Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
Home
  • Indigenous Governance Database
  • CONSTITUTIONS RESOURCE CENTER
  • Home
  • Key Resources
    • Conferences, Seminars & Symposia
    • NNI and Harvard Project Research
    • Great Tribal Leaders of Modern Times
    • Good Native Governance
    • Indigenous Leaders Fellows
    • Native Nation Building TV
    • Leading Native Nations
    • Emerging Leaders
  • NNI Tools
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • My Library
  • Login
Indigenous Governance Database

Navajo Nation Sales Tax

  • Resource
  • Details
  • Citation

Not Related

Author: 
The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development
Year: 
2006

Navajo Nation Sales Tax

Navajo Nation Sales Tax
NAVAJO NATION SALES TAX

Challenges facing sovereign nations include how to support themselves financially, run their governments, and meet the needs of their peoples. In 1974, the Navajo Nation established a Navajo Tax Commission. Following a US Supreme Court decision affirming the Nation’s right to impose taxes, the Commission began to collect specific taxes. In 2002, the Nation instituted a tribal sales tax as a strategy for decreasing tribal government dependence on revenue from federal and state grants and from the sale of non-renewable resources. Relying on the traditional concept Beenahaz’aanii Nahat’a (an act of gathering individuals to reach group understanding), the tribal government consulted citizens before introducing the policy, generating a buy-in for an initiative that has already raised $43 million for the Nation. Among other things, sales tax revenues fund local government, giving financial teeth to a major effort by the Nation to put more decision-making power in the hands of local Navajo communities.

 

economic independence, grant dependency, sales tax, tax commission
Share
Native Nations: 
Navajo Nation
Resource Type: 
Honoring Nations Reports
Topics: 
Economic and Community Development
Useful Links: 
NNI "Rebuilding Native Nations" Short Course: Economic Development

"Navajo Nation Sales Tax". Honoring Nations: 2005 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2006. 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. 

Related Resources: 

Honoring Nations: Mary Etsitty: The Navajo Nation Sales Tax

Honoring Nations: Mary Etsitty: The Navajo Nation Sales Tax
Honoring Nations: Mary Etsitty: The Navajo Nation Sales Tax
Mary Etsitty, Former Executive Director of the Office of the Navajo Tax Commission, discusses how and why the Navajo Nation sales tax was established, and how the Office of the Navajo Tax Commission works to consult and educate Navajo citizens about the need for -- and benefits of -- generating...
Read more

Kayenta Township Tax Initiative for Economic Development

Kayenta Township Tax Initiative for Economic Development
Kayenta Township Tax Initiative for Economic Development
In 1997, Kayenta became the first township on the Navajo Nation to take advantage of new opportunities for local governmental authority by implementing a 2.5% retail tax that brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. This revenue has enabled the Township to build a solid waste transfer...
Read more

IGD Database Search

Enter a search term

Quick Links

  • What's New at the Native Nations Institute?
  • Indigenous Governance Program
  • NNI Radio
  • US Indigenous Data Sovereignty Network

Other Useful Resources

2012 NCAI State of Indian Nations
Policy Brief: Emerging Stronger than Before: Guidelines for the Federal Role in American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes’ Recovery from the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Wisdom From Mel: It's Okay to Not Know Everything
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Giving the Justice System the Support It Needs"
Melvin L. Sheldon: Refining Our United Vision
  • About
  • NNI Hub
  • Key Resources
  • Constitutions Resource Center
  • Indigenous Governance Database
  • Login

The Native Nations Institute and The University of Arizona make efforts to ensure the information presented is accurate and up to date, but make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content contained on this website.  This website's content is the opinion of the specific author, not statements of advice, opinion, or information from The University of Arizona, and contains links to third party sites.  The University of Arizona is not responsible for and neither approves nor endorses third party website content.  Information presented on this website and the registered trademarks, service marks, wordmarks, and logos of the Native Nations Institute and the University of Arizona may not be reproduced without express written permission. 

The University of Arizona respects intellectual property and privacy rights.  Please refer to The University of Arizona's Copyright Notice and Information Security & Privacy policies for more information.


© 2022 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.