The heart of our work as an inter-tribal circle will
transform the deficient representation of contemporary Native artists and culture
bearers in public institutions. This is the intentional work of encouraging art galleries, museums, collectors and
other organizations to engage and support the diverse talent among our
communities.
Why it Matters
Inherent in our work is the collective vision to support our communities and the lands to which we are connected. Hundreds of years of forced removal and violence have selectively disenfranchised Native people for generations. Unyielding resilience has enabled us to continue the practice of collective care and cultural survival.
90%
of state-level history standards for K-12 education failed to cover Native history past the year 1900.
In television and film, less than 0.4 percent of media content includes representation of Native American characters.
2%
of the collection at The National Museum of the American Indian represents Modern and Contemporary arts
55% of the collection is archaeological, 43% ethnographic, suggesting The lens with which America views Native people is one that originates as primitive and studied from an antiquated perspective.
0 .51%
of the population in the Northeast is Native American
according to the 2020 census. Data on Native populations lead to policies that do not adequately address the challenges faced by our communities. Exhibiting Native artists represented by major art museums on the East Coast is approximated to be in the single digits.