This article, by US News, follows a series of surveys and personal experiences in order to describe the significantly low number of Native American people in corporate positions of power. 

Mary Smith is an Indigenous woman who made a point to put herself in the way of board member job positions. She was successfully hired by PTC Therapeautics Inc.and in the process, she discovered the disturbingly low number of, not only Native American people, but minorities and ethnicities of all types. 

While 42% of Americans identify as non-white, a mere 21% of corporate directors are racially diverse in the same way. 

This same difference holds true for Indigenous people in corporate positions. The number is so low that many companies simply say “less than 1%”. 

In recent years certain initiatives have been taken by companies across America to hire with diversity in mind. In California, there was a law enacted, in 2020, to ensure a certain number of self-identifying minorities were hired for each corporate board. NASDAQ, an online system for trading stock, published a similar rule; either, companies needed to meet a certain quota or have an explanation as to why they were lacking in diversity. Unfortunately, the California law was deemed unconstitutional and the appeal is still being processed. 

However, this momentum has not gone unnoticed and companies across America have continued to take steps towards more diverse corporate boards and directors. 

One of the biggest roadblocks for Native Americans, in reaching these sought-after board positions, is opportunity. Due to the inequality in education and upbringing, many Indigenous people lack the specific experience, companies look for when hiring for these positions. The director of The Christenson Fund, Carla Fredericks, agrees that requiring previous corporate experience, when hiring board members and director, can be redundant and instead companies should take a wider lens into the lives of their candidates when looking for experience. For instance, a 2021 report called Missing Pieces, found that there was an immediate change in function after hiring women and people of color. 

Every step towards a more diverse corporate environment in America is an important one, however there is still much progress to be made.