November is Native American Heritage Month and this year Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) is going to dedicate the following month to “Celebrate Indigenous Leadership."

NAP wishes to highlight Indigenous leadership because we want to give thanks to those that have led us to (and are continuing to lead us through) this moment in time where Indigenous peoples find themselves at various points of their actualization but are united in the knowledge that our wisdom and teachings are key to the fulfillment of our communities and our world at large.  
 
As Indigenous people, we recognize that sometimes a little agreed-upon context is necessary before we can dive into more nuanced conversations. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a few of our educational resources that should give a baseline knowledge of Native peoples and the issues we broach head-on at Native Americans in Philanthropy.  

Fast Facts About Indigenous Peoples
What a lot of people know about Indigenous peoples is based on stereotypes and narrow views of history in our grade school textbooks, or stories in the media that advance similar narratives. This article is a collection of facts from our “Investing In Native Communities” platform that subvert many widely accepted stereotypes and begin to paint a much more truthful picture of Native peoples.  

Indigenous Identity: A Starting Guide of Terminology
Collective terms and labels for Indigenous people are complex and have important nuances, so we created this short glossary to help navigate Indigenous identifiers and labels. 

Native Americans Receive Less Than 0.4% Of Philanthropic Dollars
Between 2002 and 2016, the average share of annual grant dollars explicitly benefitting Native Americans was 0.4%. That striking statistic was revealed in our “Investing In Native Communities: Philanthropic Funding for Native American Communities and Causes” report. 

The First Philanthropists: A Reflection for National Philanthropy Day 
Indigenous peoples of this land are the first philanthropists and in this reflection, we honor the Indigenous values and knowledge that has inspired the philanthropic spirit since time immemorial and continues to guide Native-led and Native-serving organizations. 

Intersectional Indigenous Identities: Afro-Indigenous and Black Indigenous Peoples
Afro-Indigenous and Black Indigenous peoples face a myriad of issues including the erasure of their identities, colorism, anti-Blackness in Indigenous communities, and a complex web of historical, cultural, social, and political influences.

To better understand Afro-Indigenous identities, we developed a list of terminology and concepts that are used to describe the identities of and issues facing our Black relatives.

Intersectional Indigenous Identities: Two-Spirit People
The term ‘two-spirit’ and its increasing visibility may seem new, however, Native American and Indigenous peoples have a long history of recognizing two-spirit people within their communities before colonization.  

This guide is an introduction to the 'two-spirit' term, its history, and its usage.

This roundup of resources is a great starting point for further education and exploration of our rich people, nations, and cultures.  Please visit our Events to learn more about our philanthropy education programs and also consider becoming a member of Native Americans in Philanthropy.

Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to check out what else we have in store for Native American Heritage Month.