There is no way to fully measure the impact of slavery on the Indigenous and Native peoples of the Americas. Yet many millions of people were captured and bound. While the practice predated the arrival of Europeans—and continued within and across Indigenous communities for centuries—this “other slavery” expanded in unimaginable ways following 1492.

Responding to the urgent need to deepen and broaden our understanding of this history—and to connect that past to the present—Native Bound Unbound was founded to create a digital repository centered on Indigenous slavery. Our initiative illuminates where it took place, when it occurred, whom it impacted, and the profound meaning embedded in its legacy for both Indigenous communities and descendants of the enslaved.

Founded in 2022 with catalytic support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and established as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2025, Native Bound Unbound brings together a global network of scholars, technologists, archivists, students, and community partners. Across languages and continents, our teams transcribe manuscripts, translate historical documents, interpret cultural materials, and encode data that reveals connections across people, places, and time.

Native Bound Unbound — General Donations

By Native Bound Unbound Inc.

Native Bound Unbound — General Donations

Creating the Archive of Indigenous Slavery Across the America