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Advancing Native Organizing Guide

Native organizing empowers Native nations and communities to build relationships, uplift leaders, create solutions, and change systems to advance their sovereignty and self-determination. It’s essential that organizing respects and supports the sovereignty of Native nations.

Introduction

This resource intends to highlight the history of organizing through tradition, culture, and community by citizens of Native nations, especially Native women. This information will guide both Native citizens and non-Native allies in their journey towards uplifting, understanding, and strengthening Native movements for change. We would like to thank our panelists Tasha Fridia-Mousseau (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Kiowa, Caddo, and Hunka Oglala Lakota), Natalie Stites Means (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), and Brook LaFloe (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) for lending their expertise to the Advancing Native Organizing webinar. 

What is Native Organizing?

Organizing is a method for building power, particularly in communities that have been historically and/or currently excluded from decision making. Often starting at a local level, groups then expand and connect to form broader movements and national networks working towards change. Organizers work to build up leaders, create and advocate for solutions, and change systems. They also build relationships and engage with and advocate for their communities. How you get involved with organizing will depend on your skills, gifts, resources, identities, and capacity.

Some key impacts of organizing include:

  • Increased civic engagement
  • Policy and law change
  • Stronger networks and relationships
  • Awareness and visibility
  • Leadership development
  • Accountability for leaders
  • Enforcement and use of treaty rights
  • Improved quality of life – safety, economy, public health, etc.

Native organizing empowers Native nations and communities to build relationships, uplift leaders, create solutions, and change systems to advance their sovereignty and self-determination. Rooted in traditions, cultural resilience, and community strength, organizing takes many forms—from mutual aid to policy and long-term movement building. It’s essential that organizing create lasting change that respects and supports the sovereignty of Native nations.

Native women have always been central to organizing efforts, bringing cultural knowledge and strategic vision to address both immediate needs and long-term goals. Organizing efforts within Native nations often go beyond a protest or march and are cultivated through relationships and movements, many of which have been ongoing efforts to raise awareness for Native peoples and the discrimination they have faced for many years. From organizing within our own Native nations to building power through solidarity with other nations and movements, organizing builds and strengthens communities. 

What are some examples of Native organizing efforts?

Native nations, their leaders, and citizens have historically organized through peace as opposed to violence or hate. They do so through their cultures, traditions, and through the strength of their ancestors and the land. There are extensive examples of Native organizing efforts throughout time, but here are a few we have chosen to share:

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Movement

Native women have long been at the forefront of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) movement, working to build awareness, advocate, and heal their communities.

Native women lead national campaigns like the MMIW Red Dress awareness campaign that uses red dresses as a visual representation of the women lost to violence. Organizations like the Sovereign Bodies Institute and the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center work to provide data, amplify Indigenous voices, and advocate for systemic changes to address violence and erasure.

Women-led groups and leaders have been instrumental in pushing legislation like Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act in the United States. These laws aim to improve data collection and collaboration among law enforcement to address the crisis. On a grassroots level, Native women have organized task forces in various states to pressure local governments to implement actionable plans. Native women also organize vigils, awareness walks, and community searches for missing loved ones.

The NoDAPL Movement

The No Dakota Access Pipeline (NoDAPL) movement, centered at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, was a powerful demonstration of Native-led solidarity. While many know the broader story of NoDAPL, the role of Native women deserves attention. Through ceremony, storytelling, acts of resistance, and acts of care, women were able to uphold their values and advocate for change while facing police brutality and the destruction of the environment.

The End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock documentary shines a spotlight on the women who played key roles in the movement, showcasing their strength, courage, and unwavering commitment to protecting the land and water.

The women of Standing Rock wove together traditional practices, such as prayer and ceremony, with modern advocacy tools and inspired solidarity not only among Native nations but also among environmentalists, human rights activists, and others worldwide. The NoDAPL movement being led and sustained by Native women, is a testament to the enduring power of Indigenous resilience and collective action. It serves as a reminder that protecting the land and water is deeply tied to cultural preservation and future generations’ survival.

The Wabanaki Alliance

In 2020, the four Wabanaki Tribes of Maine (Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and Mi’kmaq Nation) came together to advance their sovereignty and educate the people of the state.

The drive behind forming the Wabanaki Alliance came from the 1980 Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act. The legislation was passed by Congress and agreed upon by the Wabanaki Tribes of Maine, who were under pressure from the federal government to reach an agreement. The tribes ratified the act with the understanding that their relationship with the State of Maine would grow over the years and the document could be adjusted in the future.

Years later, as a result of the 1980 Land Claims, the Wabanaki Tribes of Maine are unable to exercise their sovereignty as the other federally recognized tribes in the United States are able to. The Wabanaki Alliance strives to bring awareness to this discrimination while pushing bills through the state that allow them to fully be recognized as the sovereign nations that they are.

Native Women Lead Movements for Change

Native women have always been leaders – from their households to their larger communities. Native women traditionally have worn many hats, carrying out various roles across different pockets of their communities. When there are decisions to be made, most citizens of Native nations turn to their mother, grandmother, auntie, etc., to look for guidance. You’ll often see this taking place in Council meetings as well. They have been the leaders of Indian Country throughout the generations.

