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Addressing Indigenous Governance

Published by USC Bedrosian Center on

by Jeremy Loudenback

On Thursday September 12, University of Washington scholar Laura Evans brings attention to a rarely visited governance issue: the role of indigenous governments interfacing with federal, state, and local government . In the face of meager budgets and strikingly low incomes for many communities, some Native American tribal governments in the United States have sought a “government-to-government” designation from federal and state entities, an approach that gives tribal governments a unique set of advantages and trade offs in dealing with American political institutions and intergovernmental politics.

In her talk, “Government to Government?: Understanding State-Indigenous Relations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand,” Evans will address some of the effects of the complicated “government-to-government” status and examine how Native American strategies of negotiation, interaction, and collaboration are impacted by this type of relationship. She will also look at countries with substantial indigenous populations to see how different native communities use diverse strategies to engage with political institutions and obtain power in federal systems.

The lunchtime talk starts at 12:00 at?Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall (RGL)?308 on the University Park Campus.

Bedrosian Center