Indigenous Governance Database
capable governing institutions
Rebuilding Native Nations: Strategies for Governance and Development - An Online Course Series
Martha Fast Horse of the Martha Fast Horse Show in Minneapolis interviews Ian Record of the Native Nations Institute (NNI) and Jaime Pinkham (Nez Perce) of the Bush Foundation about NNI's recent launch of its groundbreaking online course series, "Rebuilding Native Nations: Strategies for Governance…
Tribal Land Leasing: Opportunities Presented by the HEARTH Act and Amended 162 Leasing Regulations
This NCAI webinar discussed amendments to the Department of the Interior's 162 leasing regulations as well as practical issues for tribes to consider when seeking to take advantage of the HEARTH Act (Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Home Ownership Act of 2012)...
Membertou: Accountable to the Community
Leaders of Membertou First nation explain how a high level of accountability to citizens and partners has been key to its success in both governance and business.
The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and its Application to Canadian Aboriginal Business
This lecture is part of a course Stephen Cornell is teaching in Simon Fraser University's Executive MBA in Aboriginal Business and Leadership program. A panel of three joined Dr. Cornell in a discussion about the building of First Nation economies and the role citizen entrepreneurship can play in…
Rebuilding The Tigua Nation
The Tigua Indians of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in Ysleta, Texas produced this 16-minute film in 2013 to demonstrate how a Native American tribe can work hard with business skills and tribal customs to shape a prosperous future through education for all levels of the Tigua Nation.
Joseph P. Kalt: The Nation-Building Renaissance in Indian Country: Keys to Success
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Co-Director Joseph P. Kalt presents on the Native nation-building renaissance taking root across in Indian Country, and shares some stories of success.
Stephen Cornell: Two Approaches to Building Strong Native Nations
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Co-Director Stephen Cornell presents the research findings of the Harvard Project and the Native Nations Institute, specifically the two general approaches that Native nations pursue in an effort to achieve sustainable community and economic…
A Guide to Community Engagement
In this third part of the BCAFN Governance Toolkit: A Guide to Nation Building, we explore the complex and often controversial subject of governance reform in our communities and ways to approach community engagement. The Governance Toolkit is intended as a resource for First Nations leadership. It…
Navajo Nation Constitutional Feasibility and Government Reform Project
This paper will review three important elements related to the constitutional feasibility and government reform of the Navajo Nation. The first section will outline the foundational principles related to constitutionalism and ask whether constitionalism and the nation-state are appropriate…
Managing Land, Governing for the Future: Finding the Path Forward for Membertou
This in-depth, interview-based study was commissioned by Membertou Chief and Council and the Membertou Governance Committee, and funded by the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program to investigate methods by which Membertou First Nation can further increase its…
Improving Indigenous community governance through strengthening Indigenous and government organisational capacity
Strengthening the organisational capacity of both Indigenous and government organisations is critical to raising the health, wellbeing and prosperity of Indigenous Australian communities. Improving the governance processes of Indigenous organisations is likely to require strengthening of Indigenous…
Sovereignty Under Arrest? Public Law 280 and Its Discontents
Law enforcement in Indian Country has been characterized as a maze of injustice, one in which offenders too easily escape and victims are too easily lost (Amnesty International, 2007). Tribal, state, and federal governments have recently sought to amend this through the passage of the Tribal Law…
What Determines Indian Economic Success? Evidence from Tribal and Individual Indian Enterprises
Prior analysis of American Indian nations’ unemployment, poverty, and growth rates indicates that poverty in Indian Country is a problem of institutions—particularly political institutions—not a problem of economics per se. Using unique data on Indian-owned enterprises, this paper sheds light…