Invisible No More

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 center of social change, challenging philanthropic organizations 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 groundbreaking 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.
 

For too long, Indigenous people in the United States have been stereotyped as vestiges of the past, obliged to remind others, “We are still here!” Yet today, Native leaders are at the center of social change, challenging philanthropic organizations that have historically excluded Native people, and fighting for economic and environmental justice.
Edited by Raymond Foxworth of the Henry Luce Foundation and Steve Dubb of The Nonprofit Quarterly, Invisible No More is a groundbreaking 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. 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.
 

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.
 

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Michael Roberts
Introduction by Steve DubbPart I: Indigenous Perspectives on PhilanthropyIntroduction to Part I Chapter 1: Philanthropy and Native Communities: Toward a More Just Future
Raymond Foxworth Chapter 2:  Building on Our Strengths: Centering Native People and Native Languages
Brooke Mosay Ammann, Valerie Segrest, and Lisa Wilson Chapter 3: Changing Harmful Philanthropic Practices
Sarah EchoHawk and Trisha Moquino Chapter 4: Envisioning a Healthy Relationship Between Money and Power
Sarah Kastelic and Sherry Salway BlackPart II: Protecting the EnvironmentIntroduction to Part II Chapter 5: Fire, Forests, and Our Lands
Hilary Renick Chapter 6: Our Bodies Are the Front Lines: Responding to Land-Based Gender Violence
Annita Luchesi Chapter 7: Fisheries and Stewardship: Lessons from Native Hawaiian Aquaculture
Brenda Asuncion, Miwa Tamanaha, Kevin K.J. Chang, and Kim Moa Chapter 8: Fire and the Coast Salish Three Sisters
Samuel Barr Chapter 9: The Pendulum of Climate: A Hopi Story
Monica Nuvamsa Chapter 10: Healthy Land, Healthy Food: A Cochiti Invitation to Join Us at the Table
A-dae Romero BrionesPart III: Indigenous Perspectives on Environmental JusticeIntroduction to Part III Chapter 11: Preserving Our Place: Isle de Jean Charles
Chantelle Comardelle Chapter 12: Reconciling the Past May Be the Only Way to a Sustainable Future
Trisha Kehaulani Watson-Sproat Chapter 13: An Indigenous Vision for Our Collective Future: Becoming Earth's Stewards Again
Native Peoples Action Chapter 14: Regeneration—from the Beginning
A-dae Romero BrionesPart IV: Building Native Economies, Toward an Indigenous EconomicsIntroduction to Part IV Chapter 15: Advancing Economic Sovereignty: Lifting Up Native Voices for Justice
Raymond Foxworth Chapter 16: Moving beyond the Five Cs of Lending: A New Model of Credit for Indian Country
Jaime Gloshay and Vanessa Roanhorse Chapter 17: Rewriting the Rules: Putting Trust Lands to Work for Native American Benefit
Lakota Vogel Chapter 18: Helping Native Business Owners Thrive: How to Build a Supportive Ecosystem
Heather Fleming Chapter 19: Building Community through Finance: A Wisconsin Native CDFI's Story
Fern Orie Chapter 20: Radical Economics: Centering Indigenous Knowledge, Restoring the Circle
Vanessa RoanhorseAfterword by Carly Bad Heart Bull
About the Editors
About the ContributorsNotes
Sources
Index