Leading Native Nations

Robert Joseph: History of Maori Governance and Self-Determination

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

In this interview, Māori barrister and Senior Lecturer at The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, Dr. Robert A. Joseph offers his expert analysis of governance and law through the historical perspective of Māori self-governance. Dr. Joseph gives a summary of the complexities of colonization over Māori lands under New Zealand governments and in particular a thorough examination of the Treaty of Waitangi that lays the foundations for the governance relationships of the Māori people with New Zealand governmental relations and society. Included with his historical accounts are the ways that law and jurisdiction intersects with Māori economy that brings together a current context to the way colonization impacts the modern practices of Māori self-determination.

People
Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Robert Joseph: History of Maori Governance and Self-Determination.” Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, December, 2017

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Jason Mika: Maori Governance and Maori Economy

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Jason is a Fulbright scholar in the US from August 2019 to January 2020 visiting the Native Nations Institute (Aug-Oct) at the University of Arizona and the Woods Institute for Environmental Policy at Stanford University (Oct-Jan). Jason is an Indigenous entrepreneurship researcher from Massey University’s School of Management in Aotearoa New Zealand. Jason completed his PhD in Māori entrepreneurship in 2015. Jason’s research interest centers on how Indigenous entrepreneurs balance cultural and commercial imperatives in multiple sites, sectors and scales, including marine economies, agribusiness, tourism, regional and national economies. In this short NNI interview he gave his insights on the ways Māori Governance works with their economies and the differences he noticed between the Native nations making economies work in the United States and Māori economies.

People
Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Jason Mika: Maori Governance and Maori Economy" Native Nations Instititue, University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona. August 7, 2020.

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Stephen Roe Lewis: Effective Tribal Leadership for Change

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Stephen Roe Lewis has been serving two terms as the Governor of the Gila River Indian Community. He follows a strong tradition and family legacy of leadership for the Akimel O’otham and Pee-Posh people in this desert riparian region of Arizona. Governor Lewis has worked on numerous political campaigns and organizing projects throughout Indian Country including Native voter organizing and Native voter protection in 2002 and selected as an Arizona delegate and Co-Chairing the Native American Caucus for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. As well as, serving on the Board of Directors for the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the Executive Board for the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and the Board of Trustees for the Heard Museum of Phoenix. Governor Lewis has wroked with his community to create solutions for resources and education in the Gila River Indian Community. The Management Aquifer Recharge site (MAR-5) project brings together the need for access to water while restoring the return of the Community's riparian area which is vital for farming and the return of wildlife to the Community, and developed a new eductaion reviatlze program to construct a Bureau of Indian Education replacement school and then lease that school back to the federal government. His longstanding work to create a strong Native Nation for the Gila River Inidan Community and making tribal eaderhsip work for change is told in this interview with Native Nations Institute. 

Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Stephen Roe Lewis: Effective Tribal Leadership for Change," Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. January 14, 2020

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Herminia Frias: Working Toward Effective Native Leadership

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

For years at Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Herminia Frias has remained a consistent leader in tribal government. She became the first woman elected Chairwoman and youngest to serve the position. After a contentious term with the tribal council, she was removed from office but then immediately returned to tribal council by being successfully elected to tribal council where she continues to serve. Councilwoman Frias spoke at the Native Women in Governance speaker series from Native Nations Institute and the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program where she detailed the challenges she faced and her determination to not quit on being a Native leader. After that speech, Herminia Frias spoke to NNI in an interview that offered her reflections and perspectives on what it means to be a Native Nation building leader. She outlines the finer points of making indigenous governance work for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe that involves working with diverse views and approaches toward governance. Her experiences mark an invaluable perspective about Native leadership that touches on unique challenges and successes toward building more self-determination for her Native Nation.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Herminia Frias: Working Toward Native Leadership.” Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, February, 2019

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Wayne Ducheneaux: Working with Indigenous Governance

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Wayne Ducheneaux II (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) sits down with Native Nations Institute to discuss his array of experiences working for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and in the work toward helping other Native Nations efforts with indigenous governance. A former Tribal Administrative Officer, serving as a District 4 Council Representative, as well as a two-year term as Vice-Chairman of the Tribe from 2012-2014, Wayne is currently the Exective Director of Naive Governance Center. His valued perespectives share light on what is invloved to engage self-governance for Native communities.

Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Wayne Ducheneaux: Working with Indigenous Governance Interview," Leading Native Nations interview series, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ,  April 21, 2016

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Shannon Keller O'Loughlin: Native Leadership and Lasting Commitment

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Shannon Keller O'Loughlin, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Association on American Indian Affairs. Shannon was also the former Chief of Staff, National Indian Gaming Commission, a member of President Obama’s NAGPRA Review Committee, and a Cultural Property Advisory Committee Member for the U.S. State Dept.

In this interview with NNI, Shannon shares her in-depth thoughts about her journey in tribal leadership and perspectives on unique navigating commitments in leadership, while also respecting the values of Native communities that are served. Her commitment is revealed through her lessons learned and examples shown to her from elder mentorship. These experiences she shares shows the impact of indigenous organization for Native Nations and their communities as she carries on the legacy work of AAIA. Shannon stresses the importance of understanding key policy decisions being made at the Federal level, and their potential impact on Indian Country.

Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Shannon Keller O'Loughlin: Native Leadership and Lasting Commitment.” Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, January 10, 2019

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez: Native Nation Building for the Navajo Nation

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez visited the University of Arizona and gave his views on making governance work for people in he Navajo Nation.  In this brief interview with NNI the President offered his thoughts on Native Nation Building and the way it is utilized for the Navajo nation as well as his insight on making governance happen without a written constitution.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez: Native Nation Building for the Navajo Nation.” Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, December 3, 2019

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Vernon Masayesva: Self-Governance and Protecting Water

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Former Tribal Chairman of the Hopi Nation and Executive Director of Black Mesa Trust, Vernon Masayesva relays his thoughts about advocating for self-governance and protection of water rights for Indigenous people. His pursuits in holding accountability of mining in Hopi territory has made Vernon into a leading respected voice on maintaining the sovereignty of water for tribes and intervention toward both entities and pixies that threaten environmental harm on Native lands. Vernon describes his efforts through the creation of Black Mesa Trust and their activities while continuing to be active in keeping the Hopi Nation focused on self-governance that matches the sacred values toward natural resources.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Vernon Masayesva: Self-Governance and Protecting Water." University of Arizona Water Ethics Symposium, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, October 20, 2018

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Daryle Rigney: Asserting Cultural Match and Native Nation Building in Australia

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Daryle Rigney brings his expertise and first-hand experiences as a citizen of Ngarrindjeri Nation in South Australian to share his thoughts about Native Nation Building for the Ngarrindjeri Nation. He is a Professor of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement at College of Humanities Arts and Sciences at Flinders University, Board member in the Australia Indigenous Governance Institute, and member of the Indigenous Advisory Council for the Native Nations Institute. Daryle has spent better part of the last two decades supporting and directly working in efforts to bring the Ngarrindjeri community into a Regional Authority that governs using Native Nation building principles. In this interview Daryle explains the ways that Ngarrindjeri negotiated their self-governance with South Australia and implemented there own governing process that aligns with Ngarrindjeri cultural practices. Daryle has also been at the forefront to understanding the challenges and work behind protecting aboriginal cultural heritage and property through his involvement in protection of Ngarrindjeri people, traditions, burial sites, and ancestral materials.

People
Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Daryle Rigney: Asserting Cultural Match and Native Nation Building in Australia.” Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, January 11, 2019

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Diane Enos: Endurance through Native Leadership

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Diane Enos is an Attorney, Councilwoman & Former President of Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. She has also served as Vice President of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Chairwoman of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, and as a Western Area Delegate to the Tribal Justice Advisory Group, U.S. Department of Justice.

Diane draws from decades of service in tribal government, sharing key insights related to the challenges that Native peoples face in developing effective partnerships with local governments. She also discusses her path toward leading her Nation as a Native two-spirit woman.

In this interview, Diane offers her years of perspective an experience on what it means to engage and govern through Native leadership. Especially in the environment of her tribe that is constantly navigating their indigenous governance within areas of non-Native institutions and residencies.

People
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Diane Enos: Endurance through Native Leadership.” Leading Native Nations, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, January 15, 2019

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu