Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan (FY25-27)
PURPOSE
With this three-year plan, Mass Cultural Council commits to doing the ongoing and long-term work to support Native and Indigenous artists and culture bearers.
The Agency is dedicated to equitable investments and support to historically underinvested communities, and will focus on two primary areas:
- External – to support and encourage an equitable and inclusive creative sector in the Commonwealth by increasing investments and supports to the Native and Indigenous creative communities and those who engage them and desire to engage them.
- Internal – to strengthen Mass Cultural Council’s operational, programming, and governance practices, policies, and procedures by leveraging the knowledge and experience of individuals from our Native and Indigenous communities, ensuring their perspectives and needs are integral to the Council’s framework and approach.
MISSION
The Mass Cultural Council advances the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing its collective needs, and equitably investing public resources.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A short while ago, I had the opportunity to travel across the Commonwealth with my colleague Erin Genia, a notable scholar, artist, community organizer, and Native American. Erin had arranged for us to meet with leaders of Native American and Indigenous communities in Massachusetts. I found our car conversations and the chance to meet, deeply listen, and learn from each of these new contacts beyond rewarding. This inspired a semester’s worth of personal learning, which continues, about the history of Native Americans, especially those in Massachusetts. My life has been enriched and a new “call to action” has been added to my list. I wish for everyone to have this experience.
As a Black, gay individual leading the Mass Cultural Council as Executive Director I carry the understanding of what it means to navigate a world where your identity may not always be fully seen, understood, or embraced. I find inspiration in the shared struggles and triumphs across marginalized communities. Their rich cultural heritage deserves not only recognition but a prominent place in our shared narrative.
Mass Cultural Council’s Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan emerges from partnership with and collective recognition of the richness and diversity of Native and Indigenous communities. As we embark on this journey, we invite you to join us in embracing the transformative potential. This plan is a testament to our collective responsibility to create an inclusive and equitable environment. This initiative is not just about policy for me; it’s a commitment to dismantling the barriers that have historically marginalized Native American and Indigenous communities.
I am grateful to be a part of an organization that embraces these values and commits to meaningful action. Thank you for your collaboration.
Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director
FROM THE COUNCIL CHAIR & VICE CHAIR
We are excited to share a momentous step forward in our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion within the Mass Cultural Council with the formation of the Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan. This initiative holds personal significance for both of us, as it represents not just a policy decision for the Agency to engage meaningfully with this population, but a deep acknowledgment of the historical injustices faced by Native and Indigenous communities. As stewards of the cultural landscape in Massachusetts, we bear a responsibility to address systemic disparities and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future. In our roles as Chair and Vice Chair of the governing Council we are humbled to witness the formation of this plan, which will play a pivotal role in reshaping the narrative of cultural representation in our state. The personal stories, traditions, and artistic expressions of Native and Indigenous peoples will now be given the platform and recognition they deserve within the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector.
Your support and engagement are crucial in ensuring the success of this initiative. We look forward to working collaboratively, learning from the insights of Native and Indigenous communities, and collectively shaping a cultural landscape that reflects the true diversity of Massachusetts. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our shared mission.
Marc Carroll, Chair
Jo-Ann Davis, Vice Chair
NATIVE AMERICAN & INDIGENOUS DATA FOR MASSACHUSETTS
In Massachusetts, diverse Native American and Indigenous communities exist, each with unique cultures, languages, and histories. Accessing accurate and comprehensive data on Native American and Indigenous populations can be challenging due to historical underrepresentation, erasure of these communities, and inadequate data collection methods. Census data, has often undercounted Indigenous peoples, leading to inaccurate representations of their population size and distribution. Additionally, many Indigenous communities have reservations, Tribal lands, or urban areas where they reside, making traditional data collection methods less effective.
Population according to the Census data for Massachusetts:
- Native Hawaiian, Samoan, or Other Pacific Islanders make up 0.1% of the State’s population (approximately 10,865)
- Native American, American Indian, Indigenous, or Alaska Natives make up 1% of the State’s population (approximately 75,899)
While Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Pacific Islanders are often included in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) considerations, we have included the data in this plan as well because Congress has consistently acknowledged or recognized Native Hawaiians as the indigenous peoples of Hawai‘i through the enactment of over 150 Federal statutes. The US Department of the Interior includes Native Hawaiians in guidance, regulations, and acts related to Tribal Sovereignty and Co-Stewardship. The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR) has been created to “fulfill the U.S. Government’s responsibilities to effectuate and implement the special political and legal relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian Community, and continue the process of reconciliation with the Native Hawaiian people”.
MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL RECENT GRANT MAKING DATA
Support for Native American and Indigenous Organizations
Mass Cultural Council has not tracked funding to Native American and Indigenous organizations over time. A review of the grant making data from FY04 to FY23 found that the agency had funded between 15 and 20 organizations that may be considered Native American or Indigenous. Those organizations received between 40 and 75 grants totaling between $70,000 and $235,000 over that 19-year period.
FY23 GRANT MAKING DATA: INDIVIDUALS
| Self-Identify As | # of Grants | % of Grants | % of State Population |
| Native Hawaiian, Samoan, or Other Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Native American, American Indian, Indigenous, or Alaska Native | 62 | 1.5% | 1% |
FOLLOWING NATIONAL & STATE LEADERSHIP EFFORTS
Our efforts to be an equitable Agency align with the public outcry and demand for equity. We plan to further our equity goals by developing a suite of equity plans and hope to be seen as a leader in both the creative sector and state government for these efforts.
Mass Cultural Council was further inspired by the work of other state and national entities:
Massachusetts’ Commission on Indian Affairs (MCIA) was created by the legislature in 1974. The Commission is governed by M.G.L. Chapter 6A: Section 8A and assists Tribal councils, Indian organizations and individuals in their relationship with agencies of state and local government.
The implementation of a Native American Tuition Credit program for Native American students at public state universities, which represents a significant step towards educational equity.
The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative announced by Secretary Haaland, as detailed on the Department of the Interior’s website. This initiative aims to address the historical injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in boarding schools.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which sets a global standard for the treatment and rights of Indigenous peoples, further influences our commitment to equity and inclusivity.
THE PROCESS: DESIGNING & UPDATING THE PLAN
The Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan was created as a result of the ongoing work stemming from Mass Cultural Council’s Racial Equity Plan, adopted for fiscal years 2022-2024.
Through our work with Erin Genia, we focused on Native American and Indigenous communities. We engaged, connected, met, and welcomed members and representatives from Native American and Indigenous communities and leaders, realizing the unique historical and present-day issues facing these communities. This plan was created to meet that need.
As a state agency, Mass Cultural Council can and must provide leadership in addressing disparities across the sector, setting a standard that helps to support Native artists and organizations, educate, and provide support for non-native organizations about these issues, and place emphasis on developing reciprocal relationships rather than extractive ones.
THE PLAN
EXTERNAL ACTIONS FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS & APPLICANTS
Goal: To center decolonization, build trust, and sustain investment in the Native American and Indigenous creative communities of Massachusetts, Mass Cultural Council will:
Fiscal Year 2025
- Work with Native and Indigenous partners to develop an Agency Land Acknowledgement.
- Revise grant making processes to improve distribution of resources and funds to Native American and Indigenous organizations, artists, culture-bearers and tribes through outreach, prioritization, and engagement in program guidelines.
- Consider, as appropriate, seeking amendments to legislatively mandated programs administered by the Agency to ensure inclusion of Tribal governments.
- Design and launch a Tribal Cultural Council Program that would be run as an expansion of the Local Cultural Council Program, to offer Tribal governments the same opportunity to receive an allocation for regranting that Massachusetts municipalities receive.
- In partnership with the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, review and update the BIPOC or Native American and Indigenous Centered self-identification process to ensure it is equitably serving Native American/Indigenous led organizations doing work as part of the creative sector.
- Establish a Native American/Indigenous People’s Advisory Committee comprised of Native American and Indigenous individuals to meet biannually with Mass Cultural Council’s leadership and staff work group to assess the Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan progress, systems, and services and to specifically set annual benchmarks to measure progress on the goals of the Plan.
- Build recruitment plan and increase the number of Native American and Indigenous applicant pool and grant reviewers to align with or exceed the state demographics on Native American and Indigenous populations.
Fiscal Year 2026
- As needed, provide office hours for Native American and Indigenous artistic communities to support applications for grants and maintaining established peer networks and connections.
- Expand and deepen relationships and collaborations with at least three expert individuals, organizations, or agencies supporting the Native American and Indigenous communities, annually.
