Media Release
Cambridge, MA – In a new policy analysis published today by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development (Harvard Project), researchers found that funding provided to tribal governments as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was “grossly inequitable and contrary to the policy objectives of Congress, the Biden Administration, and the Treasury Department itself.”
Researchers examined the Treasury Department’s allocation formula, which distributed 65% of ARPA funds for tribal governments based on the number of total tribal citizens served by those governments. The remaining 35% of ARPA funds were distributed based on tribes’ total number of employees, Native and non‐Native, immediately before the COVID‐19 pandemic struck. The authors concluded that Treasury’s formula distinctly favored tribes with relatively high proportions of employees relative to enrolled citizens, which tend to be tribes with strong pre‐pandemic economies.
“Treasury’s formula has resulted in ARPA payments as high as $880,000 per tribal citizen for some ‘have’ tribes. Meanwhile, hundreds of ‘have not’ and ‘have less’ tribes, encompassing 89% of all tribal citizens in the U.S., have received ARPA allocations of less than $10,000 per tribal citizen,” the Harvard Project researchers write.
The report includes a number of suggested remedies for policymakers to consider, including:
The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development is based in the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. The Harvard Project aims to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained social and economic development is achieved among Indigenous nations in the U.S. and beyond.
The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective government problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world’s citizens.
Daniel Harsha
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
Daniel_Harsha@hks.harvard.edu
Sarah Grucza
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
Sarah_Grucza@hks.harvard.edu
Media Release
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.
Policy Brief
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.
Feature
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.
Policy Brief
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.
Feature
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.
Feature
Back-to-school recommended reads from the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development include books, articles, and podcasts that highlight Indigenous governance narratives.
