consensus decision-making

Jim Gray: Making Change Happen

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

Former Principal Chief James Gray of the Osage Nation makes a guest speaker appearance to the January In Tucson class “Making Change Happen”.  In Chief Gray’s own words, he shares his direct experiences with indigenous governance for the Osage people and gives a larger context to the historic challenges and endurance the Osage Nation has shown in their encounters with U.S. intervention.  The years he spent has Principal Chief offer an inside look into the ways a Tribal Leader works with the tools of self-governance while taking note of the ways conflict was navigated.  Jim Gray gives insight to both his time running an Executive branch, the endeavors of Constitutional reform, and current ways he continues to advocate for the people of Osage Nation.

People
Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Jim Gray: Making Change Happen" Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona. January 26, 2021

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Tribal Governments Come In Many Forms

Year

When the U.S. and Canadian governments suggest and support Western-style governments for indigenous nations, they are trying to improve Native government and make it more compatible with national government. Indigenous nations have diverse political arrangements and forms of government. When adapting to present-day nation states and market economies, if possible, indigenous nations will make political changes that express their historical political and cultural relations...

Resource Type
Citation

Champagne, Duane. "Tribal Governments Come In Many Forms." Indian Country Today Media Network. June 23, 2015. Article. (https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/tribal-governments..., accessed June 24, 2015)

Political Autonomy and Sustainable Economy

Year

A unique attribute of Indian political ways was noted early on by colonial observers. Indians, Indigenous Peoples more generally, were engaged in everyday political action as full participating community members. Every person had the right to be heard. Decisions were made through discussion and caucusing–an Indian derived word. Indian orators worked to persuade others to adopt a specific position and arrive at agreements...

Resource Type
Citation

Champagne, Duane. "Political Autonomy and Sustainable Economy." Indian Country Today Media Network. May 23, 2015. Article. (https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/political-autonomy..., accessed May 27, 2015)

As old ways faded on reservations, tribal power shifted

Author
Year

Long before the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act transformed tribal government, before nepotism and retaliation became plagues upon reservation life, there were nacas.

Headsmen, the Lakota and Dakota called them. Men designated from their tiospayes, or extended families, to represent their clans when they came together for larger tribal matters, such as where to hunt that year...

Resource Type
Citation

Young, Steve. "As old ways faded on reservations, tribal power shifted." Argus Leader. April 27, 2014. Article. (http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/04/27/old-ways-faded-reservat..., accessed March 3, 2023)

What Does Indigenous Participatory Democracy Look Like? Kahnawà:Ke's Community Decision Making Process

Year

With the 1979 Community Mandate to move towards Traditional Government, the community of Kahnawà:ke has consistently requested more involvement in decision-making on issues that affect the community as a whole. The Kahnawà:ke Community Decision Making Process is a response to the community's call for a more culturally relevant and inclusive process for making community decisions and enacting community laws. The Process is a transitionary measure to assist and facilitate the legislative function of Kahnawà:ke governance. This paper examines the development of the process and how it functions in the modern setting of Kahnawà:ke with the goal of illustrating Indigenous participatory democracy in action.

Resource Type
Citation

Horn-Miller, Kahente. "What Does Indigenous Participatory Democracy Look Like? Kahnawà:Ke's Community Decision Making Process." Review of Constitutional Studies. Vol. 18, No. 1. 2013. Paper. (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers2.cfm?abstract_id=2437675, accessed June 3, 2014)

Valuing Tradition: Governance, Cultural Match, and the BC Treaty Process

Year

Self-governance negotiations are an integral part of British Columbia’s modern day treaty process. At some treaty tables, impasses have resulted from differences on how to include traditional First Nations governance within treaty. Although some First Nations are determined to pursue traditional structures, inflexible negotiation mandates and fundamentally different understandings of good governance have been barriers to achieving this end. Emphasizing the value of culturally matched governance as integral to effective governance and genuine self-determination, this capstone uses a literature review, case studies, and stakeholder interviews to analyse why some First Nations place a priority on traditional governance and what the benefits of these structures are. The capstone analyzes obstacles preventing inclusion of these traditional structures in treaty and identifies opportunities for alleviating the barriers to their adoption. Policy options are identified and evaluated based on a multiple-criteria analysis, and a recommendation is made on next steps for addressing this policy issue.

Resource Type
Citation

Hoffman, Kaitlin S. Valuing Tradition: Governance, Cultural Match, and the BC Treaty Process. School of Public Policy. Simon Fraser University. Burnaby, British Columbia. Canada. April 10, 2014. Master's Thesis. (http://summit.sfu.ca/item/14012, accessed May 23, 2014)