Indigenous Governance Database
Governance
Honoring Nations: Gabriel Lopez and Shannon Martin: Government-to-Government Relations (Q&A)
Gabriel Lopez and Shannon Martin field questions from the audience about their nations' Honoring Nations award-winning programs.
Rebecca Miles: What I Wish I Knew Before I Took Office
Nez Perce Tribe Executive Director Rebecca Miles discusses the challenges she faced as the first-ever chairwoman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee, and the strategies she used in order to govern effectively and make informed decisions.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The Citizen Potawatomi Nation's Path to Self-Determination"
Professor Joseph P. Kalt describes the dramatic rebirth of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, citing its development of capable governance as the key to its economic development success.
Regis Pecos: The Role of Core Values in Cochiti Governance and Renewal
In this excerpted video, former Cochiti Governor Regis Pecos provides an overview of the core values that are integral to Cochiti's culture and way of life, and shows how his people relied on the application of those core values to overcome a catastrophe and rebuild its nation and community. This…
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Intergovernmental Relationships: Tools for Nation Building"
Native leaders discuss the ways that intergovernmental agreements serve as important nation-building tools for Native nations, strengthening their sovereignty and jurisdiction in the process.
Honoring Nations: Gabriel Lopez: Ak-Chin Community Council Task Force
Ak-Chin Indian Community Council Member Gabriel Lopez discusses why the Community decided to establish the Ak-Chin Community Council Task Force, and shares how the Task Force works to protect the cultural and environmental integrity of the Ak-Chin community, reservation and surrounding lands.
Miriam Jorgensen: Organizing the Reform Process
NNI Director of Research Miriam Jorgensen shares what she sees as some of the critical keys to Native nations' efforts to develop and implement effective constitutional reform processes. This video resource is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of…
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.
Honoring Nations: Rick Hill: Sovereignty Today
Former Oneida Nation Business Committee Chairman Rick Hill offers his perspectives on sovereignty today through the lens of the challenges facing his nation and the strategies theyr employing to achieve their nation-building goals.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The Importance of Cultural Match"
Dr. Manley Begay provides an overview of cultural match, which the Native Nations Institute and the Harvard Project have identified as one of the five keys to successful Native nation building.
Honoring Nations: Shannon Martin: Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways
Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways Director Shannon Martin presents a history of the Ziibiwing Center and discusses the work it has been engaged in since it won an Honoring Nations award in 2006.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Intergovernmental Agreements Are Nation-Building Tools"
Former Nez Perce Tribal Treasurer Jaime Pinkham discusses how intergovernmental agreements are becoming widely recognized as a vital nation-building tool for Native nations, amplifying their sovereignty and expanding their jurisdiction.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The First Key to Effective Constitutions: Legitimacy"
Frank Ettawageshik, Joan Timeche and Frank Pommersheim discuss the importance of constitutional legitimacy to effective Native nation governance, and stress that the source of that legitimacy is the very people a constitution is designed to serve.
David Wilkins: Patterns in American Indian Constitutions
University of Minnesota American Indian Studies Professor David Wilkins provides a comprehensive overview of the resiliency of traditional governance systems among Native nations in the period leading up to the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), and shares some data about the types of…
Ron His Horse Is Thunder: The Keys to Effective Governance and Economic Development: Predictability and Sustainability
Former Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Ron His Horse Is Thunder discusses why predictability and sustainability are so critical to effective Native nation governance and economic development.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "The Importance of Capable Governing Institutions"
Dr. Manley Begay discusses the critical role capable governing institutions play in Native nations' ability to effectively exercise their sovereignty, in particular institutions designed to ensure the neutral resolution of disputes and the careful management of the relationship between tribal…
Honoring Nations: Carolyn Finster: Pine Hill Health Center
Pine Hill Health Center Clinic Administrator Carolyn Finster shares the story of how the Navajo people of Ramah capitalized on Public Law 93-638 to take over the education of their children and then their health care through the Pine Hill Health Center, which among other things has introduced…
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.
Stephen Cornell: Getting Practical: Constitutional Issues Facing Native Nations
Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy Director Stephen Cornell provides a brief overview of what a constitution fundamentally is, and some of the emerging trends in innovation that Native nations are exhibiting when it comes to constitutional development and reform. This video resource is…
Patricia Riggs: Educating and Engaging the Community: What Works?
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Director Patricia Riggs shares the citizen education and engagement strategies her nation employed in strengthening its governance system. This video resource is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Bush Foundation…