LOS ANGELES — With a hope for a more inclusive future, Native American communities across the state are coming together to have their voices heard this upcoming election year. As part of that goal, they hosted a day full of cultural workshops for native youth.  

What You Need To Know

  • Los Angeles has the largest Native American population across the country

  • After efforts to increase Census participation, 4.5 million more Native Americans filled out their Census in 2020 than in the previous count

  • The California Native Vote Project is bringing Native communities together to increase civic engagement

  • The organization is also partnering with other groups to advocate for representation of all people of color

As an Indigenous youth organizer, Maya Sanchez said she feels the strength of her ancestors guiding her. 

Sanchez is part of the Mexica Indigenous group from her father’s side, and Navajo from her mother’s side. 

Her parent’s influence growing up helped her get to the California Native Vote Project, now as a youth organizer advocating for their voices to be heard. 

“We want more representation, more of our people, voicing out when it comes to laws and bills being written,” Sanchez said. 

That is part of the larger mission, and educating people has become an essential first step toward this goal. 

“It is really difficult when you hear somebody talk about Native Americans and say, ‘When they were here. We are still here,’” said Calvin Hedrick, organizer with the California Native Vote Project.

Hedrick said the Census is a big part of changing that belief many have. That is also why, since their launch in 2016, the organization has focused on getting a more accurate count of Native communities through the Census. 

Although they faced challenges like people not knowing how to fill it out, or not trusting government programs given the hurtful history between the groups, they made the effort. 

It seems to have worked. 

“This last Census in California, our numbers went up a lot. It wasn’t because we were having more children, it was because we were getting people to actually file their census,” Hedrick said. 

According to the Census Bureau, 4.5 million more people checked the Native American and Alaska native box in the 2020 Census than in the previous count. 

Now, the organization is joining forces with other organizations to host community workshops focusing on representation of all communities on the LA City Council. 

Sanchez pointed out that despite the City of Los Angeles being home to the largest population of Native Americans in any city across the country, they have very little to no representation in local politics. 

“While we are still working and living in these communities where laws are being passes that are limiting and impacting us as people, we should probably get out there and use our voices,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez plans to ensure that happens in the upcoming election season.