When Native women organize, there are amazing impacts. Some we’d like to share include:

  • Seventh Generation Thinking. Native women lead with a focus on the generations now and those yet to come. Long-term goals are embedded in organizing, creating movements that address immediate needs and seek to ensure lasting change.
  • Reclaiming Roles + Systems. Often rooted in culture, Native women organizing challenges patriarchal structures imposed by colonization and creates pathways for more inclusive governance and leadership.
  • Building Power. Native women excel in building strong networks of mutual aid, solidarity, and support. Through relational leadership, they foster trust and collaboration across diverse communities, uniting efforts to address shared challenges leading to solidarity actions across Native and non-Native communities.
  • Collective and Inclusive Decision-Making. Native women emphasize holistic decision-making processes, centering the voices of the most impacted and ensuring all perspectives are heard. This approach fosters equitable outcomes and greater community buy-in.
  • Strategic Vision. Drawing from their lived experiences, Native women organizers navigate systemic barriers while creating innovative solutions to challenges like systemic inequities, lack of resources, and threats to sovereignty.
  • Making Space for Future Leaders. Native women leaders often actively mentor and empower others, particularly youth, other women, and 2spirit relatives, to step into leadership roles. This ensures that movements remain intergenerational and inclusive, cultivate a culture of shared responsibility, and ensure that organizing efforts continue to evolve and grow.

How Can Allies Support Native-led Movements? 

Throughout the generations, Native nations have welcomed allies and supporters who are looking to join Native-led movements and help secure their sovereignty. For those wishing to be effective allies in Native organizing, it is important to understand positionality and boundaries to ensure that Native voices are heard and uplifted.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Center Sovereignty. Keep in mind that Native organizing no matter the issue or rights behind that effort, always centers on advancing Native sovereignty. Familiarize yourself with the basics and then dive deeper into how you can support to promote, defend, and uplift the sovereignty of Native nations.
  • Do Your Own Research. While you want to become an ally to Native nations, it is important not to rely on them to provide you with the background and understanding that you need to jump into this work. Find out what nations are in your area, what their current goals are, and any past or ongoing challenges to their sovereignty.
  • Build Your Cultural Competency. In order to support Native nations, it is important to understand their traditions, cultures, and histories and respect them. Take advantage of community-led training, include Native authors in your reading list, and reflect on how you may be unintentionally appropriating Native cultures.
  • Know Yourself. Start with self-reflection. What tools do you have to support Native leaders? Consider your positionality and identity how can you best serve the efforts of Native nations given where you come from, what you know, etc..
  • Contribute Resources. Perhaps in your self-reflection you identify what resources you and/or your organization have access to that can be beneficial to the movement you wish to support. Can you make a recurring donation? Can you spread the word via social media? There are so many ways you can use what you have to uplift Native-led efforts around you!
  • Move slowly and intentionally. Take baby steps! You may be super excited to start this work, which is great. To best serve Native organizing efforts, however, we encourage you to move at a pace that allows you to give the most effective support. Taking on too much or over-committing may do more harm than good.

How Can Citizens of Native Nations Get Involved?

From organizing within our own Native nations to building power through solidarity with other nations and movements, there are plenty of ways for citizens of Native nations to get involved.

Here are a few tips to get you started: 

  • Consider your skills, gifts, and resources. Do some self reflection and consider how you can support your Native nation, show solidarity for issues impacting your nation and others, and uplift sovereignty more broadly. Can you share your knowledge within your community? Or donate your time to a Native-led organization supporting sovereignty?
  • Research. Figure out more about the issues impacting sovereignty across Turtle Island. While each Native nation faces unique challenges, there are opportunities to learn from and collaborate with other nations to support sovereignty. Also, consider what we can learn from Indigenous communities globally to uplift and strengthen sovereignty.
  • Understand your positionality and identity. How can you best support sovereignty through organizing given where you come from, what you know, etc.?
  • Reach out. Find people, organizations, or Native nations that are already doing the work and organizing on a topic that interests you. You don’t have to do it all alone and we are stronger when we work together. Find out who is already organizing around a topic you’re interested in and how you can join their efforts.
  • Lean into gratitude and celebrate small victories. Organizing work is tough! While you may feel a lot of drive or responsibility to organize, take it slowly and move at a pace that’s sustainable for you. Taking on too much can lead to burnout and we need leaders who are in it for the long haul. Make sure to celebrate victories both big and small along the way and remember what you are grateful for and why sovereignty is important to you.

 

Additional Resources

 

Downloads

 

Event Recording

Our Advancing Native Organizing virtual event was held on Nov. 19, 2024 and featured insights from Indigenous leaders. Attendees gained an understanding of Native organizing and the role Native women leaders have had in making change in Indian Country. 

Event guests:

  • Tasha Fridia-Mousseau (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Kiowa, Caddo, and Hunka Oglala Lakota), Vice President Wichita and Affiliated Tribes | 2023 Obama Leader USA | Chief Officer of Advancement and Tribal Relations-Friends of the Children
  • Natalie Stites Means (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), Executive Director of the COUP Council | Founder of HeSapa Voter Initiative
  • Brook LaFloe (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), Niniijaanis One of Ones CEO
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