Project on Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School

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Project on Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School

These nations are being rebuilt, poverty is being pushed back, and cultures are being strengthened as Indian communities take charge of their own destinies.

The Harvard Project aims to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained, self-determined social and economic development is achieved among American Indian nations through applied research and service. The Project on Indigenous Governance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School is the recognized leader in practical research, teaching, leadership development, policy analysis, an

d pro bono advising for Native communities. With Indigenous peoples so long shut out from access to world-class and relevant educational and economic opportunities, the core mission of the Project is to arm Indigenous people themselves with the tools needed to govern effectively and to strengthen their economic, social, and cultural fabrics. Based at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Project focuses on what works to strengthen Indigenous communities—and what doesn’t work. Since 1987, the Project has worked to uncover and support the conditions under which sustained, self-determined political, social, cultural, and economic strengthening can be achieved by Indigenous communities. The Project has been awarded by tribes themselves for its pioneering work fostering the Indigenous renaissance that has taken hold in the US and beyond.

06/18/2026

To honor Governor Anoatubby’s 50+ years of visionary leadership with The Chickasaw Nation, we wanted to highlight some of the Nation's award-winning programs for Excellence in Self-Governance from Harvard's Honoring Nations program. First up is the Chuka Chukmasi Home Loan Program (2003):

When the Chickasaw Nation's Division of Housing realized that nearly 60% of its citizens' home loan applications were being denied, it created the Chuka Chukmasi, or Beautiful Home, Home Loan Program to make safe and affordable housing a reality. Since 1998, Chuka Chukmasi has proven how powerful the combination of partnerships with innovative financial institutions and the education of its citizenry in the basics of loan applications and mortgage financing can be in securing home loans at competitive rates.

https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/publications/chuka-chukmasi-home-loan-program-chickasaw-nation

06/16/2026

The Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is excited to announce the launch of our brand-new webcast series, Rising Tides. With this series, our vision is to amplify Indigenous-driven solutions that strengthen sovereignty, inspire innovation, and advance community well-being, demonstrating how the exercise of strong tribal governance benefits all.

Today's launch of Episode 1 features our Landback research team discussing Indigenous conservation excellence and its implications for federal and state landback efforts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7uzubtvTBs

06/12/2026

Our 2025 Honoring Nations Awardee, the Taos Pueblo Priority Process, is going to be featured in an upcoming webinar in the Current Trends in State-Tribal Relations series. Register here for "The Taos Pueblo: Ancient Traditions, Modern Governance - A talk & Q/A with the Taos Pueblo Chief Operating Officer Shawn Duran:" https://linktr.ee/tribalrelations

Wednesday, June 24, 2026
8:00 PM Eastern (free, open to the public)

Sponsored by:

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), Section on Intergovernmental Administration & Management (SIAM), Tribal Relations Working Group (TRWG)

Co-sponsors:
Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE),
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Systems (IGS)

06/11/2026

Check out our latest article "How Tribal Self-Governance Advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" with contributions from Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development staff members Jael Whitney Brothers and Christian DeCoster! https://lnkd.in/eh8VZv2H

06/08/2026

Check out this Harvard Crimson article that highlights interviews from our own Randall Akee and Joe Kalt! https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/6/7/ethel-branch-profile/

06/02/2026

🔍 Check out Dr. Randall Akee's latest research, "The Disproportionate Burden: Health and Economic Outcomes of COVID-19 for Native American Communities!" Now Live on Research Square and the Harvard Kennedy School website: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/disproportionate-burden-health-and-economic-outcomes-covid-19-native-american

06/01/2026

📢We are hiring for Outreach & Communications Coordinator! The ideal candidate will bring at least 3 years of professional experience in communications, public policy, journalism, marketing, public relations, Indigenous studies, or a related field. This role is in-person and requires at least 3 days a week on campus in Cambridge, MA. Learn more and apply on the Harvard Careers website: https://careers.harvard.edu/job/outreach-and-communications-coordinator-in-cambridge-ma-united-states-jid-1538

05/28/2026

Congrats to the HKS Class of 2026! 🎉🎓

05/25/2026

The College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation intends to use their Harvard Honoring Nations award to support the development and delivery of a tribal healthcare education workshop focused on expanding medical education and residency training opportunities within Tribal healthcare systems as well as written and digital resources materials. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing culturally unique learning objectives that incorporate traditional health practices, Indigenous perspectives on wellness, and community-centered models of care. The goal is to create resources that have a lasting impact and can be references and shared broadly across Indian Country beyond the initial workshop itself.

OSU Center for Health Sciences

05/21/2026

We were absolutely thrilled to welcome Patrice Kunesh to the “public service Hall of Fame” last week at a stirring ceremony at the Kennedy School. Patrice joined a select number of other honorees with a unique perspective on how Native governance is defining good governance — governance that non-Native leaders in the United States and abroad can and should emulate. Read more about her HKS Alumni Public Service Award on our website: https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/patrice-kunesh-mcmpa-2010-receives-hks-alumni-public-service-award

Her nomination noted that “Her work with tribal governments has resulted in significant social, cultural, and economic development gains for Native people, created pathways to building homes and community facilities, supported establishment of essential governing institutions, such as tribal codes and courts, as well as securing enduring federal-state-tribal agreements on critical issues such as gaming, taxation, and child welfare.”

It was also stated that “Patrice’s lifelong commitment is deeply rooted in her Native heritage. When her grandfather was born in 1902 on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, Native people were not considered citizens of the United States. It wasn’t until 1924, when Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, that her grandfather and all Native people were recognized as full citizens of the United States. How remarkable it is that his granddaughter, Patrice, would go on to lead three federal agencies, two of which focus on the rights and welfare of Native people, and while at the other she was able to target significant federal funding for housing and infrastructure in Native communities.”

Finally, we all think that Patrice has a ‘wow factor’ that is rare and beautiful… “The cumulative ‘wow factor’ is that Patrice not only ‘talks the talk,’ she ‘walks the walk.’ Her dedication to protecting Native rights and in doing so, honoring her Native family and community inspires all who cross her path. Patrice shared a glimpse of this in an article she wrote for the Harvard Gazette during her time at the Kennedy School entitled, ‘Living the Lessons We have Learned,’ dated April 29, 2010. We hope you will read it.”

Address

79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA
02138

Website

https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_on_Indigenous_Governance_and_Development

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