Indigenous Peoples' Day
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Today and annually we acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
This holiday is in blatant opposition to, and now permanent replacement of, what has historically been a day of recognition for colonist Christopher Columbus.
We occupy a unique space as Talent Agents; we are privileged to be able to witness and partake in the complex creation of storytelling and media. Over the years, to our elation, there have been more and more pivotal conversations and reflections taking place surrounding the perspectives, implications, and ideologies that are in the forefront of our industry, dictating and shaping the projects, roles, and stories that our agency and talent are a part of. We witness, partake in, and actively generate conversations surrounding the need for diversity of representation in all realms: on screen, off screen, behind the camera, in research rooms, in writer’s rooms. Despite the hopeful progress we continue to see, as a country and collective consciousness the real work starts with honesty, reflection, and reparation. It is our firm belief that:
• Christopher Columbus did not “discover” America, he pillaged it •
• The Native inhabitants of this country were not “modernized”, they were dehumanized •
• Native customs and traditions were not “refined”, they were systematically squandered •
These histories and realities continue to bleed into various aspects of modern society, including our own industry. We lack Native storytelling not only in general, but also from the minds and perspectives of Native storytellers. We lack Native talent occupying not only space, but complex, leading, normalized spaces. We lack cultural understanding of the vast differences and idiosyncrasies of the numerous Native populations in our media.
Your fellow agents at SH continue to learn about what we ourselves lack. We are continuously striving for progress, and are grateful for open dialogues and discussions. We hope by being transparent about our own beliefs and ideologies, we can make some measure of impact on the industry we love, but that must continue to put in the work and strive for equity and inclusion -- ourselves included.
Thank you for continuing to learn and work alongside us. And to all of those celebrating, we wish you a beautiful Indigenous People’s Day.
- Shirley Hamilton Talent
Below you will find a selection of organizations specifically catered to
Native equity, empowerment, healing, and opportunity:
• Native American Agriculture Fund •
NAAF is the largest philanthropic organization devoted solely to Native American farming and ranching.
• NDN Collective •
NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power.
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples •
Dedicated to Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination and the sovereignty of Native nations.
• Native Women Lead •
Our mission is to revolutionize systems and inspire innovation by investing in Native Women in business.
• I-Collective •
I-Collective strives to highlight historical Indigenous contributions and promote our community’s resilience and innovations.
AUTHOR: LARA FREEMAN-ERBIN