Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development

Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development is a research program based at the Harvard Kennedy School focused on policy analysis and capacity building among Native American and Alaska Native nations. The project conducts empirical studies, develops case studies, and advises tribal leaders, federal agencies, and private stakeholders such as U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, United States Congress, and philanthropic organizations. Its work informs legal actions, legislative reforms, and institutional development involving parties like the Cherokee Nation, Navajo Nation, Tlingit, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and corporate partners including Walmart and Chevron.

History and Origins

The initiative was established in 1987 by scholars including Stephen Cornell and Joseph P. Kalt within the Harvard Kennedy School amid policy debates following the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and the aftermath of cases like United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians. Early collaborators and interlocutors included leaders from the Navajo Nation Council, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, as well as federal officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and judges influenced by decisions such as Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe. The project’s archival work intersected with litigation involving the Seminole Tribe of Florida and research programs at the Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School that tracked developments stemming from the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and tribal responses to rulings like California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.

Mission and Research Focus

The project’s mission targets strengthening tribal institutions and analyzing conditions affecting sovereign Indigenous polities, drawing on cases involving the Cherokee Nation, Chippewa Cree Tribe, Tlingit and Haida, Pueblo of Acoma, and Alaska Native Corporations such as NANA Regional Corporation. Research topics engage leadership and governance comparisons across nation-states and tribal governments, bringing into conversation scholars from Stanford University, Yale University, University of Arizona, and policy actors at the Federal Reserve Board and U.S. Department of the Treasury. Methodologically, the project produces comparative case studies, quantitative analyses referencing datasets used by the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, and qualitative interviews informed by stakeholders like the National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Education Association, and the National Indian Gaming Association.

Key Programs and Initiatives

Signature programs include nation-building workshops with leaders from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, economic development initiatives involving the Oneida Nation, and governance capacity-building in partnership with the Alaska Federation of Natives. The project has administered field-based programs linking tribal administrations to entities such as the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation, and collaborated on policy pilots with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives in Indian country. Training modules and casebook materials have been used at Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, and University of New Mexico, and have informed tribal planning practiced by the Tohono O'odham Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

Major Publications and Findings

Major works include edited volumes and monographs by project scholars who have published through presses connected with Harvard University Press, Oxford University Press, and journals such as the American Political Science Review, Journal of Economic Literature, and Law and Contemporary Problems. Findings emphasize the importance of institutional capacity, legal pluralism, and governance rooted in cultural sovereignty, drawing empirical evidence from tribes like the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Influential reports have been cited in proceedings of the United States Congress, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and in expert testimony before committees chaired by legislators from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Partnerships and Impact on Tribal Policy

The project maintains partnerships with tribal governments including the Cherokee Nation, Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Laguna, and industry partners such as ExxonMobil and Microsoft on economic development planning, while working with federal agencies like the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, and Environmental Protection Agency on regulatory and health policy matters. Its research informed model codes, tribal constitutions, and compacts used in negotiations with states such as Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Alaska, influencing litigation strategy in cases before the United States Supreme Court and administrative rulemaking at the Department of the Interior. The project’s alumni network includes leaders who have served in roles within the National Congress of American Indians, state legislatures, and tribal enterprises such as the Mohegan Sun and the Pechanga Resort and Casino, reflecting sustained influence on Indigenous institutional development.

Category:Harvard University Category:Native American politics Category:Public policy research institutes