Projects
American Indian Community Data Profile, 2002
Namadji Youth and Elders Project Report, 2001
Forum Reports
1997 Fall: Tribal Sovereignty and
American Indian Leadership
1996 Fall: Tribal Governments: What will they look like in the year 2010?
1996 Spring: The Threatened State of Tribal Sovereignty
Tribal Sovereignty and American Indian Leadership
October 16, 1997
Discussion Groups about Presentations by Vernell and Ernie Wabasha and
Eugene Begay
Facilitated by
Allie BadHeart Bull, M.A.
Guidance Counselor
Indian Education, St. Paul Public Schools
Paul Day
Attorney, AIRPI Board Member
Roxanne Gould
Director, American Indian Learning Resource Center
University of Minnesota
Discussion groups provided symposium attendees the opportunity to reflect and share their views on American Indian leadership and tribal sovereignty. A central theme of the discussion groups was the importance of traditional spirituality as the base of American Indian identity. Many participants expressed a desire to restore Native spiritual traditions and preserve American Indian identity. Participants found it refreshing to hear Eugene Begay's candid proclamation of his traditional lifestyle and spirituality. They agreed with Begay's contention that to survive, tribes need to return to their traditional spiritual ways. One person asserted, "A return to old ways must take place"; in order for that to occur, American Indians must "go on the offensive" and be more aggressive in voicing their beliefs and concerns. This would involve an approach that respects differences and, at the same time, makes no excuses for valuing traditional spirituality.
Participants agreed that Indians do not want to be part of the "melting pot." Unfortunately, non- Indians often neither understand American Indian ways nor the desire of Indian people to maintain their traditions. Mainstream educational institutions generally do not teach about American Indians, and the responsibility for correcting misconceptions falls on Indians. One facilitator maintained, "I can't make a career out of educating non-Indians - it's too exhausting." Another participant, stated "It is the responsibility of non-Indians to educate themselves." At the same time, many participants understood the importance of engaging in education to eradicate ignorance and misconceptions about American Indians.
Some participants expressed concern that a return to traditional Indian ways meant a complete denouncement of everything non-Native. In response to this concern, a participant explained, "When a person finds their own identity, then they have power...American Indians need to have the power to return to traditional ways to help retain and rebuild their identity." A facilitator added, "We want to be of equal importance, not more than anyone else, not less than - but of equal importance."
To maintain traditions in today's world is a challenge. Several participants talked about the difficulty of having to "walk in two worlds." American Indians often face conflicting pressure from the dominant culture and the Indian culture to act, dress and talk in certain ways. The dominant culture has misconceptions about how Indians should live if they are to be regarded as "Indians." If a Native partakes of too many dominant culture activities, then he or she is perceived as being "less Indian" by both cultures. Participants contended that to preserve the traditional ways, American Indians must define themselves on their own terms.
This is not always easy to do, especially when American Indians must operate under European systems of government. Many expressed dismay about the structure of today's tribal governments. Contemporary tribal governments are modeled after European concepts of government and overlook traditional American Indian leadership methods. Many participants expressed frustration that the United States essentially forced these governmental structures on the tribes. They voiced a preference for a return to traditional methods of leadership and decision-making.
In addition, there is general concern about the future leadership of American Indian communities. Participants believe that there will be a void of suitable leaders. A strong sentiment was that future leaders need to have skills to "walk in two worlds." To help the tribe survive, they will need to know the language, culture, and traditions as well as business knowledge. Today's tribal children may not be receiving the mentoring or the training needed. According to one participant, "There are no Indian heroes as role models for today's youth."
Finally, many were, and continue to be, troubled about the state of tribal sovereignty. The sentiment is that tribes should work in a direct relationship only with the federal government. There has been an erosion of the nation-to-nation relationship between Indian tribes and the Unites States federal government. This has occurred through the powerful role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Indian country and through legislation such as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Participants worry it is not an equal exchange between sovereign nations when tribes are forced to deal with the BIA Moreover, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act has forced tribes to negotiate with states to form gaming compacts, thereby giving states too much leverage in their relationship with tribes. The overall sentiment was that tribes need to work towards educating others about their nation-to-nation relationship with the U.S. government.
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