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Indigenizing National Arts and Culture Survey Measures

Closeup of Native Americans wearing traditional clothing at a pow wow
Redesigning survey questions to more accurately reflect the lived experiences of Native people
  • Client
    The Wallace Foundation
  • Dates
    2023 – 2025

Problem

Native people are not always well represented in national arts and culture data.

There is very little national data on Native peoples’ engagement in, or work with, arts and culture. Too often, Native peoples are referred to as the “asterisk nation” because many reports use asterisks to indicate insufficient or unreliable data about Native populations. This practice stems from persistent challenges in collecting and reporting valid data about Native peoples.

Critically, the validity of such data is uncertain—meaning it's unclear how well the relevant surveys and resulting data capture and convey Native peoples' engagement in or work with arts and culture. Thus, there is a timely need to address how Native peoples are considered in “arts participation” survey measures that drive arts policy decision-making and funding in the U.S. 

Solution

In partnership with First Peoples Fund, NORC is creating better survey measures to capture a more accurate national perspective of Native peoples’ artistic and cultural activity. 

This study—a collaboration between NORC and First Peoples Fund, a national organization that supports the cultural, artistic, and ancestral practices of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and communities—will advance knowledge about the validity of current survey measures used on key federal surveys about participation and employment in the arts for Native Americans. Through an iterative, in-depth cognitive interviewing process with Native American adults who live both on- and off-reservation, the study will provide community-informed and community-tested survey measures for arts participation and employment that better align with Native individuals’ understanding and experiences of artistic and cultural engagement. 

Result

Our research aims to increase Native peoples’ visibility in national survey data on arts and cultural participation. 

By improving Native peoples’ representation in national survey data on arts and cultural participation, we hope to inform more effective, inclusive arts and culture decision-making.  

Are You a Study Participant?

Questions about the study? Experiencing technical difficulties? Contact us:

Project Leads

  • Gwendolyn Rugg

    Senior Research Scientist
    Project Director
  • Lisa Lee

    Principal Research Methodologist
    Chief Methodologist

“This study stands to advance the larger arts and culture field by addressing a crucial gap in the arts and culture sector—the lack of knowledge around and visibility of Native people’s arts engagement on the national level.”

Project Director

“This study stands to advance the larger arts and culture field by addressing a crucial gap in the arts and culture sector—the lack of knowledge around and visibility of Native people’s arts engagement on the national level.”

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