November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich traditions, cultures, and contributions of Native American communities across the United States. In tech, Native Americans are making groundbreaking strides, breaking barriers, and inspiring future generations. Here we shine a spotlight on five trailblazers who are redefining success. Aaron Yazzie: Developing Tools for Mars Exploration As a mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Aaron Yazzie, a Diné (Navajo) Nation member, designs critical systems for space missions. His work on the Mars Perseverance Rover, particularly the drill bits
The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is investing $200 million CAD ($140 million USD) in Indigenous and Black-led businesses to promote inclusive economic growth. The government-owned bank is also launching a $50 million ($36 million USD) financing and training program for women, Indigenous, and Black entrepreneurs. Investing in Indigenous and Black entrepreneurs This investment is part of the BDC’s strategy to address longstanding barriers faced by underrepresented entrepreneurs and to promote a more diverse and resilient entrepreneurial landscape in Canada. The $200 million CAD investment will be channeled through two
Vancouver-based outerwear brand Arc’teryx has introduced a new design platform, Walk Gently, which aims to honor and integrate Indigenous high-tech garment design into modern fashion. The platform gives Indigenous artists and designers a voice, showcasing their contributions to high-performance clothing. Indigenous Roots in Technical Design Indigenous peoples across North America have a long history of creating advanced clothing from natural resources. “We are technical designers in our own fashion,” Cole Sparrow-Crawford, an Indigenous artist who grew up in the Musqueam Nation in Vancouver told FastCompany. “We took our resources and
People of color are well-represented in Canada’s tech sector, a new report by the Tech and People Network (TAP Network) has found. However, Indigenous Canadians and women remain underrepresented among tech employees. TAP Network’s Diversity in Tech report provides an annual benchmark for Canada’s tech sector to track its progress in increasing the representation and inclusion of equity-deserving groups within the industry over time. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Data from nearly 200 employers showed positive trends in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) policies and practices at tech organizations.
Relevance Ventures and Skoden Ventures have announced the launch of the Native American Capital and Investment Alliance (NAICA) to bridge the gap between Native American founders and capital providers. Relevance Ventures is one of the only privately owned and operated Native American venture capital firms in the US. They provide strategic venture assistance and guidance to entrepreneurs who foster balance and harmony while delivering a positive societal impact. Skoden Ventures is a boutique venture fund investing in early-stage startups with Indigenous, Black, Brown, and women founders. Native American Founders For
Native Americans are using technology to revitalize their communities’ threatened languages through online dictionaries. As part of a project by the Language Conservancy, Native American women are working with Rapid Word Collection (RWC) software to revive, remember, and record dozens of Apache language words related to everyday living. Disappearing Languages There are approximately 150 Native North American languages spoken in the United States today by more than 350,000 people. However, the majority of Native Americans today speak only English. This is due to a number of reasons, including the federal
A new report by the Kapor Foundation has highlighted the challenges faced by Native communities in computer science education and within the US tech ecosystem. The State of Tech Diversity: The Native Tech Ecosystem report was published in collaboration with AISES, a non-profit professional association dedicated to advancing Indigenous people in STEM. “The findings of this report underscore the pressing need to eliminate these disparities through continued awareness and advocacy, educational resources, and professional development tailored to our communities,” said Dr. Kathy DeerinWater, VP of Programs and Research at AISES, in
Every year, on the second Monday in October, the US commemorates Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor and celebrate Indigenous communities’ rich cultures, traditions, and contributions. Here, we shine a spotlight on some remarkable Indigenous leaders who are pushing the boundaries of tech and inspiring the next generation. 1. Robin Máxkii: Tech Creative And Storyteller Robin Máxkii is a tech creative, filmmaker, writer, and student advocate renowned for her efforts to broaden Indigenous participation in tech and education. Máxkii was raised in Houston, Texas, after living in the Stockbridge-Munsee community in
A holistic career accelerator platform for indigenous founders, Natives Rising, has received extra funding to help support and grow the number of indigenous women graduating college with STEM degrees. The non-profit organization, co-founded by Danielle Forward and Betsy Fore, is on a mission to close the racial gap, which sees only 0.6% of scientists and engineers from a Native American background break into the industry. According to a recent National Center for Education Statistics report, a small number of Black and Indigenous women – approximately 4% – end up leaving
This article by Kelly Boutsalis was originally posted on Linktree. As Indigenous people continue to face marginalization across the world, we spoke to three powerful women working in tech who are paving the way for future generations. Celebrated every year on August 9, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People recognizes the need to voice Indigenous people’s inclusion and involvement in modern society, so that they can receive the same social and economic benefits provided to all. Despite the reconciliation efforts that have been made over the years, social inequity
