Additional Resource  

American Indian Self-Determination Through Self-Governance: The Only Policy That Has Ever Worked

“The onset of tribal self-determination through self-government in the late 1980s ushered in the only policy that has ever worked to improve economic and social conditions in Indian Country.”

In testimony before the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children on December 15, 2022, Joseph Kalt, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Emeritus testified about the importance that American Indian self-determination has played in helping spark a remarkable period of economic growth across a broad swath of Indian Country.

Kalt, who serves as the co-director of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development at Harvard Kennedy School delivered a detailed set of findings outlining how the expansion of the responsibilities and capacities of tribal governments have resulted in a remarkable period of economic growth over the past thirty years. “The onset of tribal self-determination through self-government in the late 1980s ushered in the only policy that has ever worked to improve economic and social conditions in Indian Country,” said Kalt in his remarks before the commission.

 

Related Resources

The Disproportionate Burden: Health and Economic Outcomes of COVID-19 for Native American Communities
A woman wearing a face mask during COVID-19.

Article

The Disproportionate Burden: Health and Economic Outcomes of COVID-19 for Native American Communities

A new research article by Randy Akee, Julie Johnson Kidd Professor of Indigenous Governance and Development and Director of the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, and co-authors examines enduring consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations.

The Harvard Project Announces 2025 Honoring Nations Award Winners
An image of the awards presentation.

Media Release

The Harvard Project Announces 2025 Honoring Nations Award Winners

The national awards program Honoring Nations, flagship program of the Harvard Project, announces the recipients of the 2025 Honoring Nations Awards, recognizing 6 governmental initiatives for outstanding excellence in tribal self-governance.

More on this Issue

The Disproportionate Burden: Health and Economic Outcomes of COVID-19 for Native American Communities
A woman wearing a face mask during COVID-19.

Article

The Disproportionate Burden: Health and Economic Outcomes of COVID-19 for Native American Communities

A new research article by Randy Akee, Julie Johnson Kidd Professor of Indigenous Governance and Development and Director of the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, and co-authors examines enduring consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations.

The Harvard Project Announces 2025 Honoring Nations Award Winners
An image of the awards presentation.

Media Release

The Harvard Project Announces 2025 Honoring Nations Award Winners

The national awards program Honoring Nations, flagship program of the Harvard Project, announces the recipients of the 2025 Honoring Nations Awards, recognizing 6 governmental initiatives for outstanding excellence in tribal self-governance.