Reclaiming Philanthropy and Recentering Native Giving in Respect, Reciprocity, Relationships, and Communal Responsibility

• In Event: Research for the Next Generations: Doctoral Education for Black and Indigenous Communities

Abstract

Objectives:
This paper provides a brief history of the fields of institutional philanthropy and Native philanthropy. In tracing the divergent histories of these major areas of philanthropy, this paper reveals the embedded philosophies, values, and ways in which power operates through their structures in the forms of grants eligibility criteria, policy-making, types of funding availability, and how accountability is defined. This paper re-centers traditional practices of philanthropy and seeks to retrace and reclaim traditional practices within Native American communities of giving, opposing what modern philanthropy has become and its practices.

Perspective(s) and theoretical framework:
In order to support the critical work that Native communities are undertaking in their culturally sustaining efforts (Paris & Alim, 2017; Eagle Shield, Paris, Paris, San Pedro, 2020), we need a better understanding of the funding ecosystem. This paper emphasizes the work that needs to be done within the philanthropic sector to radically change its core beliefs and practices to make more money available to Black and Indigenous communities as forms of reparations and restorative justice. This paper retraces and reclaims traditional practices within Native American communities and examines how to oppose what modern philanthropy has become. The paper provides entries to answer the questions of: What can we learn by re-centering traditional practices of philanthropy? How do we reimagine philanthropy as reparations to Black and Indigenous communities from which the wealth of the United States was built upon at their expense through the theft of Native lands and the exploitation of Black labor?

Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry:
This paper draws upon Indigenous research methods (Smith, 1999; Wilson, 2008) and interviews that contain Indigenous storywork (Archibald, Xiiem, Lee-Morgan & De Santolo (2019). It also includes personal stories from the presenter’s work within the field of philanthropy of over a decade.

Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials:
This study intentionally privileges interviews with Native leaders working in the field of philanthropy and includes perspectives from BIPOC and white allies. Data sources also include discourse analysis of key documents including the foundation's vision, mission statements, strategic plans, and grant-making policies.

Results substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view:
Emerging themes from the study: 1) lifting up communal responsibility as a core value embedded in Indigenous ways of giving; 2) stories of Native practitioners in the field including their personal journeys and leadership lessons; 3) a call to action for how institutional philanthropy needs to fundamentally change including the need for learning critical historical truths about Black and Indigenous communities. This paper also offers examples of foundations who are offering the field innovative ways of giving and support beyond traditional grantmaking.

Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work:
There has been little written in academia about philanthropy and from Indigenous’ perspectives.. I aim to contribute to educational research and I emphasize the needs to move money towards Native communities.

Author

• Dana Arviso, University of Washington
  Presenting Author