Indigenous Governance Database
Leadership
Vernon Masayesva Keynote: Water Ethics Symposium
Vernon Masayesva (Hopi) is the Executive Director of Black Mesa Trust and leading advocate for protecting water resources for the Hopi Nation. He's a Hopi Leader of the Coyote Clan and former Chairman of the Hopi Tribal Council from the village of Hotevilla who has worked for decades…
Greg Cajete: Indigenous governance and sustainability
Greg Cajete, Tewa of the Santa Clara Pueblo and a renowned scholar and author on indigenous education serves as the Director of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico. His works have merged native history, cultural practices, and knowledge into the cross section of education…
Jerry Isaac: Native Leader Experiences in Alaska
Jerry Isaac has been on the forefront of shaping indigenous governance in Alaska as former President of Tanana Chiefs Conference, former Chief for the Native Village of Tanacross, and a Board Member of Doyon Limited. He offers his perspectives about being a good leader and the…
Mike Williams: Alaska Native governance and a healthy culture
Mike Williams is a well known indigenous leaders from being a Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council as well as Chief of the Yupiit Nation. Mike offers his impressions about a variety of topics related indigenous governance including leadership, traditional governance,…
Theresa Arevgaq John: Alaska indigenous governance through traditions and cultural values
Theresa Arevgaq John is a well known Y’upik cultural advocate and Associate Professor in Indigenous Studies and the Department of Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and has intimate knowledge about cultural practices within Indigenous governance. She advocates…
Wilson Justin: Leadership with Cultural Knowledge and Perseverance
Wilson Justin is a cultural ambassador for Cheesh’na Tribal council and serves as a Vice Chair Board of Directors for Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium. He relays his expertise and perspective on the intricacies of Indigenous governance in Alaska through adapting cultural traditions, creating a…
Avery Denny: Origins of Navajo Leadership
Avery Denny is a member of Diné Medicine Man’s Association and is faculty at the Center for Diné Studies at Diné college Diné hatáli. As an instructor for over 29 years, he has taught courses on herbology, holistic healing, and Diné culture, oral history and philosophy. Avery…
Sharon Toi: Honoring Maori Traditions and Governance
Sharon Toi is Ngāpuhi Māori and a 2014 recipient of a Fulbright Visiting Scholar-Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga Graduate Award that funded her residency at the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program housed within the University of Arizona’s College of Law. Sharon shares her extensive knowledge…
Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell: Stories and Reflections on Indigenous Governance
Former Grand Chief Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne recently stepped down from his role as Grand Chief after decades of building a strong independent jurisdiction. Chief Mitchell offers some of his stories and reflections in indigenous governance that…
Chairman Dave Archambault II: Laying the Foundation for Tribal Leadership and Self-governance
Chairman Archambault’s wealth and breadth of knowledge and experience in the tribal labor and workforce development arena is unparalleled. He currently serves as the chief executive officer of one of the largest tribes in the Dakotas, leading 500 tribal government employees and overseeing an array…
Closing the Gap: A North American Perspective
This series of lectures is about “closing the gaps”–the socioeconomic and other gaps between Indigenous and mainstream populations in Australia. You might well wonder what a Yank academic is doing leading off such a series. I have to admit that I’ve wondered that myself. And I find myself somewhat…
It's Hard to See the Future with Tears in Your Eyes
To commemorate its 20th anniversary, the American Indian Studies Programs (AISP) at the University of Arizona staged a speakers series entitled "Poetics and Politics." Launching the series was Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee), a nationally renowned Native leader, author, and community development…
Leadership Institute at the Santa Fe Indian School
Founded in 1997, the Leadership Institute at the Santa Fe Indian School aims to create a dynamic learning environment in which community members not only learn and teach, but are able to actively contribute to the success of their nations. Four themes guide the Institute’s work: leadership,…
Implications of the Supreme Court's Embrace of Negative Stereotypes
The issues surrounding Native stereotypes should not be dismissed or diminished as merely "surface" problems. "Indian" stereotypes go to the core of the legal, political and economic struggles that Indigenous peoples confront in their work to preserve and strengthen their respective cultures and…
Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Professional Empowerment Program
Across Indian Country, programs and businesses depend on skilled, committed, and responsible workers. However, some Indian citizens on reservations have limited experience in the workplace; little education; and face problems finding day care, adequate transportation, and other necessities.…
Akimel O'odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council
Recognizing that their youth possess critical insight on a full range of governing issues, tribal leaders chartered the Akimel O’odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council in 1988 to give youth a formal voice within the tribal government. The Council is comprised of 20 youth between the ages of 14-21, who are…
Per Capita Distributions of American Indian Tribal Revenues: A Preliminary Discussion of Policy Considerations
This paper examines policy considerations relevant to per capita distributions of tribal revenues. It offers Native nation leaders and citizens food for thought as they consider whether or not to issue per capita payments and, if they choose to do so, how to structure the distribution of funds and…
Kristopher Hohag: The Challenge of Governance
Kristopher Hohag, former Vice Chairman of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, recalls his experiences as a young leader participating within tribal government. He provides a brief history of the Bishop Paiute Tribe and recounts the tribe's endeavors to provide a better way of life for the people.…
Sophie Pierre: Governance the Ktunaxa Nation Way
Sophie Pierre is a respected native leader that has been at the forefront of building key components and infrastructure for modern self-governance in the Ktunaxa Nation. Her tenure as Chief Commission for the BC Treaty Commission appointed by governments of Canada and British Columbia and the First…
Ian Record: Constitutional Reform: Some Perspectives on Process
Dr. Ian Record, NNI Manager of Educational Resources, provides a broad overview of the inherent difficulties involved with constitutional reform, the different processes that Native nations are developing to engage in constitutional reform, and some of the effective reform strategies that NNI is…