Indigenous Governance Database
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Potawatomi Tribes Receive $4.2 Million Children's Health Grant
Three Potawatomi tribes in Michigan have received a grant of almost $4.2 million from the federal government to help promote children’s wellness through a five-year Project LAUNCH program. The federally-recognized Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and Gun Lake…
Colville Tribes Manage Wolves With Own Program
As controversy rages over the killing of the Wedge wolf pack in Washington State, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are quietly managing one of the state’s eight remaining packs, with a second one possibly to be identified come spring, the pup-birthing season...
Gardens Flourish on Pine Ridge
John Yellow Hawk’s garden is one of many new feeders of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation’s developing economy. This past year, Yellow Hawk and 20 other Oglala gardeners each received a $1,000 loan and a $2,000 grant from Citigroup via Lakota Funds, a 26-year-old Native community development financial…
Indian Self-Determination and Sovereignty
If ever a concept grabbed hold of hearts and minds in Indian country in the past couple decades surely it would be that of sovereignty. Native people talk about it with reverence, demanding that it be respected by the federal government, and expect their tribal governments to assert it. Even the…
Keeping adoptions and foster care close to home
On March 29, officials from the Administration for Children and Family and the Department of Health and Human Services convened with me and other leaders from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe to celerate a momentous achievement. PGST has become the first Tribe in the nation to receive federal…
Two Spirit/LGBT Rights Toolkit for Tribal Governments Introduced
A first-of-its-kind guide complete with sample legal language is now available for tribal governments to adopt or amend their laws to recognize the rights of all their citizens, including Two Spirit and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people...
Tim Giago: Was the Indian Reorganization Act good or bad?
It was 75 years ago on June 18, 1934 when the Indian Reorganization Act became the law of the land. On the 50th anniversary of the IRA, a conference was held at Sun Valley, Idaho to talk about the good and the bad of the Act. On the 75th birthday of the Act, there was nothing but silence. Has…
Tribal Enrollment And Blood Quantum
Every tribe has its own rules for membership. Some tribes include lineal descent — proof that you descend from a recognized tribal member — while others have a blood quantum requirement that requires members possess a certain percentage of tribal blood. On White Earth, researchers found that the…
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)...
Business loans aim to boost Native American entrepreneurship
Even though the city of Bemidji is surrounded by three Indian reservations, there have been few Native American-owned businesses in town. Now, a Red Lake tribal member has opened a new restaurant. It's believed to be the first American Indian-owned restaurant in the city. Owner Marv Hanson tapped…
Tribal Sovereignty Special
What does tribal sovereignty mean in Alaska? KNBA's Joaqlin Estus talks with two experts about the legal basis for tribal sovereignty, and tribal judicial systems at work in Alaska. Hear about a court ruling that Alaska tribes can put land into trust status, tax-free and safe from seizure...
The Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery
Let's Talk Native Radio program host John Kane discusses the implications of asserting the Doctrine of Discovery on Native lands and the role that treaties play in recognizing and affirming the inherent sovereignty of Native nations.
Nipissing First Nation passes first Ontario Aboriginal constitution
The Nipissing First Nation has passed a constitution that's believed to be the only First Nations constitution in Ontario. But there are questions about what this document actually does for the community.The constitution was passed by the Nipissing First Nation with a vote of 319 to 56. …
Study Evaluates Young Native Adults' Connection to Tribal Lands
University of Arizona master's student Aurora Trujillo is a member of the Taos Pueblo nation in New Mexico, a full-time resident of Tucson during the school year, and is working at an internship in Montana this summer. She is representative of other young adults who do not live on the tribal…
Nooksack Tribe Cites "Missing Ancestor" As Reason To Disenroll 306 Members
In Part Two of the KUOW story documenting the disenrollment of approximately 300 members from the Nooksack Tribe, Liz Jones takes a closer look at the Nooksack's process to disenroll members.
'We'll Always Be Nooksack': Tribe Questions Ancestry Of Part-Filipino Members
About 300 members from the Nooksack Tribe, near Bellingham, provide their perspective of being disenrolled by Nooksack Tribal Council because of their Nooksack and Filipino ancestry.
Tribal Constitutions
Modern tribal nations pass laws, exercise criminal jurisdiction, and enjoy extensive powers when it comes to self-governance and matters of sovereignty. And of 566 tribal nations, just under half have adopted written constitutions. In the American tradition, a constitution limits the power yielded…
VAWA 2 Years Later
It’s been just over 2 years since Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. In February of last year, three tribes participated in a pilot project to exercise the special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) portion of the law. Under SDVCJ, some tribes can prosecute Natives…
Visa-Free Travel to Russia Reinstated for Eligible Alaska Natives
The Bering Straits Regional Commission says travel restrictions for Alaska Natives to Chukotka have been lifted–leaving many with relatives on the Russian side of the strait feeling relieved, tired of being used as pawns in international disputes...
Robyn Interpreter-The Nature of Tribal Water Rights
Robyn Interpreter, Water Attorney (Yavapai-Apache Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe), discusses how tribal attorneys have to negotiate all perspectives of tribal water rights in a contemporary climate.