Research and data have power in society. For a long time, non-natives, or more specifically
white researchers, produced the majority of the scientific research, and in large part they either
omitted Indigenous people from research or, in the rare cases we as Indigenous people were included,
our data was both owned by and interpreted through the lens of these researchers. In many cases, this
research caused significant harm, through racist studies like eugenics, and distrust by using data
in ways not previously agreed upon. In order to amplify the voices and experiences of Indigenous
peoples in the U.S and to center Indigenous needs and priorities, our team, in collaboration with our
Indigenous partner organizations, is launching the second annual Indigenous Futures Study.
Our first Indigenous Futures Study included more than 6,400 natives and led to reports on COVID
impacts and building Indigenous power to address needs and priorities. Having Indigenous-led and
resourced studies like these helps to address Indigenous underrepresentation, to rebuild trust,
and to create a new era of research "by Indigenous people for Indigenous people."
The links between Indigenous representations, native identification, and the ongoing prejudice
and discrimination Indigenous peoples face are powerful predictors of well-being. The ongoing use
of native mascots, for example, fuels anti-native bias and perpetuates negative stereotypes of
natives. In addition, native mascots dehumanize natives by placing us on the same level as animals
and by turning us into commodities that can be bought and sold on branded hats,
mugs, and even toilet paper. Research demonstrates that these types of representations undermine the
well-being of native individuals and communities. Native mascots, for instance, decrease self-esteem,
community worth, and academic aspirations, and increase stress, depression, and suicide ideation
among native peoples. In other words, these representations not only shape how non-natives see
and treat native people, they also shape how native people understand what is possible for themselves
and their communities. When we increase visibility and reclaim historical truths
research demonstrates that native people experience all
kinds of benefits to psychological well-being and life satisfaction.
Thanksgiving, in its current form, is about the actual erasure of Indigenous people. What
many Americans do not know is that Thanksgiving feasts were carried out each time settlers killed
large numbers of Indigenous peoples. The current enactment of Thanksgiving romanticizes history,
silences Indigenous voices and experiences, and makes light of the ways in which
Americans' not-so-distant past fuels the ongoing struggles of contemporary Indigenous peoples.
The issue is not simply that we are not teaching the truth about Thanksgiving
or about history more generally, but that we are not teaching students anything
about contemporary Indigenous peoples. Aside from our, aside from erasing our experiences,
this omission also erases our contributions to society and ultimately sets the stage for
intergroup interactions that do not accurately center respect or empathy.
To truly do justice to contemporary Indigenous peoples, we must ensure that accurate Indigenous
representations and histories are applied universally in education, politics, and the media.