Brittany Schulman (Waccamaw Siouan), Senior Vice President of Programs at Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), shares insights in today’s post.
Native American communities, with their rich diversity, have often been stereotyped and marginalized, especially in the philanthropic sector. Despite the historical practice of philanthropy within Native and Indigenous cultures, representation remains lacking. The focus of Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) is to establish a strong network involving Native and non-Native organizations, tribal entities, foundations, and community members in philanthropy.
One of their current priorities is addressing the digital divide. Data from the Federal Communications Commission reveals that only 65% of housing units on rural American Indian and Alaska Native lands have access to broadband services. While the government is investing significantly in broadband expansion, many rural and tribal communities are at risk of being left behind due to lack of information, support, and trust.
Since 2022, Native Americans in Philanthropy has partnered with Google.org to enhance services to Indigenous communities. Google.org has provided $2 million in grant funding to support the following Native-led organizations. These organizations aim to equip Native communities with the necessary tools and knowledge to engage actively in the digital economy.
- The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) will assist tribal colleges in enhancing data sovereignty for their communities.
- IndigiGenius will train over 60 educators and more than 600 Indigenous youth in culturally relevant coding and AI education.
- Native Realities will establish a community of practice focused on developing sustainable technology plans that align with cultural values.
This initiative complements Google.org’s previous $10 million grant to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), benefiting numerous rural and tribal community members in enhancing their digital skills and utilization of broadband internet.
Such investments prioritize Indigenous communities, empowering them with essential resources to shape a future grounded in cultural values.
