Despite a largely untold history of erasure and violence against their community, Native Americans are leading and contributing to our society everyday. The community is also growing. In the last decade, The American Indian and Alaska Native population increased from 5.2 million in 2010 to 9.7 million in 2020. Native people now make up almost 3% of the U.S. population. Yet, representation on television for Natives is still less than 1%, as of our most recent reporting.
While we continue to see gains in representation from Capitol Hill to Hollywood, expanding the narrative for Native Americans in media has a long way to go. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we spoke to Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and Executive Director of IllumiNative, and a citizen of the Pawnee Nation. She has been a powerful advocate for Native Americans, focused on amplifying the voices, stories and issues of her community in media content.
W rozmowie Echo Hawk z Charlene Polite Corley z Nielsena, wiceprezesem Diverse Insights and Initiatives, dzieli się ona potrzebą organizacji takiej jak IllumiNative, aby zwiększyć świadomość w branży medialnej. Omawiają również wpływ współczesnej reprezentacji rdzennych Amerykanów w ostatnich programach, takich jak Reservation Dogs i Rutherford Falls, na postrzeganie i zrozumienie rdzennej ludności przez widzów.
Treść jest jednak tylko jednym z aspektów reprezentacji. Echo Hawk opowiada również o swojej pracy na rzecz edukowania marek i firm, aby powstrzymać zawłaszczanie kulturowe ikon marki lub maskotek sportowych.
This is just a glimpse into the broader conversation at SXSW on March 12: Forget Mascots: The Native Representation TV Needs.
