So many of us have felt invisible at one time or another. 

We feel passed over, diminished, or unknown. And it takes a toll on our wellbeing.

But many people are continually unseen in their full existence –– because of the color of their skin, the faith they hold, where they live in the world, the resources they don’t have, or the various identities they carry.

Not only does that impact an individual’s wellbeing, but when someone is invisible to us, we lose the ability to see them as human. And when someone isn’t seen as human, we don’t make decisions that consider their existence, their priorities, their needs. That is dehumanizing. And dangerous.

Those of us with more access to role, status, or systemic power have a responsibility to notice who’s being unseen and use that power and take action that actually changes circumstances. 

We’re at a precarious place in our timeline, and for many people, waiting to be seen, chosen, and valued is not an option because the costs continue to be so great.

My guest today kept asking herself, “Why are we not being seen?” She used her skills as a bridge builder, community connector, and fundraiser to build thriving and sustainable organizations and businesses where people in her community are seen in their fullness.

Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee) is a nationally recognized strategist, movement builder, and cultural architect shaping the future of narrative power, media, and Indigenous leadership. She is the founder of Indigenous House, a next-generation global entertainment, culture, and lifestyle brand working with visionary Indigenous and diverse creators to shape culture across film, digital, and emerging platforms. Previously, she founded and led IllumiNative, driving a transformative shift in Indigenous representation nationwide.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How her daughter’s experiences of being bullied in school galvanized Crystal to focus her work on Native people’s visibility in our systems, institutions, and culture
• Why Crystal and her colleagues started with building a dataset by, for, and about Native people as the basis for building visibility
• How the educational and cultural landscape of the US perpetuates the erasure and dehumanization of Native people
• What COVID laid bare about the life and death consequences of not being accounted for by government officials and policy makers
• Why pop culture representation of contemporary Native people and life matters
• How staying connected to joy and celebration of Native communities, as well as the legacies of her ancestors, keeps Crystal going
• How the changing political and economic landscape caused Crystal to shift the vehicle for her work to founding Indigenous House
• How racist team names impact fan behavior and culture and reinforce Native dehumanization

Learn more about Crystal Echo Hawk:

• Indigenous House
• Instagram: @crystalechohawk; @indigenoushouse

Learn more about Rebecca:

• rebeccaching.com
• Work With Rebecca
• The Unburdened Leader on Substack
• Sign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader Email

Resources:

• EP 88: Right-Use-of-Power: Navigating Leadership Dynamics with Dr. Cedar Barstow
• EP 153: Power Dynamics and Personal Power: Dr. Amanda Aguilera on the Right Use of Power
• EP 125: Power, Regulation, and Leadership: Connecting to Your Personal Power with Dr. Amanda Aguilera
• IllumiNative
• Reclaiming Native Truth
• Dr. Stephanie Fryberg
• From Here to the Great Unknown, Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
• Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life, Emma Grede
• Ella Langley
• Kacey Musgraves
• The West Wing
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Sixteen Candles
• The Breakfast Club