Unbroken: Indigenous Peoples Today

Akalei Brown of the Taos Pueblo and Native Hawaiian Nations, Standing Amongst Her College Books and Graduation Stoles

Native history consultant, business owner, and fashion designer, Akalei Brown, stands amongst her college graduation stoles and the numerous books she read to earn them. As an indigenous graduate, she is part of the small 14.5% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population that has earned a bachelor’s degree as opposed to the 31.3% of the overall population (figures from the U.S. Census Bureau).

"I graduated from Santa Barbara City College with a degree in Native American studies and another degree in liberal arts. Then I went to UC Davis and I graduated with my bachelor's in Native American studies.

"Native people make up 2% of the entire population in the United States. We're a very, very small population and when it comes to colleges and universities even fewer of us graduate with a bachelor's degree. So the percentage of Native Americans with an advanced degree is much smaller. We're like unicorns out there, and I wish they made it easier for us to get advanced education but I also wish they made it easier for all Natives to get just a regular education. Because even to get a 4 year degree is super hard, unless you live on a reservation that has a tribal college, and there's not many."

Today in 2022, there are only 32 fully accredited tribal colleges existing amongst 326 federal reservations.

AkaleiBrownwithcollegebooksandgraduationStolesJason SinnJason Sinn Photographyactivismactivism photographeractivism photographyactivism portraitactivistactivist photographeractivist photographyamerican indianamerican indian photographyamerican indian portraitartart photographyartistartworkcollege stolecreativecreative photographycreative portraitcreative portrait photographycreative portraitureculturalcultural photographercultural photographycultural portraitcultural portrait photographycultureculture photographerculture photographyculture portraiteducationgraduation stolehuman rightsindigenousindigenous cultureindigenous peopleindigenous people todayindigenous peoples todayindigenous personindigenous photographyindigenous portrait photographylovenativenative americannative american educationnative american histroynative american photographynative american portraitnative american portrait photographynative american studiesnative culturenative lives matternative pridenative rightspeacephotographerphotographyphotography artphotoshootportraitportrait photographerportrait photographyportraitsportraitureprofessional activismprofessional photographerprofessional photographyprotest photographerprotest photographyprotest portraitreadingresistresistancestoleunbroken indigenous peoples todaywisdom