sovereignty

Hopi Tribe: Preamble Excerpt

Year

Preamble:

This Constitution, to be known as the Constitution and By-laws of the Hopi Tribe, is adopted by the self-governing Hopi and Tewa Villages of Arizona to provide a way of working together for peace and agreement between the villages, and of preserving the good things of Hopi life, and to provide a way of organizing to deal with modern problems, with the United States government and with the outside world generally.

Native Nations
Topics
Citation

The Hopi Tribe. 1936. "Constitution and By-Laws of the Hopi Tribe." Kykotsmovi, AZ. 

Coquille Indian Tribe: Preamble Excerpt

Year

Preamble:

Our ancestors since the beginning of time have lived and died on the Coquille aboriginal lands and waters.

The Coquille Indian Tribe is and has always been a sovereign selfgoverning power dedicated to:
 1. Preservation of Coquille Indian Culture and Tribal Identity.
 2. Promotion of social and economic welfare of Coquille Indians.
 3. Enhancement of our common resources.
 4. Maintenance of peace and order.
 5. Safeguard individual rights of tribal members.

Our ancestors have passed on to us a sacred trust and obligation to maintain and safeguard these goals.
 
In recognition of this sacred responsibility, we, the members of the Coquille Indian Tribe, being a federally recognized Indian tribe pursuant to the Coquille Indian Restoration Act of June 28, 1989, 103 Stat. 91, hereby adopt this constitution in order to re-affirm our tribal government and to secure the rights and powers inherent in our sovereign status as guaranteed to us by federal and tribal laws. 

Native Nations
Topics
Citation

Coquille Indian Tribe. 1991. "Constitution of Coquille Indian Tribe." North Bend, OR.

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians: Preamble Excerpt

Year

Preamble:

We, the members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, in order to organize for our common good, to govern ourselves under our own laws, to maintain and foster our tribal culture, to protect our homeland, to conserve and develop our natural resources, and to insure our rights guaranteed by treaty with the federal government, do establish and adopt, as an incident of our sovereign powers, this Constitution for the government, protection, and common welfare of the Grand Traverse Band under the authority of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934, (48 Stat. 984), as amended.

Topics
Citation

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. 1988. "Constitution of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians." Peshawbestown, MI.

Indigenous Land Management in the United States: Context, Cases, Lessons

Year

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is seeking ways to support First Nations’ economic development. Among its concerns are the status and management of First Nations’ lands. The Indian Act, bureaucratic processes, the capacities of First Nations themselves, and other factors currently limit the ability of First Nations to add lands to reserves or to use their lands more effectively in productive and self-determined economic activity.

As it confronts these issues, AFN has been interested in how Indigenous land-management issues are being addressed by Native nations in the United States. What is the status of Indigenous lands in the U.S.? Do Native nations in the U.S. face similar challenges to those facing First Nations? Are Native nations in the U.S. engaged in practices that might offer ideas or lessons for First Nations?

There are substantial historical, legal, and political differences between the situations of Native nations in Canada and the U.S. But there also are substantial similarities. In both countries, land has been a pivotal issue–in many ways the pivotal issue–in the history of Indigenous-non-Indigenous relations. In both countries, despite massive land loss, Native nations retain remnant land bases with varying potential for economic development. In both countries, Native nations fiercely defend their remaining lands, seek to expand them, and are determined to exercise greater control over what happens on those lands.

This report addresses the status of Native lands in the U.S. It is divided into two parts. Part 1, “Overview of the U.S. Context,” reviews the history of Indigenous lands and provides an overview of current Indian land tenure and jurisdiction. Part 2, “Meeting the Land Management Challenge,” specifies the primary challenges facing Native nations in the U.S. as they attempt to manage their lands in ways that meet their own objectives and summarizes some of the innovative practices currently in use or being developed by American Indian nations. It identifies what we believe are key features of those practices. It also summarizes some of the relevant research on the relationship between control of Native lands and socioeconomic outcomes. Finally, it offers some recommendations based on the U.S. experience...

This report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Assembly of First Nations.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Cornell, Stephen and Miriam Jorgensen. "Indigenous Land Management in the United States: Context, Cases, Lessons." A Report to the Assembly of First Nations. Grogan|Cornell Consulting. Tucson, Arizona. December 2011. Report.

