Indigenous peoples have always struggled for their own place to represent themselves in media and entertainment. Beyond representation, Indigenous creatives are now struggling to continue directing, producing, writing, and acting in their own films and television work, extending those problems of representation behind the camera as well.
In response, Native Realities has created the IPX Indigenous Relief Fund to help sustain workers in this specific industry who may need assistance while work is not available. The IPX Indigenous Relief Fund is a way to support Native and Indigenous actors, writers and those workers in the entertainment industry affected by the WAG and SAG/AFTRA strikes.
In an industry where we’re underrepresented in front of the camera as well as behind it’s important to protect our storytellers who work behind the camera and whose work is heavily impacted by the strikes.
- Peshawn Bread (Comanche/Kiowa/Cherokee).
Founded in 2016, the Indigenous Pop Culture Expo (formerly the Indigenous Comic Con) was created as a way to celebrate the contributions of Native and Indigenous creatives within the pop culture industry. In launching the fund, Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna), the Expo’s founder stated, “Our convention would cease to exist without Indigenous actors, writers, costumers, artists, directors, photographers, producers, and every other job needed to create work in the entertainment industry. We bring in these Native creatives for our event, and they’ve loyally supported us throughout the years. We are working to be reciprocal and support them now.”
Nathalie Standingcloud, Hulu/FX Reservation Dogs