Native Governance NEWS Supporting Tribes. Empowering Leaders. Native Nation Rebuilders Graduation Session Held at Treasure Island In late November 2017, Cohort 8 and 9 Native Nation Rebuilders gathered together for a combined session held at Treasure Island Resort and Casino (Prairie Island Indian Community). During the first year of the program, Rebuilders complete four sessions. The final graduation session always includes Rebuilders from the incoming cohort; that way, outgoing Rebuilders can welcome them into the program and share the wisdom and insight they ve gathered during year one. At the session, members of Cohort 8 worked with Minnesota State Representative Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) to fine-tune their action plans. Action plans are nation building-related projects that Rebuilders implement within their own communities in an effort to strengthen Tribal sovereignty. After practicing in front of their fellow cohort members and learning tips on how SPRING 2018 FEATURES Sovereignty in Action highlights Rebuilding Tribal-State Relations Stories from Rebuilders Cohort 9 Rebuilders at their first session in November 2017 held at Treasure Island Resort and Casino. to engage audiences and stakeholders, members of Cohort 8 delivered short presentations on their proposed action plans to members of Cohort 9. Following the presentations, we asked members of Cohort 9 to reflect upon what they noticed and what inspires them even more than before about being a Native Nation Rebuilder. Tamatane I'atala, a Cohort 9 Rebuilder and an enrolled citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, answered: "What I find more inspiring now is that I am not alone in wanting a better future for my people. The fact that others are invested is something that motivates me. At the end of the session, Rebuilders from both cohorts attended the Cohort 8 graduation banquet. In addition to a networking reception and dinner, each Rebuilder from Cohort 8 spoke briefly about her/his experience in the program and offered words of advice. Anne O Keefe-Jackson, an enrolled citizen of the Lower Sioux Community, said, There are resources and beautiful people out there trying to make positive change. People are willing to help and work to support your goals if you are willing to ask. We look forward to seeing the progress that both our Cohort 8 and Cohort 9 Rebuilders make during the coming year!
Board of Directors Twyla Baker-Demaray (Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation) Rochelle Diver (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) Frank Ettawageshik (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians) Tadd Johnson (Bois Forte Band of Chippewa), Treasurer Dr. Joe Kalt, Secretary Cris Stainbrook (Oglala Lakota), Chair Tracey Zephier (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) Staff 60 Plato Blvd. E, STE 400 St. Paul, MN 55107-1832 651-571-0826 hello@nativegov.org nativegov.org Sovereignty Matters Our mission is to assist Tribal nations in strengthening their governance systems and capacity to exercise their sovereignty. Wayne Ducheneaux II, Executive Director Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, Program Director Jayme Davis, Program Manager Lisa Giefer, Operations Coordinator Lauren Kramer, Development Manager Jane Townsend, Development Director Update from Our Executive Director Welcome to the spring 2018 edition of Native Governance News--we are very excited to continue to use this format to share stories about the positive impact that nation building has on our relatives! Growing up on a ranch, I ve always seen spring as a time of possibilities. At Native Governance Center, it s an exciting season for us as we look to both launch new initiatives and continue assisting Tribes in strengthening their governance systems. For example, we just announced the launch of our new Youth Rebuilders Program. This summer, we'll pilot a condensed, youthfocused version of Native Nation Rebuilders. Youth Rebuilders is a three-day summer experience that equips Native youth with Wayne Ducheneaux II, Executive Director nation building training, inspires civic responsibility, and encourages participants to dream big. The program will complement our other initiatives to support Native nations across the region. We'd also like to extend a warm welcome to our two newest board members: Dr. Twyla Baker-Demaray and Rochelle Diver! Twyla is a Cohort 2 Rebuilder, an enrolled citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, and the President of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. Rochelle is an enrolled citizen of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and serves as the San Francisco Office Director for the International Indian Treaty Council. Both Twyla and Rochelle bring an amazing array of skills and experience to the board. Finally, we have several new Tribal governance support projects in the works. We're on track to have a very busy spring and summer with projects including Nation Building 101 sessions, constitutional reform and redistricting support, and candidate forum moderation. Wayne Ducheneaux II, Executive Director 2
