Self Governance Process Evaluation: Research and Evaluation Design

Keywords: Self-Governance, Indian Nations, 1871 Appropriations Act, U.S. Congress, Government-to-Government, Tribal Compacts, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Native American, Sovereignty, Treaty Relationships, Evaluation Project

Abstract: The Self-Governance Process Evaluation Project aimed to assess the impact of self-governance initiatives on Native American nations in the United States, particularly in the context of reversing the 1871 Appropriations Act, which stripped Indian nations of self-government powers. It began in 1995 under the direction of Rudolph C. Ryser and was conducted by the Center for World Indigenous Studies. The project collected extensive documentary information from 33 Indian governments and various U.S. government agencies involved in self-governance negotiations. This information was organized into five databases, which were then analyzed to evaluate changes in tribal government self-government activities, control exercised by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the overall effectiveness of government-to-government frameworks established through self-governance agreements. Data analysis involved both descriptive and matrix coding methods to measure changes in levels of self-government. The project aimed to identify where enhancements or impediments to self-government existed, their causes, and potential remedies. Ultimately, the project sought to assess whether self-governance efforts were achieving their goals and building effective government-to-government relationships between Native American nations and the U.S. government, thus restoring a measure of autonomy that had been eroded since the 1870s.