Philanthropic funding opportunities in the performing and visual arts do not meet the needs of Native creators, a report from the First Peoples Fund (FPF) finds.

Conducted in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF), the report, Brightening the Spotlight: The Practices and Needs of Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Creators in the Performing Arts (100 pages, PDF), includes interviews with 46 Native creators who engage in the performing arts, including music, theater, dance, and storytelling. The creators said they continue to be under-resourced from funding opportunities because the ways in which they work and self-identify often defy mainstream expectations within the U.S. performing arts sector. The interviewees mentioned a general lack of cultural awareness among those tasked with making funding and partnership decisions. More than half of interviewees recommended that more Native individuals (as well as more culturally knowledgeable non-Natives) be involved in funding outreach, decisions, and follow-up. 

“Despite limited resources and funding, Native creators sustain the cultural lifeways and vitality of so many communities,” said FPF president Lori Pourier (Oglala Lakota). “Our hope is that with Brightening The Spotlight, we can encourage art and culture funders to change their practices in order to provide Native creators with the support they need to carry on the cultural traditions of our ancestors for generations to come.” 

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/grandriver)