Fiscal Year 2027
- Partner with the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs and other Native American and Indigenous organizations to develop a toolkit of useful links and learning opportunities for non-Native American or Indigenous organizations seeking to work with tribes, Tribal people and related governments and organizations.
Ongoing
- Encourage municipalities to increase representation of people from the Native American and Indigenous communities to serve on Local Cultural Councils.
- Inform and engage Native American and Indigenous communities about the opportunity to serve on Local Cultural Councils.
- Request feedback, annually, through task force/focus groups, partnership with the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, and/or surveys of grantees on our grant making processes and programs.
INTERNAL ACTIONS FOR AGENCY CULTURE & PRACTICES
The following action steps are designed to support the internal work at Mass Cultural Council.
- Agency Operations: The internal operations of Mass Cultural Council are a critical part of creating the culture of equity needed to support the field.
- Governing Council: Mass Cultural Council is governed by a board of private citizens appointed by the Governor for staggered three-year terms. Council members represent various regions of the state and have demonstrated distinguished service, creativity, and/or scholarship in the arts, humanities, or sciences.
Goal: To advance decolonization, diminish the potential for harm, and sustain this culture throughout our operational practices, Mass Cultural Council will:
Fiscal Year 2025
- Curate bi-annual, internal education sessions presented by Native American and Indigenous leaders, scholars, historians, and others whom our Native American and Indigenous community members prioritize, to inform staff on topics like the history of cultural Native and Indigenous genocide, settler colonialism, agents of assimilation, cultural contributions, relevant international and federal legal frameworks, and other significant and important to Native American and Indigenous Communities.
- Revise the Agency’s use of communication materials, policies, practices to ensure cultural sensitivity and inclusivity, with a focus on the relationship between Native American and Indigenous peoples and the term BIPOC as represented and understood.
Ongoing
- Highlight, biannually, the achievements of Native American and Indigenous people and organizations in the creative sector in social media posts, blog posts, media alerts, etc.
- Report to the Council and sector updates on the progress of this plan, in alignment with our Governing Council meetings.
- Continuously work towards greater representation from the Native American and Indigenous communities in all levels of employment, the Governing Council, task forces, and working groups.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
This plan addresses the Agency’s desire to be an equitable and inclusive state agency and to embody principles of racial equity, inclusiveness, and diversity in its operations, programming, and grant making without diminishing the rights or opportunities of any individual or group. Notwithstanding any interpretation to the contrary of the language of the plan, nothing contained herein is meant or intended in any way to direct, mandate, suggest, or advise the Agency, its Council members, employees, or constituents to act in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of federal or state non-discrimination laws or other applicable laws or with the Agency’s status as an equal opportunity employer. The aim of this plan is to create and support the inclusion of Native American and Indigenous Peoples and Tribal governments and related organizations serving Native American and Indigenous Peoples into all aspects of the Council’s activities but not to, in any way, promote the exclusion of any person or any exclusionary practice.
GLOSSARY
The NIH Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s glossary is valuable resource for understanding specific terminologies and their contexts within Indigenous cultures.
RESOURCES
National Congress of American Indians’ Policy Portfolios
United Southern and Eastern Tribes
Special Thanks & Acknowledgements
Tribal Task Force
Rhonda Anderson
Iñupiaq – Athabascan from Alaska. Native enrollment village, Kaktovik
Member, Mass Cultural Council Governing Council, Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs, Member of the Advisory Council for the New England Foundation for the Arts, Founder and Co-Director of the Ohketeau Cultural Center and the Native Youth Empowerment Foundation
Darlene Flores
Traditional Medicine Keeper, Taino Higuayagua Caribbean Tribe
Organizer, Indigenous Peoples’ Day Newton
Erin Genia
Task Force Organizer
Enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate
Multidisciplinary artist, educator and community organizer specializing in Native American and Indigenous arts and culture
Cheryll Holley
Sonksq of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band
Professional researcher, writer, and speaker specializing in African American and Indigenous peoples of New England
Jim Peters
Executive Director, Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs
Member, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Bettina Washington
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
David Weeden
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Tribal Councilman, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Chairman of the Town of Mashpee Selectboard and Native American Representative member of the Cape Cod Commission
Berta Welch
Board President, Aquinnah Cultural Center
Member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
Aquinnah Health Committee and Membership committee, Town of Aquinnah Arts District member
