Project on Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School

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A Message from Joseph Gone, Faculty Director of HUNAP:

Greetings, HUNAP relatives and friends.

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Jordan Clark will be the Acting Executive Director of HUNAP starting on August 16th. As our new Associate Director and Acting Executive Director, Jordan will lead the HUNAP community with his expertise and guidance. He has served with distinction since join HUNAP and has been a strong partner to Kelli Mosteller, who will soon be stepping down from her role as Executive Director to return home to Oklahoma City and assume the role of Executive Director and CEO of the First Americans Museum. Jordan has worked tirelessly this year to create strong connections across the university, build new and exciting programming, and helped deepen external work with tribal communities. We are confident that he and the team will continue the important work of HUNAP and build on the great momentum we created over the past few years.

HUNAP's vision and mission are in good hands and our work will continue to support the Native Community of Harvard in all it does. We are especially excited to have a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah leading HUNAP for the first time in its history. This important moment underscores our focus on continuing to build strong relationships with our local tribal communities and honoring the long legacy the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah has with Harvard University since its very beginning.

We are so grateful for Jordan's commitment in stepping up to do this work, and we are pleased to congratulate him on this recognition of his talent and dedication. Here's to another great year for HUNAP!

Warmly,

Joseph P. Gone
Professor of Anthropology
Harvard University

Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine
Harvard Medical School

Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

Faculty Director
Harvard University Native American Program

Presidential Trio - Past President (2023-25)
Society of Indian Psychologists

gonetowar.com

Native Governance Center is hiring! NGC is looking for its next Executive Director to lead NGC’s work in strengthening Tribal governance systems and capacity to exercise sovereignty. They are partnering with Ballinger | Leafblad to find the perfect fit for their organization, and inquiries may be directed to Damon Shoholm at [email protected].

The application closes Sept. 6. Please share this post with friends and family who may be interested. Click the link in bio to learn more!

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Please join us in welcoming Jael Whitney Brothers to the HKS Project on Indigenous Governance and Development!

As the Assistant Director of Honoring Nations, Jael will manage the Honoring Nations awards cycle to identify, celebrate, and share outstanding examples of local self-governance. Jael is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and is expecting to graduate with her MA in Community Economic Development at Northwest University in spring 2025. She comes to us most recently from MIT where she served as an Officer for Indigenous Communities, which supports Indigenous innovators in strengthening and scaling their work in technologically based solutions.

We are thrilled to have her on the team!

🔎 IN THE NEWS

“She’s given to activism around land, she’s given to higher education, and she’s given to cultural survival things like Native arts and cultures,” says Miriam Jorgensen HKS MPP 1991, PhD 2000. Those efforts “have their own transformational effect because they’re going into spaces that are more self-determined.”

MacKenzie Scott’s Millions Boost Native American Nonprofits’ Relationship to Philanthropy Unrestricted grants with few reporting requirements have boosted the reach and visibility of Indigenous organizations that report years of low funding and trust from established foundations and philanthropists.

The Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is searching for a Program and Faculty Assistant.

The Program Assistant works within all aspects of the Project and serves as the Faculty Assistant for the Faculty Director who is also Ford Foundation Professor (Emeritus) of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. Based at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, this role is responsible for many parts of the operations and success of the Project and its flagship program, Honoring Nations.

Please see the bitly or QR code to learn more and to apply. We're looking to fill this role ASAP. Apply today!

https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?partnerid=25240&siteid=5341&PageType=JobDetails&jobid=2009516

To learn more about the Harvard Project, visit IndigenousGov.hks.harvard.edu

Congratulations to Angela Riley (Citizen Potawatomi) JD 1998, Honoring Nations Board of Governors and HKS Nation Building I co-instructor 2021-2024, for being appointed to the Carole Goldberg Endowed Chair in Native American Law at the UCLA School of Law. 👏🏼

Prof. Riley directs the UCLA Law Native Nations Law & Policy Center and is a Harvard Law School 1998 alumna. Prof. Riley is the Chief Justice with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Tribal Court and sits on several more tribal courts.

Four professors receive faculty chair appointments Four UCLA School of Law professors, including leading scholars in election law, critical race studies, Native American law, and U.S.-China relations, have received appointments to endowed faculty chairs.

Harvard has been blessed the past two years to have Kelli Mosteller's enthusiasm for Indigenous scholarship, students, and culture as she served in the role of Executive Director of the Harvard University Native American Program. Her community-building expertise and deep care in fortifying connections across the university and with Native nations throughout New England will have a lasting impact. With so much gratitude, the Harvard Project wishes Kelli a bright future in Oklahoma City and in all of her future endeavors.

