Indigenous Governance Database
Health and Social Services
Mississippi Choctaw Family Violence & Victim's Services
Addressing the often-stigmatized issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and elder abuse, the Family Violence and Victim’s Services (FVVS) provides comprehensive resources for victims such as access to legal services, counseling, and therapy. In addition, FVVS drafted a strict tribal…
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Serving tribes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) was created in 1972 to increase tribes’ ability to exercise control over the design and development of tribal health care delivery systems. Governed by tribal government delegates, NPAIHB…
Puyallup's Institutionalized Quality Improvement Program
Following a major tribally-initiated restructuring in the early 1980s that created a quality improvement committee and a flatter organizational structure, the PTHA has increased patient access for urgent care visits, reduced "no show" rates, created clinical objectives, increased dental treatments…
Navajo Treatment Center for Children and Their Family
Responding to high rates of child abuse and neglect, the Navajo Child Special Advocacy Project was launched in 1990 to provide Western and Navajo therapy to victims of sexual abuse between the ages of 3 and 17. With five offices on the Reservation, the project administers Navajo diagnosis,…
Houlton Band Indian Child Welfare Services
Seeking to establish collaborative working relationships with the state while firmly asserting sovereignty over Maliseet children, a Child Welfare Department was formed by the Houlton Band. The department created a Child Protective Team made up of professionals and volunteers to review and seek…
Hopi Child Care Program
The Hopi Child Care Program assists families in accessing quality care for children of parents pursuing education and those with work demands that keep them away from home. Understanding the importance of early childhood development coupled with the need for culturally appropriate care, Hopi…
The Context and Meaning of Family Strengthening in Indian America
This report presents five specific, field-based case studies of successful efforts to support the well-being of Native American children. These successful programs were conceived of, implemented by, and generally funded by Tribal communities. These programs include the Ya Ne Day ah School in…
Yukaana Development Corporation (Louden Tribal Council)
The Louden Tribal Council created the Yukaana Development Corporation in 1998 to address the concerns of environmental degradation and environmental justice through training and employment. Under a contract with the US Air Force, the tribally owned Corporation cleans contamination caused by a local…
History's Lesson for HUD and Tribes
In 1998, Indian housing entered a new era. HUD ended its practice of channeling funds for Washington-designed Indian housing programs to HUD-sponsored local Indian Housing Authorities (IHAs) and converted programmatic funds into block grants to tribal housing agencies, which were allowed to design…
Eva Petoskey: Empowering Good Leadership Through Capable Governance: What My Leadership Experience Taught Me
Eva Petoskey, citizen and former council member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB), discusses her experiences as an elected leader during a pivotal time in GTB's history. She also stress the importance of Native nations developing capable institutions of self-governance…
LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III: What I Wish I Knew Before I Took Office
Leroy Staples Fairbanks III, who serves on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Council, discusses some of the hard stances he had to take in order to do his job well and also shares an overview of some of the major steps thatthe leech Lake Band has taken in order to govern more effectively and use its…
Leroy LaPlante, Jr.: Effective Bureaucracies and Independent Justice Systems: Key to Nation Building
In this informative interview with NNI's Ian Record, Leroy LaPlante, Jr., former chief administrative officer with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and a former tribal judge, offers his thoughts on what Native nation bureaucracies and justice systems need to have and need to do in order to support…
Kake Circle Peacemaking - Overview Video
This video -- produced by the Organized Village of Kake -- depicts the restoration of traditional methods of dispute resolution the Organized Village of Kake adopted Circle Peacemaking as its tribal court in 1999. Circle Peacemaking brings together victims, wrongdoers, families, religious leaders,…
Paulette Jordan and Arlene Templer: Engaging the Nation's Citizens and Effecting Change (Q&A)
Paulette Jordan and Arlene Templer field questions from the audience, offering more details about how they mobilized their fellow tribal citizens to buy into the community development initiatives they were advancing.
Arlene Templer: Engaging the Nation's Citizens and Effecting Change: The Salish and Kootenai Story
Arlene Templer, Department of Human Resource Development Director for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), discusses what prompted CSKT to develop the Department of Human Resource Development and how the department works to cultivate self-sufficiency in CSKT citizens and…
Adam Geisler: What I Wish I Knew Before I Took Office
Adam Geisler, Secretary of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, discusses the diverse set of challenges he faces as an elected leader of his nation and discusses some of the innovative ways that he, his leadership colleagues, and his nation have worked to overcome those challenges. He…
Honoring Nations: Gregory Mendoza: Akimel O'odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council
Gila River Indian Community Governor Gregory Mendoza, formerly the director of the Akimel O'odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council, provides a history of this trend-setting example of innovative governance and discusses the many different ways that it strengthens the Gila River Indian Community.
Honoring Nations: Jennifer Harris and Julia Davis-Wheeler: The Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations
Representatives Jennifer Harris and Julia Davis-Wheeler of the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations youth treatment center discuss the Lodge's genesis and how it works to strengthen the families of the seven Native nations it serves.
Honoring Nations: Miriam Jorgensen: Using Your Human and Financial Resources Wisely
NNI Research Director Miriam Jorgensen kicks off the 2004 Honoring Nations symposium with a discussion focused on "Using Your Human and Financial Resources Wisely," In her presentation, she frames key issues and highlights the ways that successful tribal government programs have attracted…
Honoring Nations: Lenny Foster: Navajo Nation Corrections Project
Program Supervisor Lenny Foster with the Navajo Nations Corrections Projects discusses how and why the project was created, and it how it is advocating on behalf of Native Americans prisoners across the country to ensure that their civil rights and religious freedom rights are respected.