Indigenous Governance Database
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Helen Ben: Nation-Owned Businesses: The Meadow Lake Tribal Council
Former Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) Chief Helen Ben provides an overview of the various enterprises owned by MLTC, an intertribal organization formed for economic development purposes.
Brian Titus: Nation-Owned Enterprises: Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation
Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation (OIBDC) Chief Operating Officer Brian Titus provides an overview of OIBDC and the reasons for its success, notably the great lengths it goes to educate Osoyoos citizens about the corporation's activities and overall health.
Michael Taylor: Nation-Owned Businesses: Quil Ceda Village
Tulalip Tribal Attorney Michael Taylor discusses Tulalip's rationale for taking the unique step of creating Quil Ceda Village, a federally chartered city, and the benefits this approach has brought the Tulalip Tribes.
Diane Enos: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Economic Development
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) President Diane Enos provides an overview of SRPMIC's effortto build a diversified economy, the institutional keys to make that effort a success, and the cultural principles SRPMIC abides by as it engages in economic development.
Joseph P. Kalt: The Practical Issues of Business Development - Some Things to Consider: Dealing with Growth
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Co-Director Joseph P. Kalt offers some points that Native nations should consider as they work to manage the growth of their nation-owned enterprises.
Joseph P. Kalt: The Practical Issues of Business Development - Some Things to Consider: Legal Structure
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Co-Director Joseph P. Kalt discusses the types of corporations that Native nations can charter and what they should consider when deciding which type to choose.
Joan Timeche: The Practical Issues of Business Development - Some Things to Consider: Governing Body
Native Nations Institute Executive Director Joan Timeche shares her experiences as a board member on two tribal economic development corporations, and identifies some key things that Native nations need to consider as they work to craft effective approaches to corporate governance.
Michael Taylor: The Practical Issues of Business Development - Some Things to Consider: When to Waive Sovereign Immunity (or Not)
Tulalip Tribes' Attorney Michael Taylor explains when tribes should and should not waive sovereign immunity and why. He also discusses some effective approaches to doing limited waivers of sovereign immunity, and stresses the importance of Native nations building a track record of fair and…
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The Unique Challenges Facing Native Nation Leaders"
Herminia Frias, former Chairwoman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, shares some of the distinct challenges faced by Native nation leaders due to the legacies of colonialism and federal policies.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Building Capacity to Get the Job Done"
Herminia Frias, former chairwoman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, discusses why it is important for leaders to work to build the capacity of their Native nations to effectively engage in nation building.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The Challenges of Leadership"
Native leaders and scholars discuss some of the many formidable challenges facing leaders of Native nations, from the incredible demands on their time to the vast array of things they need to know and learn.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Leaders Are Educators"
Native leaders and scholars stress that for Native nation leaders to be effective at advancing their nation's priorities, they need to do more than just make decisions -- they need to educate and consult the citizens they serve.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The Strategic Approach to Leadership"
Native leaders discuss why it is important for Native nation leaders to take a strategic approach to leadership, stressing that the decisions they make must be made with the culture and values of their people and the next seven generations in mind.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Learning to Make Informed Decisions"
Native leaders share what the role of a leader entails from studying the history of the tribe to listening to and learning from elders of the community; all the tools necessary to making informed decisions.
Greg Cajete: Indigenous Paradigm: Building Sustainable Communities
Greg Cajete, Director of Native American Studies at the University of Mexico, shares his more than three decades of work and research on Indigenous epistemologies for human and ecological sustainability, and discusses the need for scholars, academic institutions, and others to fully embrace these…
Honoring Nations: Pat Sweetsir: Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Middle Yukon Representative Pat Sweetsir of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) discusses how and why the Indigenous nations living in the Yukon River Watershed decided to establish the YRITWC, and the positive impacts it is having on the health of the watershed and those who…
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Why are Some Native Nations More Successful than Others?"
Native leaders offer their perspectives on why some Native nations have proven more successful than others in achieving their economic and community development goals.
Jerry Smith: Building and Sustaining Nation-Owned Enterprises (2009)
Laguna Development Corporation President and CEO Jerry Smith shares the lessons he has learned about building and sustaining Native nation-owned enterprises, in particular the critical step of creating a formal separation between tribal politics and the day-to-day management of those enterprises.
Brian Cladoosby: What I Wish I Knew Before I Took Office
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby provides insight into his 25-plus years of service as an elected leader of his nation, and offers up-and-coming Native leaders important bits of advice for being an effective leader.
Honoring Nations: Karen Diver: Sovereignty Today
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Chairwoman Karen Diver argues that for Native nations to aggressively assert their sovereignty in order to achieve their goals, they must develop capable governing institutions to put that sovereignty into practice.