For the full FAM Press Release, click here:https://mcusercontent.com/30f9e451aea5c825db3d5b7ca/files/a6758326-7a06-27a1-985d-714aa911d02b/FAM_ExecutiveDirector_PressRelease_7_8_2024_16_.pdf

First Americans Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kelli Mosteller (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) as its new Executive Director and CEO. Coming to FAM from her role as Executive Director of the Harvard Native American Program, Dr. Mosteller also served her tribe for over a decade as Executive Director of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, NAGPRA Coordinator, Gaming Commissioner, auntie for the eagles at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary and mentor for Citizen Potawatomi youth. The future is bright at FAM, and we can't wait for Dr. Mosteller's leadership into this new chapter. Welcome to the FAMily!

Looking for weekend plans?

Education Powwow The Mashantucket Pequot Museum’s Educational Pow Wow is a narrated exhibition showcasing Native American dancers and the significance of this cultural gathering for indigenous people. Gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the powwow experience and how it helps sustain a sense of commun...

We are saddened today to learn of the passing of Pat Sweetsir. His leadership on the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council Alaska Executive Committee, a 2005 Honoring Nations awardee, secured a mechanism - the Council of 73 First Nations and Tribes - that would amplify the political and regulatory priorities of the villages improving the well-being of the watershed and of the people living in it. His impact on the Alaska interior will be felt for generations.

Today YRITWC mourns the loss of one of our founder members, Pat Sweetsir. Pat Sweetsir played a lead role in the birth of our organization,. Pat also served Louden Tribe, Gana-A' Yoo, Ltd, Dineega Corporation, The City of Ruby, Yukaana Development Corporation, and Tanana Chiefs Conference. Pat was methodical, brilliant, and was guided by his heart and ancient wisdom. Pat Sweetsir has left a massive imprint on the Yukon River Watershed, the Alaskan Interior, Galena, Ruby, all of Alaska, and most of all on those of us that had the privilege to know his kindness, earn his trust, and have him in our lives. He lives on through his children Teekona "TK" Sweetsir (Louden Tribal Council Member), Leah Sommer, and Stephanie Sweetsir. Our condolences goes out to TK, Leah and Stephanie, other family members and his many friends up and down the Yukon and throughout Alaska, Canada and beyond. He will forever be missed and remembered.

Here is a link of Pat Sweetsir speaking at the 2009 HN:
HN 2009 - Pat Sweetsir: Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSnFmkzjcwk )

In the spotlight this week is HKS 2011 Masters of Public Policy Indigenous alum, Ray Martin. Ray is a staff attorney for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and shared about the value of his HKS education in both lifelong friendships and in Native nation building lessons, and more. Thank you for your great insight, Ray!

Question: In what ways are you seeing new tribal leaders embracing Native nation building?

Response: Several of the tribes that I've worked for now have embraced education for their executive staff, whether it's hiring executive coaching for their councils, or by sending staff and elected leaders to Native Nations Institute at UofA.

🇨🇦 Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day 🇨🇦

ALERT
For the next week you can stream two titles for free:

"Flat Rocks" weaves together breathtaking present-day footage of Kahnawake with archival photos dating back over 80 years revealing the community's way of life threatened by the St. Lawrence Seaway. Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (10 min.)

and

"NDN’s on the Airwaves" is a short documentary set in Ohsweken, Ontario that explores what community-driven radio has meant to the First Nations community in this region. It is a story that follows Mohawk poet and radio host Janet Rogers in her return home after several years living on the West Coast of Turtle Island. The film focuses on CKRZ 100.3 on the Six Nations reservation. (12 min.)

Indigenous Film Screenings Online Watch a selection of Indigenous short films reflecting diverse stories and perspectives from across Canada online from June 21 - 30.

Last month we also said goodbye to Camila Santana who joined our team as Communications Intern at the beginning of 2020. In her role she supported the design and rollout of digital exhibits on the Google Arts & Culture platform featuring our Honoring Nations awardees, analyzed and identified improvements to our outreach strategy, and provided exemplary ad hoc research. Not only was she a valued contributor to our communications goals but over the years we learned so much about her family and life as a Harvard University undergrad, we enjoyed updates and photos from her spring 2023 semester abroad in Madrid, and we'll miss the countless conversations about pop culture, politics, and Bonobo monkeys. From our initial conversations with Camila, she expressed interest in pursuing law and we couldn’t be more proud to cheer her on this fall as she fulfills that goal joining the Stanford Law School class of 2027 ⚖️. Join us in congratulating Camila on her many accomplishments! ⭐️🎉

🎓 On May 23rd, Camila graduated from Harvard College with a degree of Bachelor of Arts magna cm laude with highest honors in Government. Her thesis title is “‘We have other facts:’ Populism, Media Strategies, and Executive Approval in AMLO’s Mexico.”