Gila River Indian Community Air Quality Program

Year

In recent years, tribal governments in the United States have passed sophisticated laws and regulations to manage social and economic development in their communities. Although air quality is an important aspect of both economic growth and human health, very few Native nations have successfully extended their sovereignty into the air. Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) is the first tribe in the country to develop a comprehensive plan that regulates air pollution within the boundaries of its reservation. The plan is recognized by other governments and gives the tribe control over all of the emission-causing activities that occur within its territory. By designing its own air quality program, the community can manage the activities that are important to tribal citizens while preserving a healthy atmosphere.

Resource Type
Citation

"Air Quality Program." Honoring Nations: 2010 Honoree. Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2011. Report.

Transcending Borders in Tribal Nation-Building

Year

Dr. Stephen Cornell addressed the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, House of Commons, in Ottawa, Canada. The following is the excerpted transcript from his address, which, among other things, discusses what really does and should matter to Indigenous peoples--whether they reside within the borders of the United States or Canada--when they attempt to engage in the often difficult process of tribal nation-building...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Cornell, Stephen. "Transcending Borders in Tribal Nation-Building." Red Ink: A Native American Student Publication. Vol. 8, No. 2. American Indian Studies Program, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona. 2000: 57-62. Article.

Sovereignty and Peoplehood

Author
Producer
University of Arizona, American Indian Studies
Year

The term "sovereignty" perplexes students of the American Indian policy perhaps more than any other concept. The word comes from the Old French soverain or souverein and was usually used in reference to a king or lord who had the undisputed right to make decisions and act accordingly with or without the benefit of counsel, religious sanction or consent of the governed. The word is also very likely linked to the Old French rene from which, in turn, the English derived the word "rein." Reins, of course, are used to control horses and the terminology aptly applies to those who maintained absolute control over particular populaces and territories under the European feudal system, mounted, arms-bearing, property-owning "thugs in armor" known as knights. Sovereyneté, which was imposed on the English by the Norman conquest of 1066 and hence became an Anglo-French word, has come to mean the acknowledged legal authority of a ruler or a state. Sovereignty, then, is a Western European concept that is often associated with taking and holding ground in a military sense. The authority to wield power, simple coercion, underpinned the concept of sovereignty...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Holm, Tom. "Sovereignty and Peoplehood." Red Ink: A Native American Student Publication. Vol. 8, No. 2. American Indian Studies Program, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona. 2000: 41-44. Article.

Diné (Navajo) Local Governance Projects

Year

Formed in 1989 by the Navajo Nation Council, the Office of Navajo Government Development works with the Diné people and their elected leaders to conduct government reform, foster the incorporation of Navajo culture and tradition into the Navajo Nation Code, and facilitate the transference of responsibilities from the central Navajo government to the local or chapter level. As a body dedicated to improving government performance, the Office played a key role in the passage of the 1998 Local Governance Act and has developed and informed numerous legislative initiatives that expand tribal sovereignty and increase governmental accountability, transferability, and efficiency.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Topics
Citation

"Government Reform, Diné Appropriate Government, Local Governance Projects". Honoring Nations: 2002 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2003. Report.

Permissions

This Honoring Nations report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.  

Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse

Year

Officially sanctioned by the Grand Council of Chiefs to represent the Haudenosaunee (or Iroquois) in international lacrosse competition, the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team represents a sovereign nation in world competition. The team — which has won numerous medals and awards — has successfully engaged state departments, embassies, and consulates around the world to recognize Iroquois sovereignty. Team members travel using Haudenosaunee passports and the team has created a corps of Iroquois ambassadors that builds international goodwill and educates fellow athletes, government officials, and the public about the Iroquois–and their role as founders of the sport.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

"Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse". Honoring Nations: 2002 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2003. Report. 

Permissions

This Honoring Nations report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. 

Sovereignty and Nation-Building: The Development Challenge in Indian Country Today

Producer
American Indian and Culture Journal
Year

The Indian nations of the United States face a rare opportunity. This is not the occasional business opportunity of reservation legend, when some eager investor would arrive at tribal offices with a proposal guaranteed to produce millions of dollars for the tribe--although such investors still appear, promises in hand. Nor is it the niche economic opportunity of gaming, although that has transformed some tribes' situations in important ways. This opportunity is a political and organizational one. It is a chance to rethink, restructure, reorganize--chance not to start a business or exploit an economic niche but to substantially reshape the future. It is the opportunity for nation-building.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Cornell, Stephen, Joseph P. Kalt. "Sovereignty and Nation-Building: The Development Challenge in Indian Country Today." Joint Occasional Papers on Native Affairs No. 2003-03. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management and Policy, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona. 2003. JOPNA.