Invisible No More: Voices from Native America

For too long, Native American people in the United States have been stereotyped as vestiges of the past, invisible citizens in their own land obliged to remind others, “We are still here!” Yet today, Native leaders are at the centre of social change, challenging philanthropic organisations that have historically excluded Native people, and fighting for economic and environmental justice. Edited by Raymond Foxworth of First Nations Development Institute and Steve Dubb of The Nonprofit Quarterly, Invisible No More is a ground-breaking collection of stories by Native American leaders, many of them women, who are leading the way through cultural grounding and nation-building in the areas of community, environmental justice, and economic justice. Authors in the collection come from over a dozen Native nations, including communities in Alaska and Hawaiʻi. Chapters are grouped by themes of challenging philanthropy, protecting community resources, environmental justice, and economic justice. While telling their stories, authors excavate the history and ongoing effects of genocide and colonialism, reminding readers how philanthropic wealth often stems from the theft of Native land and resources, as well as how major national parks such as Yosemite were “conserved” by forcibly expelling Native residents. At the same time, the authors detail ways that readers might imagine the world differently, presenting stories of Native community building that offer benefits for all. Accepting this invitation to reset assumptions can be at once profound and pragmatic. For instance, wildfires in large measure result from recent Western land mismanagement; Native techniques practiced for thousands of years can help manage fire for everyone’s benefit. In a world facing a mounting climate crisis and record economic inequality, Invisible No More exposes the deep wounds of a racist past while offering a powerful call to care for one another and the planet. Indigenous communities have much to offer, not the least of which are solutions gleaned from cultural knowledge developed over generations.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Michael Roberts Introduction by Steve Dubb Part I: Indigenous Perspectives on Philanthropy Introduction to Part I Chapter 1: A Call for Action Raymond Foxworth Chapter 2: Rising Movements Valerie Segrest, Lisa Wilson, Brooke Mosay Ammann Chapter 3: Changing Harmful Philanthropic Practices Sarah EchoHawk and Trisha Moquino Chapter 4: Rebalancing Money and Power [these two articles will be combined in one chapter] Sarah Kastelic and Sherry Salway Black Part II: Protecting the Environment Introduction to Part II Chapter 5: Fire, Forests, and Our Lands Hilary Renick Chapter 6: Our Bodies Are the Front Lines Annita Luchesi Chapter 7: Fisheries and Stewardship Brenda Asuncion, Miwa Tamanaha, Kevin K.J. Chang, and Kim Moa Chapter 8: Heathy Land, Healthy Food A-dae Romero Briones Part III: Indigenous Perspectives on Environmental Justice Introduction to Part III Chapter 9: Preserving Our Place Chantelle Comardelle Chapter 10: Reconciling the Past Trisha Kehaulani Watson-Sproat Chapter 11: Regeneration—from the Beginning A-dae Romero Briones Chapter 12: Becoming Earth’s Stewards Again Native Peoples Action Chapter 13: Fire and the Coast Salish Samuel Barr Chapter 14: Climate: A Hopi Story Monica Nuvumsa Part IV: Building Native Economies, Toward an Indigenous Economics Introduction to Part IV Chapter 15: The Long Outwaiting for Economic Justice Raymond Foxworth Chapter 16: Moving beyond the Five Cs of Lending Jaime Gloshay and Vanessa Roanhorse Chapter 17: Rewriting the Rules for Trust Lands Lakota Vogel Chapter 18: Helping Native Business Owners Thrive Heather Fleming Chapter 19: Building Community through Finance Fern Orie Chapter 20: Radical Economics Vanessa Roanhorse Afterword [Carly Badheart Bull, Native Ways Federation] About the Editors About the Contributors

About the Author :
Raymond Foxworth (Navajo) serves as program director at the Henry Luce Foundation. Previously, he served for over 15 years at First Nations Development Institute in various capacities, most recently as Vice President, where he oversaw national grant-making activities to Native nonprofits and tribal entities, fundraising activities, and all communications functions. Steve Dubb is senior editor of economic justice at NPQ, where he writes articles, moderates webinars, and works to cultivate voices from the field and help them reach a broader audience. Before that, he worked with cooperatives and nonprofits for over two decades, including twelve years at The Democracy Collaborative and three years as executive director of North American Students of Cooperation.

Review :
"These writings are an opportunity to reset relationships between mainstream environmental organizations--often white dominated--and Native communities. Invisible No More will be indispensable in the struggle against social injustice, climate change, and environmental degradation."--Ramón J. Cruz, former President, Sierra Club