Navigating the American Rescue Plan Act: A Series for Tribal Nations, Session Two
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides the largest single infusion of federal funding into Indian Country in the history of the United States. More than $32 billion is directed toward assisting American Indian nations and communities as they work to end and recover from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic – which was made worse in Indian Country precisely because such funding has been so long overdue.
From setting tribal priorities, to building infrastructure, to managing and sustaining projects, ARPA presents an unprecedented opportunity for the 574 federally recognized tribal nations to use their rights of sovereignty and self-government to strengthen their communities. As the tribes take on the challenges presented by the Act, the Ash Center’s Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development presented a series designed to assist tribes, to help tribes learn from each other and from a wide array of guest experts.
This second session, titled “Where Other ARPA Monies Live — How to Avoid Tribes Leaving $12 Billion on the Table” featured a range of experts including:
Stacey Ecoffey, Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Heather Dawn Thompson, HLS 2000, J.D, Director of the Office of Tribal Relations, USDA
Burton Warrington, President, Indian Ave Group
Moderated by Karen Diver HKS 2003, M.P.A., Board of Governors, Honoring Nations, Harvard Project
Honoring Nations 2025 Semifinalists Selected for Excellence in Governance Award
The Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development’s Honoring Nations program is pleased to announce the selection of 18 semifinalists for the prestigious 2025 Honoring Nations awards.
Chief Sophie Pierre Named Inaugural Senior Fellow in Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School’s Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is pleased to announce Chief Sophie Pierre as its inaugural Senior Fellow in Indigenous Governance and Development for Spring 2025.
Self-Government, Taxation, and Tribal Development: The Critical Role of American Indian Nation Business Enterprises
This policy brief analyzes the likely effects of newly Proposed Rules by the U.S. Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. These Rules would (1) expand the governmental authority of federally recognized American Indian nations to design programs for the general welfare of their citizens, and (2) clarify the federal tax status of tribal government-owned enterprises. The study finds that adoption of the Proposed Rules would greatly strengthen the capacities of tribal governments, to the benefit of tribes and the United States as a whole.
Honoring Nations 2025 Semifinalists Selected for Excellence in Governance Award
The Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development’s Honoring Nations program is pleased to announce the selection of 18 semifinalists for the prestigious 2025 Honoring Nations awards.
Self-Government, Taxation, and Tribal Development: The Critical Role of American Indian Nation Business Enterprises
This policy brief analyzes the likely effects of newly Proposed Rules by the U.S. Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. These Rules would (1) expand the governmental authority of federally recognized American Indian nations to design programs for the general welfare of their citizens, and (2) clarify the federal tax status of tribal government-owned enterprises. The study finds that adoption of the Proposed Rules would greatly strengthen the capacities of tribal governments, to the benefit of tribes and the United States as a whole.
From a fictional thriller to a leading report on Native children, the HKS Project on Indigenous Governance and Development shares recommendations for must-reads this summer.