Radio

The More Indigenous Nations Self Govern, The More They Succeed

Year

Harvard Kennedy School Professor Joseph Kalt and senior director Director Megan Minoka Hill say the evidence is in: When Native nations make their own decisions about what development approaches to take, studies show they consistently out-perform external decision makers like the U.S. Department of Indian Affairs. Kalt and Hill say that’s why Harvard is going all in, recently changing the name of the Project on American Indian Economic Development to the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development—pushing the issue of governance to the forefront—and announcing an infusion of millions in funding.  

When the project launched in the mid-1980s, the popular perception of life in America’s indigenous nations—based largely in reality—was one of poverty and dysfunction. But it was also a time when tribes were increasingly being granted increased autonomy from the federal government and were increasingly starting to govern themselves. Researchers also noticed that unexpected tribal economic success stories were starting to crop up, and they set about trying to determine those successes were a result of causation or coincidence. Kalt and Hill say the research has shown that empowered tribal nations not only succeed economically themselves, they also become economic engines for the regions that surround them. The recent announcement of $15 million in new support for the program, including an endowed professorship, will help make supporting tribal self-government a permanent part of the Kennedy School’s mission.  

Resource Type
Citation

Ralph Ranalli (Host). (June 8, 2023). The More Indigenous Nations Self Govern, The More They Succeed. Harvard Kennedy School PolicyCast Ep. 254. Harvard University. Audio podcast episode. Retrieved from: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policycast/more-indigenous…

Transcripts for all videos are available by request. Please email us: nni@arizona.edu.

Tribal Sovereignty Special

Producer
KNBA 90.3 FM
Year

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...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

"Tribal Sovereignty Special: The Our Alaska Show on KNBA 90.3 FM (Host: Joaqlin Estus)." Featured on KDLG 89.9 FM Public Radio for Alaska's Bristol Bay. Dillingham, AK. April 9, 2013. Radio Interview. (http://kdlg.org/post/tribal-sovereignty-special-kdlg, accessed August 19, 2013)

Determi-Nation podcast with Darrah Blackwater

Year

Determi-Nation is a series of conversations with Indigenous people doing incredible things to strengthen sovereignty and self-determination in their communities.

Resource Type
Citation

Blackwater, Darrah. Determi-Nation. Podcast series. Spotify. 2021. https://open.spotify.com/show/4u4xUXS3JLuhWroYoDd7xx

Transcript available on request. Please email us: nni@arizona.edu

What Makes Someone American Indian?

Producer
National Public Radio
Year

Who is Native American? It's a complicated question that has tripped up, among others, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. The Democratic presidential hopeful recently apologized for identifying American Indian as her race more than 30 years ago. It was around that time that the U.S. census saw a surge of people identifying as American Indian. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang explains why.

Resource Type
Citation

Lo Wang, Hansi. What Makes Someone American Indian? National Public Radio. February 17, 2019. Retreived from https://www.npr.org/2019/02/17/695536896/what-makes-s... February 21, 2019.

Visa-Free Travel to Russia Reinstated for Eligible Alaska Natives

Producer
KNOM Radio Mission
Year

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...

People
Resource Type
Citation

Russell, Emily. "Visa-Free Travel to Russia Reinstated for Eligible Alaska Natives." KNOM Radio Mission. August 10, 2015. Radio. (http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2015/08/10/visa-free-travel-to-russia-reinst..., accessed September 16, 2015)

VAWA 2 Years Later

Producer
Native America Calling
Year

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 and non-Natives for domestic violence, dating violence or violation of some protection orders in Indian country. Tribes must meet certain requirements in order to assert jurisdiction but some are questioning if a non-Native can get a fair trial in tribal court. Join us as we discuss the outcomes of the pilot projects.

Guests:

Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians) — director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center at Michigan State University

Deborah Parker (Tulalip Tribes) — Councilwoman for the Tulalip Tribes

Alfred Urbina (Pascua Yaqui) — Attorney General for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Resource Type
Citation

"VAWA 2 Years Later." Native America Calling. April 2, 2015. Audio. (http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/thursday-april-2-2015-vawa-2-years-later/, accessed April 6, 2015)

Tribal Constitutions

Producer
Native America Calling
Year

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 by governments over citizens, which raises a question: how can the rights of tribal citizens be protected if tribal nations have yet to codify their own functions and operations? Join us as we discuss government power, sovereign status, and whether modern tribal nations are serving the needs of their citizens by adopting constitutions.

Resource Type
Citation

"Tribal Constitutions." Native America Calling. March 26, 2015. Audio. (http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/thursday-march-26-2015-tribal..., accessed April 6, 2015)

'We'll Always Be Nooksack': Tribe Questions Ancestry Of Part-Filipino Members

Author
Producer
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
Year

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.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Jones, Liz. "'We'll Always Be Nooksack': Tribe Questions Ancestry Of Part-Filipino Members." KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. Seattle, Washington. December 16, 2013. Radio Interview. (http://kuow.org/post/we-ll-always-be-nooksack-tribe-questions-ancestry-p..., accessed February 22, 2023)

Nooksack Tribe Cites "Missing Ancestor" As Reason To Disenroll 306 Members

Producer
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
Year

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. 

People
Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Jones, Liz. "Nooksack Tribe Cites "Missing Ancestor" As Reason To Disenroll 306 Members." KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. Seattle, Washington. December 17, 2013. Radio Interview. (http://kuow.org/post/nooksack-tribe-cites-missing-ancestor-reason-disenr..., accessed January 20, 2015)

Study Evaluates Young Native Adults' Connection to Tribal Lands

Producer
Andrea Kelly, Arizona Public Library
Year

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 reservation land of their native nation, and two UA researchers are hoping to find out how people in a similar situation stay connected with their culture.

Jennifer Schultz and Stephanie Rainie are asking 18- to 29-year-olds from Indian Country to share information about their off-reservation lives. They work at the Native Nations Institute at the UA. The institute's projects aim to study tribal governance and share adaptable models of success among various tribes...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Topics
Citation

Kelly, Andrea. "Study Evaluates Young Native Adults' Connection to Tribal Lands." Arizona Public Media. July 16, 2014. Audio story. (https://www.azpm.org/s/21334-study-evaluates-young-native-adults-connection-to-tribal-lands/, accessed Jan. 23, 2024)