Indigenous Governance Database
Governance
Legend Lake: A Talking Circle
The documentary video recounts the saga of Legend Lake, a beautiful 5,160 acre lake development, formed by joining 9 smaller lakes in the Menominee Indian Reservation (with the same boundaries as Menominee County) in northern Wisconsin whose shore land was subdivided and sold mostly to non-…
Cigarette smuggling and the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve
In this CBC Television news report from 1988, reporter Bruce Garvey takes a long look at the selling -- some call smuggling -- of tax-free cigarettes at the Akwesasne Indian Reserve. Garvey presents this report on the difficulties created by the unique situation of the Akwesasne Indian Reserve,…
Bringing Our Children Home: An Introduction to the Indian Child Welfare Act
This six-minute trailer introduces viewers to a documentary film (currently in development) that examines the impact of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The documentary is the product of an ongoing collaboration between the Mississippi Courts, Child Welfare Agency, the Mississippi Band of…
UA Institute Helps Native Nations Rebuild, Maintain Government
An institute at the University of Arizona is focused on rebuilding government structures in Native nations by research and outreach offered through online courses and more. The UA Native Nations Institute has been working toward its goal of helping the Native governments for nearly 30 years,…
Peterson Zah: Finally We Are Growing Our Own
Recorded on March 25, 2010, in this lecture Dr. Peterson Zah discusses the history of Native American education, Navajo education, and his involvement recruiting Native American students to attend college. He also stresses the importance of higher education to the success of Native nations' efforts…
Tribal Sovereignty: The Right to Self-Rule
This is an excerpt of a longer educational DVD produced to answer frequently asked questions about American Indian tribal governments and the roots of tribal sovereignty. Among other things, it discusses the U.S. Constitution's explicit acknowledgement of tribal sovereignty and Native peoples as…
Truth To Tell: Community Connections - White Earth Constitutional Forum Part I
In collaboration with production partner KKWE/Niijii Radio, TruthToTell and CivicMedia/Minnesota traveled west on August 14, 2013, to the White Earth Reservation to air/televise the seventh in our series of LIVE Community Connections forums on critical Minnesota issues. Convened at White Earth's…
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
This video, produced by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, provides a brief overview of the nation's history, from its push to achieve federal recognition to its efforts to create a diversified, sustainable economy.
These Are My People...
This documentary short is the first film made by an all-Aboriginal film crew, training under the NFB's Challenge for Change Program. It was shot at Akwesasne (St. Regis Reserve). Two spokesmen explain historical and other aspects of Longhouse religion, culture, and government and reflect on the…
NCAI - Footprints into the Future - 68th Annual Convention and Marketplace in Portland, Oregon
The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. NCAI has grown over the years from its modest beginnings of 100 people to…
Tradition and Governance: Chief Richard Gamble
Chief Gamble of Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation says that tradition and spirituality are a way of life and might be captured in a constitution so that First Nations can develop laws that are based on traditional values. This would be a way to undo the Indian Act and make way for more traditional…
Native Report: Bush Foundation: Native Nation Rebuilders
On this edition of Native Report learn about the Bush Foundation's investment in sustaining the vitality of 23 Native communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. (Segment placement: 18:42-25:32)
Mi'gmaq Nation Listuguj
The Listuguj Mi'gmaq Listuguj Nation started a movement to protect their salmon fisheries involving protests, arrests, and eventually organizing to establish fishery laws in eastern Quebec. They formalized documents and laws to assert their jurisdiction that began at a grass-roots level in the…
Nisga'a First Nation Circle of Governance
People of the Nisga'a Nation discuss custom and tradition before the Indian Act. They tell how they made the move back to traditional ways through strategic planning and abandoned oppressive ways of the Indian Act.
You Are on Indian Land
This film shows the confrontation between police and a 1969 demonstration by Mohawks of the St. Regis Reserve on the bridge between Canada and the United States near Cornwall, Ontario. By blocking traffic on the bridge, which is on the Reserve, the Indians drew public attention to their grievance…
IWCL Case Study: Membertou First Nation
This is a documentary produced by the Coady International Institute and is part of their "Indigenous Women in Community Leadership" series. The video is described on their website as follows: "The community of Membertou has come a long way to be crowned the "jewel of Cape Breton". Once a small and…
Tradition and Governance: Joseph G. Norris
Joseph Norris of the Halalt Nation located in British Columbia talks about being raised from the age of five to be a leaders and about the structure of traditional governance in his community.
Native Report: Scott Davis
On this edition of Native Report, meet Scott Davis Executive Director for North Dakota's Indian Affairs Commission. (Segment Placement: 17:56-25:27)
Miawpukek: Success Through Citizen Engagement
"We do have pride in ourselves." Miawpukek citizens talk about the importance of engaging citizens to overcome challenges and build a strong community.
Stephen Cornell: Two Approaches to Building Strong Native Nations
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Co-Director Stephen Cornell presents the research findings of the Harvard Project and the Native Nations Institute, specifically the two general approaches that Native nations pursue in an effort to achieve sustainable community and economic…