Indigenous Governance Database
Navajo Nation
Joseph P. Kalt: Sovereignty: Your Best Tool for Development
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Co-Director Joseph Kalt share some innovative ways that Native nations have exercised their sovereignty in order to foster sustainable economic and community development.
Peterson Zah: Addressing Tough Governance Issues
Former Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah shares the personal ethics he practiced while leading his nation, and discusses how he learned those ethics from his family and other influential figures in his life.
Peterson Zah and Manley A. Begay, Jr.: Strategic Thinking and Planning: Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund (Q&A)
Manley Begay and Peterson Zah field questions from the audience concerning the Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund and how they and others worked to mobilize and sustain the citizen support necessary to keep the fund intact and allow it to grow.
Jill Peters: Fostering Productive Intergovernmental Relations
TGen Director for Legislative Affairs and Community Outreach Jill Peters explains what is necessary to foster productive intergovernmental relations at the local, state, and federal levels, and why it is important for nations to build their capacity to advance their priorities in this area.
NNI Forum: Asset Building for Indian Country
The Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy (NNI) at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona convened a panel of leading experts to discuss the fundamental obstacles standing in the way of asset building in Native communities, and the innovative strategies that Native…
Native Nation Building TV: "Introduction to Nation Building"
Guests Manley Begay and Stephen Cornell present the key research findings of the Native Nations Institute and the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. They explain the five keys to successful community and economic development for Native nations (sovereignty or practical self-…
Native Nation Building TV: "Why the Rule of Law and Tribal Justice Systems Matter"
Guests Robert A. Williams, Jr. and Robert Yazzie discuss the importance of having sound rules of law and justice systems, and examine their implications for effective governance and sustainable economic development. They explore these issues and their role in creating a productive environment that…
Peterson Zah and Manley A. Begay, Jr.: Strategic Thinking and Planning: Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund
Former Navajo Chairman and President Peterson Zah and NNI Faculty Chair Manley A. Begay, Jr. discuss the role of strategic vision and planning in the establishment and cultivation of the Navajo Navajo Permanent Trust Fund, and stress the need for Native nations to forge a long-term vision for their…
Native Nation Building TV: "Leadership and Strategic Thinking"
Guests Peterson Zah and Angela Russell tie together the themes discussed in the previous segments into a conversation about how Native nations and their leaders move themselves and their peoples towards nation building. They address the question all Native nations have: How do we get where we want…
Navajo Hotel Owners Open a Retreat in Monument Valley
t’s all about the mystical view. That is, the view of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, on the northern outskirts of the Navajo Nation. For the past several years, visitors have had an opportunity to wake up to the soothing rays of the sun overlooking towering chestnut-colored rock formations at…
Teaching the Whole Child: Language Immersion and Student Achievement
As Congress considers two bills to support Native American language immersion, including the Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act, it is time to take stock. What does research say about the impact of Native-language immersion on Native students’ academic achievement? We now have 30…
Navajos pass higher tax on junk food
The Navajo Nation Council, in its weeklong winter session, passed a tax on junk food and eliminated a tax on fresh, healthy foods Thursday. Denisa Livingston, a healthy food advocate, worked with about 75 other members of the Diné Community Advocacy Alliance for the past two years to pass the 2…
Where Tribal Justice Works
In 2011, a man in northeastern Oregon beat his girlfriend with a gun, using it like a club to strike her in front of their children. Both were members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The federal government, which has jurisdiction over major crimes in Indian Country,…
Agreement Signed Between Navajo Nation & San Juan County Utah
Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly signed a groundbreaking agreement San Juan County Commissioners Tuesday morning. President Shelly and the commissioners entered into a memorandum of agreement focused on planning collaboration to develop land use recommendations for state and federal lands within…
Preserving the Navajo Language, One Interpreter at a Time
A group of 33 students were competively selected to earn free certification from the UA's Navajo Interpreter Training Institute to gain eligibility to serve as interpreters in New Mexico and Arizona state courts. Many...have similar backgrounds - they began their unofficial role as English-to-…
Navajo Nation Delegation Still Ironing Out Issues After Three Years
More government reform may be on the horizon for the Navajo Nation. December 15 marks the three-year anniversary of the passing of a referendum that cut the 88-delegate legislative branch to 24 delegates. That vote went before the people, who approved reducing the Council by more than two-thirds. “…
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)...
Janene Yazzie-The Next Generation of Tribal Water Use: Our Youth Represent the Future
Janene Yazzie, Little Colorado River Watershed Chapters Association, provides a detail account of how water use and water exploitation have impacted Indigenous peoples.
Nicole Horseherder-Arizona Groundwater, A Precious Resource
Nicole Horseherder, Navajo Activist and To’ Nizhoni Ani’, presents an Indigenous perspective of water resources.
Researchers Explore Roots of American Indian Resilience
Each week, inside the cafeteria of the New Directions enter, a Tucson behavioral health and substance abuse treatment facility, Tommy Begay channels heritage and history. He calls on the Navajo prayers and practices he learned from his great-grandmother to help others heal. “She taught me about…