Indigenous Governance Database
Jim Gray
Our community struck oil; then the murders began
Jim Roan Gray is a former chief of the Osage Nation, a Native American community. In the 1920s, the Osage were the richest people in the world per capita after discovering oil on their lands. But then began the ‘reign of terror’ and the Osage were targeted in a series of mysterious murders. One of…
Jim Gray: Making Change Happen
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…
Jim Gray and Patricia Riggs: Citizen Engagement: The Key to Establishing and Sustaining Good Governance (Q&A)
Presenters Jim Gray and Patricia Riggs field questions from audience members about the approaches their nations took and are taking to engage their citizens and seed community-based, lasting change. In addition, session moderator Ian Record offers a quick overview of some effective citizen…
Jim Gray: The Role of Citizen Engagement in Nation Building: The Osage Story
Jim Gray, former Principal Chief of the Osage Nation, provides an overview of how the Osage Nation completely overhauled its constitution and system of governance, sharing the strategies that Osage used to educate and engage its citizens in order to ensure that their new government reflected the…
Native Leaders and Scholars: The Movement Away from Blood Quantum
Several Native leaders and scholars discuss the growing movement away from blood quantum as a primary criteria for determining eligibility for citizenship in Native nations.
From the Rebuilding Native Nations Course Series: "Defending Sovereignty Through Its Effective Exercise"
Native leaders speak to the notion that Native nations' best defense of their sovereignty is the demonstration of their ability to exercise that sovereignty effectively.