Indigenous Governance Database
Economic and Community Development
The Employment Situation of Native Americans
Federal, state, and Tribal policies focused on full employment could have a significant effect on the lives and livelihoods of American Indians and Alaska Natives (collectively called Native Americans in this brief). While the overall employment rate for Native Americans has been trending upward…
A Conversation with Deron Marquez
Native Nations Institute (NNI) Co-founder Stephen Cornell sits down with Deron Marquez, former Tribal Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (1999-2006), to discuss hot topics in Indian Country today. Subjects covered include per capita payments, Tribal disenrollment, education,…
Healing Our Future: Indigenous Wealth Building for Seven Generations
What does an Indigenous approach to wealth look like? How can Indigenous wealth concepts help us heal our future? What are examples of wealth building happening in Indigenous communities? Native Governance Center's Indigenous Peoples' Day 2021 event, "Healing our future: Indigenous wealth building…
Determi-Nation podcast with Darrah Blackwater
Determi-Nation is a series of conversations with Indigenous people doing incredible things to strengthen sovereignty and self-determination in their communities.
This Is What Capacity Looks Like: Building Development Muscle in Rural and Native Nation Communities
It is often said that rural and tribal communities and organizations need more capacity to fully engage or solve problems in their regions. But what, exactly, equals “capacity”? What key components of capacity need to be carefully and intentionally strengthened so that locally led organizations in…
Native Nation Building: It Helps Rural America Thrive
This second paper in the Aspen Institute's Thrive Rural Field Perspectives series shows that when tribes center sovereignty, Indigenous institutions and culture in their development processes they increase the probability of reaching their development goals and can build community wealth that is…
Investing in Rural Prosperity Chapter 7: Native America x Rural America: Tribal Nations as Key Players in Regional Rural Economies
The seventh chapter in Investing in Rural Prosperity, "Native America x Rural America: Tribal Nations as Key Players in Regional Rural Economies", outlines the diversity of Native nations, including with respect to governmental structure and economic opportunity. It also explores the history and…
Policy Brief: Assessing the U.S. Treasury Department’s Allocations of Funding for Tribal Governments under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“the Act” or “ARPA”) has resulted in the single largest infusion of federal funding for Native America in U.S. history. The core of this funding is $20 billion for the more than 570 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal…
Return of the Red Lake Walleye (Ogaag bii azhe giiwewag)
The Native Nations Institute's film "Return of the Red Lake Walleye" is a 30-minute documentary that tells a compelling story of tribal sovereignty in practice. It chronicles the extraordinary effort of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians -- working together with the State of Minnesota and the…
Strengthening Financial Avenues in Native American Communities
Historically, Native communities defined currencies by their food, relationships, nature and tools to sustain a living. Over time, Native and Indigenous populations gave way to the use of paper money. These new social standards pushed them to adopt different ways to sustain their living, often,…
Vanessa Roanhorse Keynote Address: Native American Youth Entrepreneurship Program 2021
Vanessa Roanhorse (Navajo) is the CEO of Roanhorse Consulting, an Indigenous women-led think tank that co-designs wealth and power-building efforts that invest in Indigenous entrepreneurs. She is also the co-founder of Native Women Lead, a national organization dedicated to growing Native women…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 1: How Tribal Governments Can and Can't use ARPA
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides the largest single infusion of federal funding into Indian Country in the history of the United States. More than $32 billion is directed toward assisting American Indian nations and communities as they work to end and recover from the devastating COVID-…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 2: How Tribes Can Avoid Leaving $12 Billion on the Table
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides the largest single infusion of federal funding into Indian Country in the history of the United States. More than $32 billion is directed toward assisting American Indian nations and communities as they work to end and recover from the devastating COVID-…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 3: A Conversation with Bryan Newland - How Tribes Can Maximize their American Rescue Plan Opportunities
From setting tribal priorities, to building infrastructure, to managing and sustaining projects, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) presents an unprecedented opportunity for the 574 federally recognized tribal nations to use their rights of sovereignty and self-government to strengthen their…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 4: Strategic Planning and Implementation: How to Pick the Winners and Help Your Tribe
From setting tribal priorities, to building infrastructure, to managing and sustaining projects, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) presents an unprecedented opportunity for the 574 federally recognized tribal nations to use their rights of sovereignty and self-government to strengthen their…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 5: Investing in Your Tribes' Behavioral Health
From setting tribal priorities, to building infrastructure, to managing and sustaining projects, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) presents an unprecedented opportunity for the 574 federally recognized tribal nations to use their rights of sovereignty and self-government to strengthen their…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 6: Investing in Your Tribes' Infrastructure
From setting tribal priorities, to building infrastructure, to managing and sustaining projects, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) presents an unprecedented opportunity for the 574 federally recognized tribal nations to use their rights of sovereignty and self-government to strengthen their…
Navigating the ARPA: A Series for Tribal Nations. Episode 7: Direct Relief for Tribal Citizens: Getting beyond Per Caps
From setting tribal priorities to building infrastructure to managing and sustaining projects, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) presents an unprecedented opportunity for the 574 federally recognized tribal nations to use their rights of sovereignty and self-government to strengthen their…
Business Enterprises Toolbox
What do successful businesses and economic development look like in a Native nation? Find out with case studies and research reports on successful and awarded efforts from around the world. Understand how to build and implement business codes, launch your own Limited Liability Company (LLC) and a…
Economic Development Corporation: Ho-Chunk, Inc. Winnebego Tribe of Nebraska
Chartered under the laws of the Winnebago Tribe and wholly owned by the Tribe, Ho-Chunk, Inc. was launched in 1994 to diversify the Tribe’s business interests while maintaining a separation between business and tribal government. The general purpose company promotes economic self-sufficiency and…