Media filters and personal preconceptions can make it hard to get a clear view of present-day Indian America. The reality is that the 500+ Native nations in the United States confront many of the same day-to-day challenges that are faced by other nations and communities-raising children with strong identities, practicing religion, providing economic sustenance, strengthening culture, managing business and governmental affairs, and protecting public health and safety-but they are doing so from foundations built on their distinct histories, cultures, and circumstances. The State of the Native Nations: Conditions under U.S. Policies of Self-Determination chronicles the efforts, obstacles, and accomplishments that are shaping Indian Country under contemporary federal policies and responsive tribal strategies of self-determination. In The State of the Native Nations, the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development brings together scholars and Native leaders to produce the most comprehensive, cohesive interdisciplinary study available on current conditions and trends in Indian Country.
Broad in scope and thematically organized, the volume features twenty-three chapters covering issues ranging from tribal governance, land and natural resources, and economic and social development, to arts and culture, the large off-reservation Native population, and federal Indian policy. Fourteen accompanying essays bring to life the personal perspectives of noted national leaders in Native affairs. The result is invaluable insight into the universal challenges of creating resilient, sustained, and self-determined communities. FEATURES: * Balances first-person accounts and field findings with extensive and up-to-date data and facts * Emphasizes the critical issues of Native self-determination and nation-building * Puts contemporary issues in their historical and policy contexts * Integrates case studies that highlight successful examples of the practice of Native nation self-determination