'Native Nation Building' Television Series to Premiere Nationally on DISH Network April 16

3/31/2006 9:02:00 AM

To: National Desk

Contact: Ian Record of the Native Nations Institute, 520-626-0664

TUCSON, Ariz., March 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Building effective governments, developing strong economies that fit a variety of cultures and circumstances, solving difficult social problems, and balancing cultural integrity and change -- these are just a few of the challenging questions that face contemporary American Indian, Alaska Native and Canadian First Nation governments.

These issues are the focus of "Native Nation Building," a new 10-part television series premiering April 16 on the Universityhouse Channel, located on DISH Network Channel 9411. The program will air twice weekly on Sundays and Wednesdays from 7 to 7:30 p.m. MST through June 21. The series is produced by the Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy (NNI) at the University of Arizona in conjunction with KUAT MultiMedia. Ian Record, Ph.D., NNI curriculum development manager, is the series producer.

"The 'Native Nation Building' program shares with Native people as well as the general public the governance and development lessons that NNI has learned through two decades of community-based research with Native nations," says NNI Director Manley A. Begay, Jr. (Navajo). "It examines where, how and why nation building is currently taking place, in particular the fundamental issues governing these nations' efforts to exercise their sovereignty, restore their economic vitality, and shape their own futures."

Featuring an accomplished group of guests that ranges from governmental, business, and community leaders to scholars and educators, the roundtable interview program chronicles the growing number of nation-building success stories currently taking hold across Indian Country and explores the roots of those successes. Each 30-minute segment can stand alone, but taken together, the series offers a comprehensive overview of the ways Native nations are working to make self-determined community and economic development a reality.

The "Native Nation Building" series features: An Introduction to Nation Building; Constitutions and Constitutional Reform

Why the Rule of Law and Tribal Justice Systems Matter;
Building and Sustaining Tribal Enterprises;
Promoting Tribal Citizen Entrepreneurs;
A Capable Bureaucracy: The Key to Good Government;
Tribal Service Delivery: Meeting Citizens' Needs;
Intergovernmental and Intertribal Relations;
Leadership and Strategic Thinking:
The Path to Self-Determination;
and Moving Towards Nation Building.

For more information about the 10 segments and for updates on show times, visit NNI's Web site at

NNI Website

or

NNI

Link to Report

Special thanks to Gina Boltz of Native Village for the lead

Contents

April 2006 Reports

Last updated on April 16, 2006