NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER
60 PLATO BOULEVARD EAST NO 400, ST PAUL, MN 55107 www.nativegov.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER IS A NATIVE AMERICAN-LED NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO ASSISTING TRIBAL NATIONS IN STRENGTHENING THEIR GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS AND CAPACITY TO EXERCISE SOVEREIGNTY. SOVEREIGNTY IS THE INHERENT RIGHT OF TRIBAL NATIONS TO GOVERN THEMSELVES BY ESTABLISHING SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE ORGANIZATION TO THEIR SOCIETY, OFFER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO THEIR MEMBERS, AND WORK WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ON A NATION-TO-NATION BASIS. NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER HELPS TRIBES IMPROVE THEIR GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STRONG TRIBAL GOVERNANCE LEADS TO MORE SUCCESSFUL TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES. NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER DOES THIS WORK THROUGH TWO MAIN PROGRAM AREAS, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND TRIBAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT. WE SERVE BOTH ELECTED TRIBAL LEADERS AND GRASSROOTS NATIVE LEADERS (INCLUDING NATIVE YOUTH).

WORKING TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF NATIVE NATIONS TO EXERCISE THEIR SOVEREIGNTY.

NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER EMPOWERS NATIVE LEADERS OF ALL AGES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUR NATIVE NATION REBUILDERS AND YOUTH REBUILDERS PROGRAMS.NATIVE NATION REBUILDERS: WE PROVIDE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIVE AMERICANS (BOTH EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED GRASSROOTS LEADERS) THROUGH THE NATIVE NATION REBUILDERS PROGRAM, A TWO-YEAR, COHORT-BASED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE THAT EQUIPS PARTICIPANTS WITH TRIBAL GOVERNANCE KNOWLEDGE AND ADVOCACY SKILLS. THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN RESPONSE TO A NEED SHARED BY MANY OF THE REGION'S TRIBAL LEADERS, WHO IDENTIFIED SUPPORT FOR EXISTING AND EMERGING NATIVE LEADERS AS CRITICAL TO THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF THEIR NATIONS. THE PROGRAM EMPOWERS NATIVE LEADERS TO CARRY OUT NATION BUILDING PROJECTS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITIES. BY NATION BUILDING, WE MEAN THE PROCESSES BY WHICH A NATIVE NATION ENHANCES ITS OWN CAPACITY TO EXERCISE SOVEREIGNTY. YEAR ONE CONSISTS OF FOUR IN-PERSON SESSIONS DURING WHICH REBUILDERS PARTICIPATE IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES AND LEARN THE PRINCIPLES OF NATION BUILDING. IN YEAR TWO, REBUILDERS IMPLEMENT AN ACTION PLAN, OR A NATION BUILDING-RELATED PROJECT THAT BENEFITS THEIR HOME COMMUNITY. IN 2019, WE SERVED 52 REBUILDERS. THIS INCLUDES REBUILDER ALUMNI (COHORT 9, N=18), COHORT 10 REBUILDERS (N=18), AND COHORT 11 REBUILDERS (N=15).YOUTH REBUILDERS: YOUTH REBUILDERS IS A YOUTH-CENTERED WING OF OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AREA. YOUTH REBUILDERS GREW OUT OF THE NATIVE NATION REBUILDERS PROGRAM (OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM FOR NATIVE LEADERS AGES 25+) AS A WAY TO EQUIP NATIVE YOUTH WITH NATION BUILDING TRAINING AND GROW THE NEXT GENERATION OF NATIVE LEADERS. IN 2019, WE SERVED 30 YOUTH REBUILDERS. THIS INCLUDES YOUTH DURING THE YOUTH REBUILDERS WELLNESS RETREAT (N=8) AND THE YOUTH THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR YOUTH REBUILDERS FOCUS GROUP (N=22).

TRIBAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT:WE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS THROUGH THREE MAIN STRATEGIES: CUSTOMIZED TRIBAL ASSISTANCE, TRIBAL RESOURCE GRANTS, AND EDUCATION. CUSTOMIZED TRIBAL SERVICES: NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER SUPPORTS TRIBAL NATIONS SEEKING TO STRENGTHEN SPECIFIC AREAS OF THEIR GOVERNANCE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY NATIVE NATION FACES A UNIQUE REALITY, AND AS A RESULT, WE SPECIFICALLY TAILOR OUR SERVICES TO FIT INDIVIDUAL TRIBES' NEEDS. OUR CUSTOMIZED TRIBAL SERVICES RANGE FROM FACILITATION SUPPORT TO PLANNING SESSIONS TO ASSESSING IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND RECOMMENDING GOVERNANCE SOLUTIONS. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WE SEEK ADVICE AND WISDOM FROM SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO PROVIDE TRIBES WITH THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SET OF SUPPORT TOOLS AVAILABLE. IN 2019, WE LAUNCHED A NATIVE NATIONS LISTENING TOUR. NNLT'S GOAL IS TO VISIT ALL 23 NATIVE NATIONS' TRIBAL COUNCIL LEADERS IN NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER'S SERVICE REGION TO ASSESS AND INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRIBAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT SERVICES. EACH VISIT CONSISTS OF A SET OF QUESTIONS TO GATHER INPUT FROM TRIBAL LEADERSHIP ABOUT WHAT PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND RESOURCES THEY COULD USE TO STRENGTHEN TRIBAL GOVERNANCE AND SOVEREIGNTY. IN 2019, NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER MET WITH 15 OUT OF THE 23 NATIVE NATIONS. WE ALSO CONDUCTED A TRIBAL CONSTITUTION REVISION INITIATIVE BY ATTENDING AND FACILITATING MONTHLY COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND WORK SESSIONS. IN ADDITION, 2 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS WERE PROVIDED THAT FOCUSED ON GENERAL EDUCATION OF TRIBAL CONSTITUTION REFORM AND THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR APPROVAL. TRIBAL RESOURCE GRANTS: TRIBAL RESOURCE GRANTS CONNECT NATIVE NATIONS TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CARRYING OUT SHORT- AND LONG-TERM GOVERNANCE PROJECTS. GRANT PROPOSALS MUST RECEIVE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT APPROVAL AND DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO FULFILL ACTIVITIES THAT ULTIMATELY SUPPORT STRENGTHENING TRIBAL GOVERNANCE AND SOVEREIGNTY. GRANTS CAN BE USED TO FUND INITIATIVES SUCH AS CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, CONVENING TRIBAL LEADERSHIP FOR VISIONING EXERCISES, AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN NATION BUILDING TRAINING, AMONG OTHERS. IN 2019, NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER AWARDED 5 GRANTS TO TRIBES SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATIONS OF COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEES IN RELATION TO THE 2020 US CENSUS. EDUCATION: NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER SUPPORTS TRIBES BY OFFERING A NUMBER OF EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS TO SUPPORT THE STRENGTHENING OF THEIR TRIBAL GOVERNANCE AND SOVEREIGNTY. EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS CAN BE TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF A SPECIFIC TRIBE, WHILE OTHERS ARE OPEN FOR TRIBAL LEADERS ACROSS VARIOUS NATIONS AND EVEN AT TIMES THE GENERAL PUBLIC. EXAMPLES OF EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS ARE NATIVE NATION REBUILDING SEMINARS, TRAINING ABOUT TRIBAL CONSTITUTION REFORM, AND TRIBAL LEADER ORIENTATION. IN 2019, NGC CONDUCTED 7 GOVERNANCE EDUCATION PROJECTS WITH 14 NATIVE NATIONS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER EDUCATES, ENGAGES, AND SHARES INFORMATION WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY AROUND TOPICS CONNECTED TO SOVEREIGNTY, NATION BUILDING, AND INDIAN COUNTRY.NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER HOSTS AND PARTICIPATES IN COMMUNITY-FOCUSED EVENTS. IN 2019, THE ORGANIZATION HOSTED FOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THESE EVENTS PRESENTED ACCESSIBLE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT CENTERED ON NATIVE AMERICAN CHANGE MOVEMENTS, NATIVE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, AND NATIVE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, AMONG OTHER TOPICS. NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER DIRECTLY SERVED 350 INDIVIDUALS VIA THESE EVENTS IN 2019. IN ADDITION TO HOSTING EVENTS, NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER DELIVERS CONTENT THROUGH COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS AND BY ATTENDING CONFERENCES AND GATHERINGS. NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER STAFF PRESENTED EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO THE PUBLIC AT THREE EVENTS AND ATTENDED 11 REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES IN 2019.NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER ALSO PARTNERS WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD VISIBILITY AROUND TOPICS RELATED TO TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY AND GOVERNANCE. IN 2019, THE ORGANIZATION FORMED PARTNERSHIPS WITH THREE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS.NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER SERVES AS A THOUGHT LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH KNOWLEDGE SHARING. THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS AN ONLINE RESOURCE LIBRARY FEATURING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTENT ON NATIVE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, AND INFORMATION ON THE 23 TRIBAL NATIONS LOCATED IN MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA. NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER CREATED AND DISSEMINATED 6 EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS IN 2019 AND SHARED 12 E-NEWSLETTERS FEATURING ORIGINAL CONTENT. FINALLY, THE ORGANIZATION HELPS LEAD THE WE ARE STILL HERE: MINNESOTA CAMPAIGN, A RESEARCH-BASED MOVEMENT THAT WORKS TO DISPEL AND CHANGE HARMFUL NARRATIVES ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS. IN MARCH 2019, NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER HOSTED A CONVENING THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER 95 PARTICIPANTS FROM A VARIETY OF SECTORS TO LEARN ABOUT THE RESEARCH AND TO BEGIN DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE NATIVE NARRATIVE CHANGE. AFTER THE CONVENING, A 28-PERSON TASK FORCE WAS ESTABLISHED TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING NARRATIVE CHANGE STRATEGIES IN MINNESOTA.

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