Narrative Change Strategy

The initiative began with more than a year of unprecedented and illuminating nationwide research into what different groups of Americans — across socio-economic, racial, geographic, gender and generational cohorts — think (and don’t know) about Native peoples and Native issues. New research was also conducted concerning Native people’s perceptions of mascots, the impacts of negative depictions and much more. The narrative framework presented in this document was collaboratively developed by a group of Native and non-Native professionals and advisors. When tested in polling, this framework and its messages resonated in Indian Country and proved successful in increasing non-Native Americans’ support for Native peoples, communities and issues. From the research and collective insights, Reclaiming Native Truth has crafted a new narrative framework and the strategy described in the pages that follow. This strategy is not intended to be prescriptive or static. Rather, it is meant as a living guidebook and reference, a source of inspiration to be improved and adapted over time, a dynamic roadmap for multiple pathways to narrative change. This strategy recognizes, respects and links the existing narrative change work and of many Native and non-Native cross-sector allies into a movement of movements focused on systemic and cultural changes. The new unifying narrative will be amplified by many different voices and channels, until it seems that “this story is everywhere,” ultimately shifting the dominant frame, story and expectation.