Join us in congratulating our Research and Office Intern, 🎓 Ailie Johnson (Native Village of Eyak) on her graduation from Harvard College. Ailie joined our team in the fall of 2022 and has been a valuable member of our Conservation research team. Drawing from her background and upbringing where she spent numerous summers working on her family’s commercial fishing boat in Cordova Alaska as well as attending the Nuuciq Spirit Camp along Prince William Sound learning Native arts, lifestyle, and language of the Chugach region, Ailie’s insight into Alaska Native Tribes and corporations has left a strong impression on the Landback research. Over the last year, Ailie met regularly with the team, reporting on her findings and contributing to the direction of the project. During her office hours we couldn’t help but seek updates on the challenges and highlights of her time serving as Mather House Committee Chair, as well as serving on other committees for alumni and Harvard activities. We’ll miss those conversations greatly but support her return to the Pacific Northwest and especially to Alaska for an Anchorage summer internship with the Barney Uhart Memorial Scholarship where Ailie will work with Chugach Alaska Corporation Chairwoman Sheri Buretta. At the completion of her internship, Ailie will remain in Anchorage to join the University of Alaska Master of Business Administration program’s class of 2026 where she'll concentrate in leadership. On May 23rd, Ailie graduated from Harvard College with a degree of Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics.

🎉 We wish you all the best, Ailie!

takes us 2 years back where leaders from the Great Lakes region and beyond gathered to discuss the implications of using blood quantum as a definer of tribal citizenship. Hear from Norbert S. Hill, Jr., Chairman Tehassi Hill, Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, Dr. Pam Palmater, Prof. Doug Kiel, Prof. Beth Redbird, Prof. Lois Stevens, Sadie Hill-Kelley, John Danforth, Prof. Toni House, Dr. Artley Skenandore, Dr. Crystal Lepscier, Hon. Jennifer Hill-Kelley, Bobbie Benavidez, Richard Elm-Hill, Forrest Brooks, Amy Besaw Medford, and Dr. Henrietta Mann.

(Re)Imagining Blood Quantum, Great Lakes Gathering On June 9, 2022, the Rosa Minoka Hill Fund (RMHF) held a virtual event called (Re)Imagining Blood Quantum, which brought together Indigenous thought leaders ...

photo dump complete with 📸 photo captions, 🙌🏼 highlights, and 🔗 more!

📸 Image 1: Megan Minoka Hill kicking off the Diploma Ceremony with a land acknowledgment: 🙌🏼 "Long before Harvard University or the Kennedy School existed, this region served as an important site of meeting, trade, and diplomacy among nations. The Massachuset, Wampanoag, and Nipmuc nations and their peoples are still here today, living vibrant lives and running contemporary governments. We recognize and honor their past, present, and futures as well as their abiding relationships with this region."

📸 Image 2: On the left is 🇻🇪 Freddy Guevara MC/MPA, research assistant at the Nonviolent Action Lab (housed at the Ash Center) and Ford Foundation Mason Program Scholarship in Democracy Recipient, and on the right our cherished colleague Sarah Grucza MC/MPA, associate director of communications at the Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. 🙌🏼 Sarah completed her Kennedy School masters while a full-time staff at the Ash Center 🤯.

📸 Image 3: Shamar Bibbins MC/MPA, Roy and Lila Ash Scholarship in Democracy Recipient. 🙌🏼 Shamar was a critical voice on a spring 2022 Harvard Institute of Politics panel "Indigenous, Black and Communities of Color Fighting for Environmental Justice" https://www.youtube.com/live/8h1VsELbCUw?si=8-S3Ws0eTYg-ybbN&t=643

📸 Image 4: Jacqueline Evans MC/MPA is a 2019 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner. 🙌🏼 Jacqui was recognized for her advocacy that contributed to the Cook Islands' legislation protecting 125,000 square miles of ocean from large-scale commercial fishing and seabed mining.

📸 Image 5: On the left is Debra Isaacson Senior Associate Dean, Degree Programs and Student Affairs, and on the right is Dean Doug Elmendorf. 🙌🏼 Scroll back to our April 24 post about Doug's impact on Indigenous governance at HKS, and be sure to check out highlights from his time as Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School https://www.hks.harvard.edu/more/hks-magazine/defining-public-leadership-championing-public-service

Congratulations to all of the graduates!