Rebuilding Tribal-State Relations Native Governance Center attended an historic conference on North Dakota Tribal-state relations in January. The Strengthening Government to Government Relationships and Partnerships Conference was the first conference of its kind in North Dakota and drew more than 300 attendees including many Tribal, state, and federal officials. The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, led by Native Nation Rebuilder Scott Davis, hosted the conference with the goal of improving communication and rebuilding relationships between Tribes and the state in the wake of the Dakota Access Pipeline. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, First Lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum, and Lt. Governor Brent Sanford honor Spirit Lake Nation Chairperson Myra Pearson for speaking at the event. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford spoke at the event and emphasized their commitment to strengthening dialogue and understanding between Tribes and the state. Several Rebuilders also spoke at the event, including Les LaFountain, Lorraine Davis, and Jamie Azure. Native Governance Center Executive Director and Rebuilder Wayne Ducheneaux II delivered a keynote address entitled Native American Sovereignty and Governance that touched upon our organizational values and how these values inform our work. When asked to describe his experience at the conference, Wayne said: The meeting was a tremendous first step by Governor Burgum's administration to bring Tribal, state, local, and federal officials together to have a positive impact on North Dakota s future. Scott Davis and his staff should be commended for assembling a stellar program that will be the first in a series of events to continue to unite Tribal nations and the state of North Dakota. The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission is already planning an even larger conference for 2019. Save the Date! Save the date for our annual Nation Building Celebration! This year, we will focus on community engagement. The event will take place on November 9, 2018 at Mystic Lake Center. To read a recap of last year's annual event, visit our website: nativegov.org/news. Stay tuned for more information about our 2018 celebration! A panel speaks on the development of the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority, a multi-tribal windpower authority that leverages shared resources, at our 2017 Nation Building Celebration. 3
Rebuilder Stories: Bradley E. Harrington Bradley E. Harrington, Nazhikeawaasanang, is a Cohort 9 Rebuilder, an enrolled citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and the Mille Lacs Band Commissioner of Natural Resources. We sat down with him for an interview to learn more about his experience as a Native Nation Rebuilder and the work he s doing to incorporate cultural components into the Mille Lacs Band Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Native Governance Center: Describe your experience as a Native Nation Rebuilder so far. Bradley Harrington: I understand the importance of growing a network, and I went into Rebuilders thinking about that. I also thought about wanting to learn all that I can about Tribal government, Tribal communities, and myself as a Tribal individual. I like the program because I not only can learn more, but I also may be able to help someone else learn. We re both going to be better because of it. "There are certain perspectives you need to take into consideration when going about harvest activities. Gratitude needs to be expressed, and a cycle of spiritual energy needs to be addressed and acknowledged. Rebuilder Bradley Harrington 4 NGC: Can you give us a general overview of your work with the Mille Lacs Band DNR? BH: My title is Commissioner of Natural Resources. I m in charge of fisheries, environment, Tribal historic preservation, enrollments, real estate, conservation and licensing, and wildlife. I monitor all of those programs I oversee all of those programs for the Mille Lacs Band. NGC: Tell us about your efforts to incorporate cultural components into the Mille Lacs Band DNR. BH: Aside from having a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, our department is currently an exact replica of a state natural resources department, which incorporates nothing but American science. That totally disregards any Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe knowledge. That knowledge is automatically deemed invalid just because it doesn t come from a university. So, I m trying to change that. I m trying to define what Anishinaabe natural resources are. The deer were put here to sustain our lives physically and spiritually, along with the fish and wild rice, for example. There are certain perspectives you need to take into consideration when going about harvest activities. Gratitude needs to be expressed, and a cycle of spiritual energy needs to be addressed and acknowledged. Reinstating this system back into Tribal natural resources would really boost our well-being on the reservation. NGC: What advice would you give to other Tribes looking to make similar changes to their natural resources departments? BH: I d say really study your languages, especially if you have first speakers. You re going to pick up perspective from the way they talk about things. And then look at your history. Look at your own Tribal community your own Tribal knowledge and data and decipher how your ancestors would ve viewed natural resources. It s all Cohort 9 Rebuilder Bradley Harrington, Nazhikeawaasanang in the language and history. NGC: Do you see any intersections between the Native Nation Rebuilders curriculum and your work? If so, how? BH: I m focused on combining traditional ways of governing with the American form of governing, which is currently in most of our constitutions. If we just instantly jumped back into traditional methods of governing and leadership, we might not even know how to react. So, how do we start to shift the focus with today s institutions? I like the idea of writing our practices as a code. An example of this is the hunting season for deer. On the American calendar, it normally starts on September 1. Traditionally, our teachings say that hunting should not start until around the time of the fireflies. So, if we write a hunting code based around that, rather than September 1, we won t be reliant upon an American system to determine our practices.
