebration of the life and legacy of Zitkala-Ša, an influential Native American activist and writer.
Native American Heritage Day: Stomp Dancing with Hithla (November 29-30, in NYC - 12 PM, 2 PM, and 4 PM each day): A performance by the Hithla dance troupe, showcasing stomp dancing and storytelling from Southeastern Native nations.
Native Art Market (December 7-8 in D.C., 10 AM–5:30 PM): A marketplace featuring a variety of handcrafted Indigenous artworks, from beadwork to paintings.
Recent Highlights:
Honoring Native Veterans: A day of remembrance and honor for Native American veterans, including lectures and a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Native American Veterans Memorial.
How You Can Support:
Explore Exhibits: Visit the museum in person or explore their digital collections online. If you can’t visit in person, you can visit online anytime. Check out online exhibitions, and past virtual programs or read the museum’s magazine.
Donate: Help preserve Native cultures by supporting their mission. Donate Here.
Get Involved: Become a member or volunteer to help with museum activities.
National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a woman-led 501(c)(3) non-profit civil and human rights organization that was founded to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism toward the Latino communities.
