Comcast NBCUniversal Celebrates Native American Heritage Month 2024

Comcast NBCUniversal is committed to honoring the rich and vibrant history of Native American communities. This Native American Heritage Month, they are celebrating the dynamic cultures, aspiring stories and ongoing contributions that Native Americans make to society.

Xfinity Programming

To honor Native American Heritage Month, Xfinity presents a thoughtfully curated collection showcasing Indigenous talent on both sides of the lens. In collaboration with community organizations and trusted Comcast partners, the lineup features exclusive selections from guest editors like award-winning actress Lily Gladstone, award-winning director Ian Skorodin, and Indigenous activist Quannah Chasinghorse.

This year, Peacock and the Black Experience on Xfinity premiered Bad River, a compelling documentary co-narrated by Indigenous actor and activist Quannah Chasinghorse and produced by NBA great Grant Hill and filmmaker Mary Mazzio. The film won an Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary and was nominated for three Critics Choice Awards. It tells the story of the Bad River Ojibwe tribe in Northern Wisconsin, chronicling their ongoing fight to preserve their culture and community against centuries of attempted erasure.

The Xfinity collection also features recommendations on what to watch from Comcast community partners including: Advancing Indigenous People in STEM (AISES), Illuminative, National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC), and Natives Rising. Highlights include Going Native on All Nations Network, the critically acclaimed Reservation Dogs on Hulu, and Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV+ starring guest editor Lily Gladstone. Plus, Xfinity customers can enjoy exclusive access to 10 films from the LA SKINS FEST, a Native American film festival proudly supported by Comcast.

During “Free this Week” (November 4-10), Xfinity customers can enjoy free access to All Nations Network, a dedicated network for Indigenous stories.

The collection also includes a Kids & Family section, with recommendations from Common Sense Media, alongside popular TV shows, award-winning movies, documentaries and more. X1 customers can show their pride by customizing their X1 navigation bars and player pucks with their favorite X1 Theme icon.

Xfinity customers can access this collection on all platforms including X1, Flex, Stream, Xumo TV, and Xumo Stream Box (content may vary by platform) within the Native American destination of Xfinity On Demand or by saying “Native American” into the Voice Remote.

NBCUniversal

This Native American Heritage Month, NBCUniversal proudly showcases Indigenous talent throughout its programming, including Tokala Black Elk, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, on NBC’s Happy’s Place, and Chaske Spencer, a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, on Peacock’s Teacup. NBCUniversal’s News Group will further honor the month through various programming such as Morgan Radford’s spotlight on a group of Native American scientists in northwest Montana who are launching a forensics team dedicated to solving cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women on Nightly News.

Comcast Newsmakers

This month, Comcast Newsmakers spotlights organizations dedicated to uplifting Native American communities. Interviews focus on efforts to expand digital access, career development for Native American veterans, and tribal language preservation. Featured guests include OJ Semans Sr. of Native Connections, John Bailon of Hesperus, and Julia Wakeford of the National Indian Education Association. Watch on Xfinity platforms using the voice command “Comcast Newsmakers” and at  ComcastNewsmakers.com.

Digital Equity & Social Impact

Through Project UP, Comcast connects people to the Internet and advance economic mobility, partnering with organizations that support Native American communities across the United States. In collaboration with Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Portland, OR, Comcast is working to create an enhanced Lift Zone in two spaces at NAYA’s main campus: their Elders room and College & Career Center.

Comcast also partners to support Indigenous Youth with: Trickster Cultural Center, a nonprofit arts center dedicated to preserving Native American arts and culture in Schaumburg, IL, to upgrade the technology in their computer lab so that youth can record and digitize their rich storytelling traditions, and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to advance a culturally relevant technology-based curriculum among Indigenous students in schools across the country. They also work with the National Urban Indian Family Coalition to provide Native communities in multiple urban areas around the country with digital skill training, and they are committed to creating equitable pathways to tech careers for Native Americans by supporting Natives Rising.

Their Employees

Comcast employees are honoring Native American Heritage Month across the country with a variety of events designed to deepen understanding of Native culture, enhance allyship and offer a platform for their experiences.

As part of their DE&I Speaker Series, teammates gathered virtually to hear veteran, Olympian, and member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Billy Mills, discuss how inclusivity can create more supportive environments for military families, veterans, and Indigenous communities.