Activism has always been a part of Indigenous cultures in North America. Since the first contact with the Western world, when colonizers landed upon the continent’s shores, Indigenous peoples have fought for the human rights and freedoms of their communities. Over many generations, our inherent responsibility and promise to our ancestors to fight for freedom and our rights to our land has shaped today’s activism, which is thriving on numerous fronts.

November is Native American Heritage Month, so in the spirit of “Truthsgiving”, here’s a list of Indigenous activist organizations you should follow and support.

If you’re interested in supporting the movement for Indigenous rights in my home of Alaska, check out Native Movement. It’s a nonprofit based in Alaska that “provides support for grassroots-led projects that endeavor to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ rights, the rights of Mother Earth, and the building of healthy and sustainable communities for all.” The organization hosts live webinars on different topics pertaining to the climate in Alaska, such as the effects of seismic testing in the Arctic, and held a leadership action training summit in rural parts of the state this summer (and they made sure they could have daycare at the summit for single parents that wanted to attend!).

If the needs of Indigenous women is where you want to direct your attention, try Seeding Sovereignty, a “multi-generational, youth-led model by and for indigenous and non-indigenous womxn based on mentoring relationships and principles of unity, solidarity, justice, sharing and respect.” Follow some of its recent work here. Native Womens Wilderness is an organization whose mission is to inspire and raise the voices of Native Women in the outdoor realm and encourage a healthy lifestyle grounded in the wilderness. Native Womens Wilderness also works on missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA is a community-led initiative that focuses on the missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) epidemic on both sides of the Canadian-U.S. border. There are systemic causes of the violence that causes the disproportionate rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, of which a great many cases go unsolved.

Saving the earth and environmental justice are crucial parts of Indigenous activism. Check out groups that are doing this work, led by Native peoples, like Honor the Earth, which uses Indigenous knowledge, art, music, and the media to raise awareness and support for Indigenous to raise awareness and generate support for Indigenous environmental issues. Indigenous Environmental Network is an alliance of Indigenous Peoples whose mission is the protection of the earth from contamination and exploitation by honoring the value of Indigenous knowledge. The group has fought for climate justice, native energy, and the rights of Mother Earth and has played a large role in the fight for Standing Rock. Indigenous Peoples Power Project, a nonviolent direct action training and support network “advancing Indigenous communities’ ability to exercise their inherent rights to environmental justice, cultural livelihood, and self-determination,” is another valuable resource. Earth Guardians’ mission is to empower young people by “providing them with leadership opportunities and tools to bring their innovative solutions to the world's most pressing issues.” And finally, Alaska Rising Tide is an activist organization in my home state that confronts the root causes of climate change, which Alaskans are experiencing in many ways. My favorite bold act of theirs? When they dropped a huge “I’d rather be led by dogs” banner at the Alaskan Iditarod kickoff, which was a gesture in protest of the Trump administration’s support of the fossil fuel economy and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Storytelling and healing is another part of Indigenous activism that helps communities connect with their cultures and process intergenerational trauma while pushing conversations forward. Native Hope is a good place to start if you want to support this mission — the organization believes “in the power of storytelling to dismantle barriers, bring healing, and inspire hope for Native people.”

As an Indigenous womxn, I feel that these activist organizations all share a collective goal: to create a better world for the unborn generations. All of this work is built on the same thing, and that is hope.

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