Tune in for opening remarks and for the delivery of the Land Acknowledgment by the Harvard Project's Senior Director Megan Hill.

Harvard Kennedy School 2024 Diploma Ceremony The HKS Diploma Ceremony is held directly following Morning Exercises. Diplomas are awarded individually on stage at this special celebration. ---About Harva...

Harvard Executive Education for Indigenous leaders has supported the professional development of hundreds over the past few years. This includes an impressive partnership between AFOA Canada, NAFOA, and Harvard Business School Executive Education. Our very own Research Director Miriam Jorgensen (Harvard University PhD and MPP) spent an afternoon lecturing this most recent cohort in early May on 'Tribal Government Foundations of Economic and Financial Well-Being' a lecture rooted in Native nation-building principles and illustrated by 2 case studies based in a North America-Indigenous context. In this lecture, students were surprised with a live zoom appearance from Skwah First Nation Chief Lara Mussell Savage to drive home the executive lessons in one of these cases.

Next month, our own Eric Henson MPP 1998 will lecture to the National Congress of American Indians' Leading Tribal Nations executive cohort. Stay tuned for coverage!

Class years ending in 4 and 9 were welcomed back to reunite at Harvard Kennedy School this weekend. 🎓 2014 HKS and Harvard Law School alumna Skawenniio Barnes (Kahnawake Mohawk) JD/MPP recently shared her reflections on her time at Harvard. When asked about a meaningful Harvard experience, Barnes replies: "I spent my final year at Harvard writing my JD/MPP capstone project on Crown-First Nations relations in Canada, with a specific focus on (i) understanding why previous national calls to improve the challenging relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples seemed to go unheeded and (ii) exploring opportunities for progress towards building relationships grounded in respect and dignity." In her legal career, Barnes relies heavily on specific Harvard coursework: "Brian Mandell’s negotiation courses, as well as courses through the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Mediation Program – I learned to enjoy negotiating and got hands on experience managing conflict and working through complex, multi-stakeholder problems."

📣 Enjoy these reflections and more from Skawenniio Barnes JD/MPP 2014! Don't miss an incredible photo of Barnes and 3 other incredible Indigenous leaders: ⭐️ US Treasurer Lynn Malerba, ⭐️ Chair of NEH Shelly Lowe, and ⭐️ Tribal Community Member in Residence Ruth G Torres MC/MPA 2011.

And don't miss HKS's Insta stories for highlights from the weekend!

Kennedy School Alumni . National Endowment for the Humanities Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown The U.S. Department of the Treasury

Kicking off Reunion Weekend, please meet Ruth G. Torres (Schaghticoke) MC/MPA 2011.

"We are familiar with the characteristics of the Nation-Building Approach vs. the Standard Approach, right? One of the characteristics of the Nation-Building Approach is “leaders serve as nation builders and mobilizers.” I think the relationship between mentors and proteges is vital to launching well-grounded, ethical, and motivated tribal leaders".

Ruth Torres serves as a Tribal Community Member in Residence at .

Schaghticoke Tribal Nation

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Yesterday Honoring Nations Director Megan Hill attended the inaugural 2024 Honouring Nations Canada National Indigenous Good Governance Awards in Ottawa. Seven Indigenous-led organizations received awards for excellence in good governance. Congratulations to each honouree!

🥁 Drum roll please! In two days, the finalists for Honouring Nations Canada's inaugural awards will gather in Ottawa for a public ceremony. In the coming days, we'll reshare spotlights on each finalist along with photos from the awards ceremony. Congratulations to the 2024 Finalists!

Press release and to learn more about the finalists: https://ow.ly/Ur7850R7rB5

Honouring Nations Canada (HNC), an initiative of Fulbright Canada, is pleased to announce the honourees of its inaugural National Indigenous Good Governance Awards. 🏆

The recognition categories and their honourees are:
📍Building Sovereignty/Nation Building - Tsilhqto'in National Government, British Columbia
📍Environmental Stewardship and Climate Action - Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources, Nova Scotia
📍Partnerships and Collaboration - Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation (EECF), Quebec
📍Cultural Revitalization - Stoney Nakoda Tribal Administration, Alberta
📍Community Governance/Programming - First Nations Health Authority, British Columbia
📍Northern Nation Building - Nunavut Quest Dog Team Committee, Nunavut
📍Bill Montour Legacy Award - Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, Nova Scotia

Read more about the finalists via https://ow.ly/Ur7850R7rB5 👀

Save the date! Harvard Powwow. 9.28.24

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