Media Release  

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.

CAMBRIDGE, MASS – 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.

Founded in 1998, Honoring Nations identifies, celebrates and shares excellence in American Indian tribal governance. At its core, Honoring Nations is grounded in the belief that tribes themselves hold the keys to generating social, political, and economic prosperity and that self-governance is vital to building and sustaining strong, healthy Indian Nations. Awarded programs are beacons of inspiration representing the very best in self-determination. Their bright light leads the way in achieving what is possible. By sharing their best practices, all governments – tribal and non-tribal alike – can learn and benefit.

This year, Honoring Nations received over 100 applications from 76 tribal nations and seven tribal consortia, making it one of the most competitive years to date. Out of this pool, 18 exceptional programs were selected as semifinalists (see below). These programs have demonstrated tremendous impact in their communities and evidenced great effectiveness, significance to sovereignty, cultural relevance, transferability and sustainability – the criteria by which Honoring Nations assesses applicant programs. Each of these programs will be presented to the Honoring Nations’ Board of Governors in May, and the Board will select six applicant programs to receive site visits. In November, the Honoring Nations Board will select the awardees.

“Our destiny is in our hands. Being capable of directing our own futures and defending the futures of our children and the futures of our nations is profoundly important. Honoring Nations understands this – and is a very, very positive program in Indian Country,” said Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Indian Nation and chairman emeritus of the Honoring Nations Board of Governors.

Semifinalist Programs:

Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition – Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe

Career Pathways – Gila River Indian Community

Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary – Citizen Potawatomi Nation

Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): Goats Fire Fuel Mitigation Program – San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

Five Tribes Wildlife Management – Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Muscogee Nation, Seminole Nation

Fond du Lac Land Information Department – Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Grey Snow Eagle House – Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma

Inter-Tribal Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area (IMSA) Initiative – Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People, Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria

Iron Horse Industrial Park – Citizen Potawatomi Nation

Jicarilla Apache Nation’s Water Sharing Agreement with the State of New Mexico and The Nature Conservancy – Jicarilla Apache Nation

Lower Sioux Community Industrial Hemp Housing Program – Lower Sioux Indian Community

MHA Emergency Operations Center Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation

Mother Town Healing Program – Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Northwest Indian Treatment Center – Squaxin Island Tribe

OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation – Cherokee Nation

Sche’lang’en Village Transformational Wrap-Around Program – Lummi Nation

Snoqualmie Tribe’s Lands Protection Tax – Snoqualmie Indian Tribe

Taos Pueblo Priority Process – Taos Pueblo

 

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For more information about Honoring Nations, please visit the Harvard Project’s website at www.IndigenousGov.hks.harvard.edu or contact Melissa Yazzie at Melissa_Yazzie@hks.harvard.edu.

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