Native Governance Center

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from NGC! Our remote team had a virtual party during our all-staff meeting this week. Along with a bit of business, we dressed up, played games, and kicked things off with a scary-good 3-5-word spooky story-writing exercise. We shared some of the results in our post. Have a fun and safe weekend!

Mino Amanisookaade Giizhigad!🎃👻🐈‍⬛

10/29/2026

🗳️ Make Native Vote 2026 part of your Election Night!

The National Center is proud to sponsor Indian Country Today / FNX | First Nations Experience 's Native Vote 2026, featuring Chris James as part of an Indigenous Election Night broadcast covering key races, Native candidates, and the issues impacting Indian Country.

Gather your friends, colleagues, and community for an evening of insightful conversations and election coverage!

📅 Tuesday, November 3
🕕 6–9 p.m. PT | 9 p.m.–midnight ET
📺 Watch live on FNX Television, YouTube, and the free FNX App.

🔗 Visit ictnews.org for more election coverage.

10/19/2026

10/14/2026

Tribal participation in 105(l) leases has increased exponentially in recent years, but agency guidance is still developing and often shifts. In partnership with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, we're hosting a workshop that will provide an overview of 105(l) lease development and strategies, highlight unique ways in which tribes in the region have leveraged 105(l) funding, and explore the creation of a collaborative intertribal workgroup focused on 105(l) leases to facilitate knowledge-sharing among Tribes and Tribal Organizations. The workshop is geared toward Tribes and Tribal Organizations without participation from federal agencies. By sharing experiences, strategies, and lessons learned, participants can strengthen their lease applications, optimize compensation, reduce duplication of effort, and collectively advocate. Application for Minnesota CLE credit is pending.

Register to attend on Wednesday, October 28th, 2026, at the Fortune Bay Resort & Casino, Tower, MN. Registration is free; meals are provided, but space is limited. Please sign up by October 27th! Learn more, see the agenda, and register here: https://support.nativegov.org/event/tribal-lease-workshop/e844572

10/13/2026

Calling all CRST community!

Join us for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Candidate Forums at the OLC Cheyenne River College Center (Eagle Butte) Auditorium. On Sunday, October 18th, and Sunday, October 25th, community members can hear directly from candidates running for Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Representatives for Districts 1-6. Candidate forums give voters space to learn about the individuals seeking leadership roles, hear their perspectives, and ask questions about the future of their Nation. These forums are hosted in collaboration with the Wakpá Wašté Oyáte Tópa Treaty Council.

Native Governance Center moderates these forums as part of our work supporting strong tribal governance and informed community participation. We can't wait to see you there!

Candidate Forum Schedule:

11:00 AM: Opening Remarks & Lunch

11:30 AM: Community Question Submission Closes

12:00 PM: Candidate Opening Statements, Q&A Period, Candidate Closing Statements

10/12/2026

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day!

On this day of celebration, we wanted to share what drives our organization and guides the work of our amazing staff. Our values, along with some examples of actionable behavior for each.

Be a Good Relative

-Seek understanding and honor different viewpoints and life experiences. Practice a growth mindset and share knowledge. Have honest, compassionate, even hard, conversations.

Honor Sovereignty

-Accept the sovereign acts of Tribes without judgement. Honor Tribal jurisdiction. Honor their truth in our work.

Center Indigeneity

-Affirm and honor the diversity of Indigeneity. Learning process will vary for each of us. Historical trauma and healing are part of centering Indigeneity.

Embrace Fun, Unapologetically

-Laugh hard and often. Recognize and celebrate wins. Make space for creativity.

Practice Humility

-Patience and understanding. Conversations are mutual learning opportunities. Make mistakes, own them, and learn from them.

Our culturally based values guide every facet of our work. We're grateful to those who came before and led our people in a good way. Thank you for being part of our ongoing mission to strengthen sovereignty. We hope you have a great IDP; it's a good day to be Indigenous!

10/12/2026

Celebrate Indigenous Voices this Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

Join our Executive Director Amber Annis, Tiwahe Executive Director Nikki Love (Pieratos), and Minnesota Public Radio News Host Angela Davis at 9:00 a.m. (Central Time) as they talk about the future of Native communities in Minnesota. Amber and Nikki are former Native Nation Rebuilders who will share their thoughts on community strengths, ongoing challenges, and hopes for future generations.

Help us celebrate Native cultures, honor Indigenous contributions, and make space for two voices leading the way forward.

Coming at 9 a.m. on Indigenous Peoples Day, MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the opportunities and challenges for Native communities across Minnesota. What’s going well? What challenges remain? And what does the future look like for the next generation?

10/09/2026

Join us for a collaborative virtual workshop, "Tribal Census 101," on Wednesday, October 14, 1:00 - 3:00 PM CST. Presented by U.S. Census Bureau Tribal Relations Specialists, this workshop will cover crucial updates and more about the 2030 Census, ongoing surveys, job opportunities, tribal geography, and other resources. This event is essential for Native nations, elected officials, urban Indian leaders, Tribal officers, community planners, and grant writers. The session will strengthen Census awareness and data knowledge among partners serving Indian Country while creating opportunities for continued engagement, future partnerships, and greater Tribal representation in Census programs and activities. We hope to see you there! For more information, contact: [email protected]

10/06/2026

Attention all Native nations, the deadline is approaching!

The deadline to participate in the Native nations survey is October 16th, 2026.

Every Tribal government has different priorities for its fiscal data, and different requirements for how that data should be shared and stewarded. This survey is a collaboration between the Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) and Tribal governments across the United States.

The goal is to equip Tribes with high-quality public finance data. The survey provides participating Tribal governments with customized data reports to inform their decision-making—and enables CICD to provide research-based insights that advance understanding of tribal economies. To learn more or complete the survey, check out this site:

https://www.minneapolisfed.org/indiancountry/survey-of-native-nations

10/02/2026

We’re excited to uplift Heather Fahey (Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte), a Cohort 15 Rebuilder, and the beautiful work she’s doing through her community action plan project, The Sacred Medicine Garden.

Some of our staff recently watched Heather present about the project at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center – West Bank Campus, where she is helping bring Indigenous healing practices into the care environment.

The Sacred Medicine Garden is a MINO Grant initiative that will create a space where patients, families, and employees can connect with sacred medicines, ceremony, Indigenous knowledge, and culturally responsive education. Guided by Indigenous knowledge keepers and cultural protocols, the garden is rooted in creating more culturally grounded, whole-person care.

We’re proud to see Heather’s leadership and vision taking root in her community. 🌱

Her work powerfully shows how Rebuilders are turning ideas into action and creating meaningful change where they live and work. Miigwech, Heather, for sharing your leadership and helping create space for Indigenous healing and knowledge to flourish. 💚