Indigenous Futures Survey

Last year, Tribal and Native communities showed up to the election polls in record numbers and proved to the rest of the country something we already knew — that there is power in our voices.

The Indigenous Futures Survey (IFS) is an opportunity to raise our voices once again, and to share our experiences, issues and priorities that are important to our families and communities, and how we will strengthen the sovereign role of our Tribal governments.

IFS is the first and largest multi-year Native-led research project in Indian Country. The first survey in 2020 had participation from over 6,400 Native peoples, representing 401 Tribes and from all 50 states, with a diverse and representative sample across age, gender and geography.

The findings of the first survey helped to drive the demand for policy change and shaped the work of programs that serve our communities. The survey reported critical data on the direct impact of COVID-19 on Native communities and showed that Native people are politically active and engaged in the democratic process in a variety of ways. However, many feel as though the voices of our community are not being heard and that our individual and community needs and priorities are not being addressed.