Incredible Native and Indigenous Networks to Join

There are plenty of reasons to join a professional network, and one of them is to connect with others who share your values, traditions, and career goals. If you’re Native American, Indigenous, or seek to find a career serving these communities, joining a professional organization within this intersection is a great place to begin. And once you join, always add it to your LinkedIn profile and résumé! It will reveal to employers you’re actively involved in the discussions impacting the community.

 

National Congress of American Indians

This organization is the oldest and largest nonprofit organization serving the interests of Indian Country. They offer leadership within the diverse tribal governments and communities to drive initiatives and policy change. Memberships provide discounts to conferences, membership cards, and the right to contribute votes on important decisions within the organization.

American Indian Library Association

If you work in library services, education, or simply believe in the power of literacy, you may want to become a member of the American Indian Library Association. This organization holds yearly conferences, issues newsletters with valuable information on related issues, and advocates for the advancement of libraries in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

National Indian Education Association

This powerful organization leverages the influence of members to advocate for Native education and the issues that impact the community. If you’re an educator or conduct policy work around education, you may want to consider a membership to showcase your awareness of important issues.

A Few Additional Tips

Some professional networks have membership requirements and pricing models. Within Native American organizations, you may find some require you to prove membership to a specific tribe. And let’s not forget about those membership fees. If you’re a student, check if there is a discount or free membership. If you’re actively employed, consider seeing if your company would pay for your membership or if they would like to become an affiliate member.

By Thomas Guzowski
Thomas Guzowski Assistant Director of Marketing