Giving the descendants of indigenous people an artistic platform is the goal of Native Voices at the Autry Museum of the American West, which for more than 18 years has housed the country’s only Equity theater company dedicated solely to producing new works by Native American, Alaska Native and First Nations playwrights. The current annual budget for Native Voices is $373,716, which represents about one-third of the museum’s budget for public programming. The NEA money for Native Voices isn’t earmarked for particular line items but rather included in the overall operational budget. The Native Voices’ Artists Ensemble is made up of Native American actors, writers, musicians, directors and others. West said Native Voices is a crucial part of the Autry’s mission to promote the art, history and cultures of the American West.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 27, 2017 21:22 UTC