Rebuilder Stories: Tamatane I atala Tamatane I atala is a Cohort 9 Rebuilder, an enrolled citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and the Lakota Language Activities Coordinator and Professional Development Coordinator at Red Cloud Indian School. We sat down with him for an interview to learn more about his experience as a Native Nation Rebuilder and the work he s doing to revitalize the Lakota language on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Native Governance Center: Describe your experience as a Native Nation Rebuilder so far. Tamatane I atala: My experience has been pretty eye-opening as far as the things that other Tribes are doing in the area of traditional governance. It s also been inspiring to see that other Tribes experience many of the same issues that we do. The program has emphasized to me that there are invested people who want to see a commitment to change and are making that commitment. NGC: What is your current job title? Can you give us a general overview of your work? TI: I am the Lakota Language Activities Coordinator and Professional Development Coordinator for our language instructors at Red Cloud Indian School. I do everything under the sun with the language. At Red Cloud, we build second and first language learning materials from books to online readers. We also offer second language learning community nights, which we hold once per week and open to the entire community interested in learning Lakota as a second language. And we do a literacy program where we bring families together monthly to highlight the different materials we re producing. These are just some examples of the work I do to help revitalize the language. NGC: What tools/strategies are most important for successful language revitalization programs? TI: The one thing I know for sure that s pretty awe-inspiring is when people get to see the language. I know it sounds weird to say. But when they see conversations in the community when they actually see language being actively used I think that encourages a lot of people. Especially with the younger generations, when they see their want for the language. Last year, we entered my son as a kindergartner into the language competition at the Lakota Nation Invitational. The biggest thing I took away from the competition was the confidence that the kids had. They didn't hesitate in any way, but they stood up and said, I m a Lakota person, and this is how I engage. It really shows the importance of our language. Knowing your culture and being able to speak in your Native tongue really fosters confidence and self-worth. NGC: Do you see any intersections between the Native Nation Rebuilders curriculum and your work? If so, how? TI: I m learning about the opportunity to self-govern within our own identity, and I think working with the language encourages that. Being able to express ourselves in our Native tongue gives us the opportunity to see that we can be self-sufficient through our own culture. NGC: Is there anything else you d like to add? TI: It s really important to emphasize that our language is in dire straits. We re a population of about 45,000. Of that, roughly 3% are first language learners. The average age of a learner is about 65-68. That doesn't sound very horrible, but here on Pine Ridge, life expectancy is a lot lower. I think men live to their early 40s, while women live to their late 40s. If you take that into account with language, we re on the verge of losing it. Making a push Cohort 9 Rebuilder Tamatane I'atala now is instrumental in saving the language. We need to start thinking 20 years down the road in 20 years, are we really going to settle for our language being extinct, or are we going to get that movement happening now? envelope Like what you're reading here? Sign up for our monthly email newsletter delivered right to your email inbox! Visit our website to join our mailing list: nativegov.org. 5
Sovereignty in Action: 2017 Highlights Are you following us on social media? We spent the month of January highlighting examples of sovereignty in action from 2017 to start out the new year on a forward-looking note. Here are just a few examples of the sovereignty success stories that we featured. Rebuilders Host First Annual College Fair at 2017 Lakota Nation Invitational Cohort 8 Native Nation Rebuilders Nakina Mills and Jill Kessler hosted the First Annual Lakota Nation Invitational College Fair in partnership with the Dakota Association for College Admission Counseling at the 2017 Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City. 101 students from over 19 schools, along with 40 adults, attended the two-hour fair. During the fair, attendees had the opportunity to speak with over 29 college recruiters. Nakina and Jill say that they plan to host an even larger fair at the 2018 Lakota Nation Invitational. This is a sovereignty success story because Rebuilders are taking action to encourage the next generation of Native leaders. Leadership is one of the five tenets of nation building and is a component of strong Tribal governance. Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community s Long-Term Water Agreement with City of Prior Lake The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) officially announced in November 2017 that it plans to build a joint water treatment facility to serve both its Tribal citizens and the city of Prior Lake, Minnesota. The Tribe will connect the new facility to the current facility and operate the two as one system. The city of Prior Lake will purchase water from SMSC, allowing the Tribe to generate revenue. This is a sovereignty success story because SMSC is exerting its sovereignty to form strong, lasting relationships with its neighbors to protect the environment, generate revenue, and provide for future generations. Rebuilder Lorraine Davis Post- DAPL Reconciliation Efforts Cohort 3 Native Nation Rebuilder Lorraine Davis designed a reconciliationfocused event in an effort to help rebuild relationships strained by the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Davis, the Executive Director of the Native American Development Center, hosted a gathering entitled A Cultural Experience with North Dakota Tribal Nations in August 2017 at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum. The event featured a discussion on reconciliation that brought together leaders from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, members of the Bismarck business community, a landowner on the pipeline route, and a representative from Morton County. In addition to the panel discussion, the event organizers held an opening ceremony and showcased Native vendors, traditional games, and Native comedy. The summit represents an innovative approach toward encouraging understanding and educating the general public about Tribal sovereignty. Attendees at the First Annual College Fair held at the 2017 Lakota Nation Invitational. 6
Need to Know: Minnesota Tribes In each issue of Native Governance News, we explore important Tribal governancerelated concepts in detail. For our spring 2018 issue, we re taking a look at the Native nations located in Minnesota. An Introduction to Minnesota Tribes Did you know that there are eleven politically distinct, federally-recognized, sovereign Native nations located in Minnesota? Tribal governments, state governments, and the federal government all have their own definitions of what it means to be a Native nation. Some Tribes are recognized by both the state and federal government, while others are recognized only by the state and/or other Tribes. What does sovereignty mean? Similar to the meaning of Native nation, Tribes have varying definitions for what it means to be sovereign. At Native Governance Center, we define sovereignty as, The inherent right of Tribal nations to govern themselves by establishing systems that provide organization to their society, offer programs and services to their citizens, and work with other governmental entities on a nation-to-nation basis. There are seven Anishinaabe and four Dakota nations located in Minnesota. The Anishinaabe nations include the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and Red Lake Nation. Originally, all seven were established by treaty; the federal government considers them to be separate nations. With the exception of Red Lake Nation, the Anishinaabe nations in Minnesota are joined together in a federation of Tribes known as the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT). A federally-created entity, the MCT provides a centralized governmental structure for the six bands. Each band also has its own Reservation Business Council that serves as a decision-making body. The four Dakota nations located in Minnesota are as follows: the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Prairie Island Indian Community, Lower Sioux Indian Community, and Upper Sioux Indian Community. The four Dakota nations are located south of the Twin Cities, while the seven Anishinaabe nations are located to the north. Red Lake Nation is one of seven federally-recognized Anishinaabe tribes located in Minnesota. The Red Lake Nation reservation is located in northern Minnesota. 7
60 Plato Blvd E, STE 40 St. Paul, MN 55107 651-571-0826 hello@nativegov.org Sovereignty Matters 2018 bushconnect We are excited to announce that the Bush Foundation has selected Native Governance Center to be a 2018 bushconnect recruiting partner! bushconnect is a leadership and networking event hosted by the Bush Foundation in partnership with more than 40 organizations from across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Leaders come together to engage in talks, small-group sessions, community conversations, and networking. bushcon is the Foundation s response to an identified need to develop more significant connections between leaders across the region. Native Governance Center will serve as a recruitment partner for the 2018 event. We ll sponsor and host a cohort of 25 leaders consisting of Rebuilders, elected Tribal leaders, and grassroots Native leaders who will benefit from attending bushcon. We'll provide cohort members with a stipend to cover travel expenses and will also provide pre- and post-conference programming. Stay tuned for information on how to apply to join the cohort! Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, Program Director, said: We re so grateful for the chance to assemble a cohort of Native leaders for bushcon 2018. This opportunity fits directly with our mission of empowering Native leaders to create stronger connections with one another and strengthening sovereignty and Tribal governance. WHEN: October 1, 2018 WHERE: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN APPLY: If you're a Rebuilder, Tribal leader, or grassroots Native leader, stay tuned for information on how to join our cohort!