Cultural Survival

Cultural Survival is an Indigenous-led nonprofit organization based in Cambridge, MA that advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience. For 52 years, Cultural Survival has partnered with Indigenous communities to advance Indigenous Peoples' rights and cultures worldwide. We envision a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.

The Cultural Survival Bazaars, which began in 1975, are a series of cultural festivals in the Boston area that provide Indigenous entrepreneurs from around the world the chance to sell their work directly to residents of New England. Each event features crafts, artwork, clothing, jewelry, home goods, and accessories from traditional cultures across dozens of countries. In addition, the Bazaars offer cultural performances and presentations, including live music, storytelling, craft-making demonstrations, and the unique chance to talk directly with Indigenous artists and community advocates. Our Bazaars support Indigenous entrepreneurs in sharing and maintaining tradition and culture through crafts, while preserving control of their intellectual property and supporting their participation in economic development strategies as found in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Our Bazaars offer a unique opportunity for cultural exchange and relationship building between and among Indigenous artists, entrepreneurs and customers. We engage over 10,000 people who attend our Bazaars annually, who come to the Bazaar to experience the direct supply chain from artist to consumer and learn the unique history and story of the person selling the products.