Indigenous Governance Database
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Policy Brief: Data Governance for Native Nation Rebuilding
Native nations in the United States are increasingly exercising Indigenous data sovereignty (ID-Sov)— the right of a nation to govern the collection, ownership, and application of its own data. While ID-Sov is the goal, data governance— the ownership, collection, control,…
Avery Denny: Origins of Navajo Leadership
Avery Denny is a member of Diné Medicine Man’s Association and is faculty at the Center for Diné Studies at Diné college Diné hatáli. As an instructor for over 29 years, he has taught courses on herbology, holistic healing, and Diné culture, oral history and philosophy. Avery…
Sharon Toi: Honoring Maori Traditions and Governance
Sharon Toi is Ngāpuhi Māori and a 2014 recipient of a Fulbright Visiting Scholar-Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga Graduate Award that funded her residency at the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program housed within the University of Arizona’s College of Law. Sharon shares her extensive knowledge…
Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell: Stories and Reflections on Indigenous Governance
Former Grand Chief Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne recently stepped down from his role as Grand Chief after decades of building a strong independent jurisdiction. Chief Mitchell offers some of his stories and reflections in indigenous governance that…
Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana Constitution
The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana is located in Southern Louisiana with a population of 950 people. The constitution was enacted in 1970 and amended in 2009 and 2010. Preamble: We, the Chitimacha Indians of Louisiana, desiring to establish an organization for our common welfare and benefit,…
Chilkat Indian Village Constitution
The Chilkat Indian Village is located in Southeastern Alaska with a population of 140 people. The constitution was enacted in 2006. The village was involved in a famous cultural property case about Whale House rain screen and totem poles. Preamble: We, a sovereign community of Tlingit Indians…
Chickasaw Nation Constitution
Chickasaw Nation is located in Oklahoma with a population of 49,000 people. The constitution was enacted in 1983 and amended in 2002. Preamble: We, the people of the Chickasaw Nation, acknowledging with gratitude the grace and beneficence of God, in permitting us to make choice of our…
Blackfeet Nation Constitution
The Blackfeet Nation is located in Northern Montana at the Canadian border. It has a population of 16,500 people and the tribe was artificially divided by the U.S.-Canadian border. The constitution was enacted in 1934 and amended in 1962, 1978, and 1998. PREAMBLE: We, the adult members of the…
Richard Peterson: Leading in the Traditional Way Alaska Tribal Government Symposium
President, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Richard (Chalyee Eesh) Peterson is Tlingit from Kaagwaantaan clan. He gives his prespective on the ways tribal governement makes a presence in Alaska and the intergrating traditional knowledge and culture into tribal…
Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas Constitution
The Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas is located in East Texas with a population of 1,000 individuals. Their constitution was ratified in 1938. The federal government terminated its relationship with the tribe in 1954 and restored federal recognition in 1987. Preamble: We, the Alabama and…
Regis Pecos: Resilience of Culture and Indigenous Heritage
Former Governor, Cochiti Pueblo Regis Pecos speaks to the Native Nation Rebuilders Cohort 2015. He highlights the strength of indigenous heritage and resilience of culture for Native nations to govern themselves.
Data as a Strategic Resource: Self-determination, Governance , and the Data Challenge for Indigenous Nations in the United States
Data about Indigenous populations in the United States are inconsistent and irrelevant. Federal and state governments and researchers direct most collection, analysis, and use of data about U.S. Indigenous populations. Indigenous Peoples’ justified mistrust further complicates the collection and…
Governance and Wellness Roundtable - Alaska Tribal Government Symposium
This discussion at the Alaska Tribal Government Symposium emphasizes the connections between Indigenous self-government and wellness. Western methodologies are eager to emphasize the gaps in wellness (social, economic, and medical and mental health outcomes) between natives and non-natives.…
Indigenous Leadership Panel
What is going on in Alaska that exemplifies the success of Indigenous leaders? What are some Alaska tribes’ successful efforts to strengthen their governments and governance? Panelists share stories of success at asserting self-determination, building native governing institutions, reflecting…
Tribally-Driven Participatory Research: State of the practice and potential strategies for the future
This article discusses current practice of research with and by American Indian tribal governments in the United States. It begins with a brief overview of Community-Based Participatory Research and compares and contrasts its principles and methods with what this paper terms Tribally-Driven…
Stephen Cornell, Introduction to Native Nation Building, Alaska Tribal Government Symposium
An overview about Native nation building and the ability for Native communities in Alaska to rebuild their Native nations.
Jack Trope, Making the Indian Child Welfare Act Work: The Importance of Tribal Sovereignty
The expertise and knowledge about dealing with Alaska and Federal government entities in matters of child welfare are detailed with focus on asserting tribal sovereignty.
Roundtable: Traditional and Modern Governance and Decision Making in Alaska
A panel discussion with Native leaders in Alaska about the significance of tradition and culture that has influenced their Indigenous governance.
Access to Capital and Credit in Native Communities: A Data Review
As the second part of a two-part follow-up to the NALS, this report uses a range of datasets to document the evolution of Native Communities’ capital access since 2001. Its three main sections summarize data describing access to capital and credit for Native consumers, Native business owners, and…
Access to Capital and Credit in Native Communities
This report emerges from the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund’s commitment to helping Native Communities develop through increased access to capital. The ideas presented are grounded in an understanding of current economic conditions in Native Communities and in established…