The Indigenous Futures Survey, the largest survey of Native peoples ever conducted, represents a precedent-setting new chapter in Native-led research and organizing to dismantle systemic racism and build power for Native peoples. More than 6,400 Native adults from 401 Tribes and all 50 U.S. states participated in the survey. The results offer compelling new insights into the systemic challenges, issue priorities, and experiences of Native peoples, providing a platform to advocate for change. This session will share the groundbreaking approach and results of this research, its policy and systems change implications, and the critical need for narrative and culture change to ‘close the distance’ between the non-Native public and Native peoples.
This session was curated in partnership with Illuminative.
Professor of Psychology, Regents of the University of Michigan
Stephanie A. Fryberg is the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Research for Indigenous Social Action and Equity Center at the University of Michigan. Her primary research focuses on how social representations of race, culture, and social class influence the development of self, psychological well-being, and educational attainment; and on designing interventions that reconfigure educational spaces to improve outcomes for racial minority and low-income students. Dr. Fryberg received the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Louise Kidder Early Career Award, Otto Klineberg Intercultural and International Relations Award, University of Arizona Five Star Faculty Award, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Service Award, and in 2011 was inducted into the Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame at Stanford University. Dr. Fryberg also provided testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs regarding the impact of racist stereotypes on Indigenous people, was lead psychologist on an Amicus Brief for Harjo v. Pro-Football, and served as an expert witness in the Keepseagle v. U.S. Department of Agriculture class action lawsuit.
Executive Director, Center for Native American Youth
Nikki’s Indian name is khwhele’ which means Meadow Lark. She is a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Kalispel, Yakama, Nisqually, Cowlitz, Squaxin Island and Taino. She is a direct descendant of Chief Spokane, Chief Ignace, Chief Kamayakin and Chief Leschi. With a true passion to support Native youth and youth-led programming, Nikki serves as the Executive Director at the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute. As Executive Director, Nikki works closely with the Board of Advisors and Youth Advisory Board, manages staff and sets the vision, strategy and priorities for the Center. Nikki oversees finances, manages development of communications, advocacy, programs and is the lead in resource development, partnership development and collaborative strategies.
Nikki sits on the Partnership with Native Americans Board of Directors, an Advisor for Doris Duke Charitable Fund’s Indigenous Peoples Portfolio, a Commissioner for the Aspen Institute’s K-12 Climate Action, is a proud committee member for the Miss Indian World Pageant for the Gathering of Nations Pow-wow and promotes other organizations in advisory capacities.
Nikki has worked on behalf of her people her whole life. Her biggest inspiration comes from her daughter, Aplnmarimn’tsu’tn (Carries the Medicine).
Judith is a citizen of the Caddo Nation and director of the Native Organizers Alliance (NOA), a national Native training and organizing network. NOA works with tribes, traditional societies, and grassroots community groups in Native urban and tribal communities.
At the core of her work is the belief that organizing a grassroots, durable ecosystem of Native leaders and organizers who share a common theory of change rooted in traditional values and sacred practices is necessary to achieve tribal sovereignty and racial equity for all.
Since 2016 she has partnered with the Brave Heart Society, a traditional Dakota women’s society, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe on a project to re-establish the inherent, and legal rights of the Yankton and other Oceti Sakowin tribes in the Missouri River Basin in South Dakota to regain co-management of the bio-region.
She is a board member of IllumiNative, and chair of the board of NDN. She is a 2019 Roddenberry Fellow.
Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee) is the founder and Executive Director of IllumiNative, the first and only national Native-led organization focused on changing the narrative about Native peoples on a mass scale. Crystal built IllumiNative to activate a cohesive set of research-informed strategies that illuminate the voices, stories and contributions of contemporary Native peoples to build power, advance justice and equity and fight systemic racism and bias.
Prior to founding IllumiNative, Crystal served as President and CEO of Echo Hawk Consulting. During her tenure there, Crystal founded and co-led the 2016-2018 Reclaiming Native Truth (RNT) project, an unprecedented research and strategy setting initiative to address misconceptions, stereotypes, and the invisibility of Native peoples within American society. Crystal founded IllumiNative in 2018 to put the RNT research into action to drive narrative change that can support equity, social justice and self-determination for Native peoples.
