Indigenous Governance Database
Testimony and Speeches
Trimble Gilbert - Tanana Chiefs Conference's 2015 Keynote Speaker
On March 17th, 2015, Second Traditional Chief Trimble Gilbert of Arctic Village spoke as the keynote at Tanana Chiefs Conference's Annual Convention. The theme for this convention was 'Stronger Together for the Next 100 Years'. Trimble Gilbert is a Gwich’in Athabascan Elder and speaker of Dinjii…
Our Journey - Our Choice - Our Future: Maa-nulth Treaty Legacy
On April 1, 2011, the Maa-nulth First Nations completed what has been a long journey to self-determination. It was an historic day for all, and a day of celebration for the Huu-ay-aht, Ka:’yu:’k't’h/Che:k’tles7et’h, Toquaht, Uchucklesaht, and Ucluelet people. New Journey Productions worked with the…
The Integration of Customary Law into the Australian Legal System
The theme of my address this morning emphasizes the important role that Indigenous people have, to take charge of our own destinies. The maintenance and integration of Aboriginal customary law is an essential part of this. It cannot be repeated often enough that a legal system must reflect the…
Tribal-citizen entrepreneurship: What does it mean for Indian Country, and how can tribes support it?
The following feature, a special to Community Dividend, is the condensed version of a speech Professor Cornell delivered at the Montana Indian Business Conference in Great Falls, Montana, on February 2, 2006. The conference, which was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, focused…
The Will of the People: Citizenship in the Osage Nation
This teaching case tells the story of Tony, one of nine Osage government reform commissioners placed in charge of determining the "will of the people" in reforming the government of the Osage Nation. Because of Congressional law the Osage Nation had been forced into an alien form of government for…
Testimony of Honorable Theresa M. Pouley
The honorable Theresa M. Pouley, Tulalip tribal court judge and President of the Northwest Tribal Court Judges Association, testifies before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs about "the vital role that courts play in the effective administration of justice in Indian country."…
Statement before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Oversight Hearing on Economic Development
Why is it that, amidst the well-documented and widespread poverty and social distress that characterize American Indian reservations overall, an increasing number of Native nations are breaking old patterns and building economies, social institutions, and political systems that work? What explains…