Hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Six exceptional tribal programs have been selected by the Harvard Project’s Honoring Nations Program as finalists for the prestigious 2021 awards in American Indian governance. At the heart of Honoring Nations is the principle that tribes themselves hold the key to generating social, political, cultural, and economic prosperity and that self-governance plays a crucial role in building and sustaining strong, healthy Indian nations.

Finalists  

Agua Caliente People Curriculum

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians collaborated with the Palm Springs school district and the district’s philanthropic foundation to create an elementary-level Native American Studies curriculum, teaching the history and culture of the Agua Caliente people through their own words.

Cherokee Nation ONE FIRE

Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation established ONE FIRE Victim Services to provide wrap-around services to survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and dating violence in the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction. Meeting the immediate needs of those in crisis and supporting the healing of survivors ONE FIRE creates a safer community for all.

Energy Lifeline Sector Resilience: Low-carbon Microgrids

Blue Lake Rancheria

To develop energy sovereignty, the Blue Lake Rancheria installed climate-smart electric microgrids to increase self-sufficiency and provided tribal members with resilient power that emits less carbon. During emergencies, the tribe has operated its microgrids independently, providing reliable power to significantly improve the energy stability of the larger region.

Pe Sla

The Great Sioux Nation

The Great Sioux Nation came together in 2012 to bring its sacred land, Pe Sla, back in the care of the tribes. This intertribal collaboration has led to a restoration of native buffalo, grasses, flora, and fauna as well as land preservation for traditional ceremonies and cultural programming in perpetuity.

Sitka Tribe of Alaska Environmental Lab

Sitka Tribe of Alaska

The Environmental Research Lab provides real time testing of marine subsistence resources to ensure safe consumption and monitors of harmful algal blooms and ocean acidification. The Lab’s biotoxin testing has given Southeast Alaskan tribes the capacity to provide safe access to healthy shellfish populations within their traditional territories.

Swinomish Tax Authority

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Created to assess and collect the Swinomish Trust Improvement Use & Occupancy Tax, the Swinomish Tax Authority generates revenue streams to help fund essential government services as well as voluntary contributions to the local school, fire, and library districts, strengthening important intergovernmental relationships.