Not all who speak of self-government mean the same thing by the term. Therefore let me say at the outset that by self-government I mean that form of government in which decisions are made not by the people who are wisest, or ablest, or closest to some throne in Washington or in Heaven, but, rather by the people who are most directly affected by the decisions. I think that if we conceive of self-government in these matter-of-fact terms, we may avoid some confusion. Let us admit that self-government includes graft, corruption, and the making of decisions by inexpert minds. Certainly these are ..read more

Vine Deloria, Jr. Since time immemorial, Indian tribal Holy Men have gone into the high places, lakes, and isolated sanctuaries to pray, receive guidance from the Spirits, and train younger people in the ceremonies that constitute the spiritual life of the tribal community. In these ceremonies, medicine men represented the whole web of cosmic life in the continuing search for balance and harmony, and through various rituals in which birds, animals, and plants were participants, harmony of life was achieved and maintained.  ​When the tribes were forcibly removed from their aboriginal home ..read more

For over fifty years, Alfred Ketzler, Sr., a former Board Member of the Association on American Indian Affairs, has served Native Country and the rights of Alaska Natives. In 2019, we honored Alfred by acknowledging the many extraordinary contributions he has made throughout his more than one-half-century-long tenure with the Association on American Indian Affairs.   Alfred was born and raised in the Athabascan village of Nenana. Alfred’s uncle was the famous Chief Thomas,(1) who was among the head Council of Chie ..read more

The Association on American Indian Affairs Announces the First National Tribal Museums Day on December 3, 2022 ..read more

Protect ICWA Campaign: Statement on Haaland v. Brackeen Oral Argument ..read more

Supporters File 21 Amicus Briefs to Uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act in Haaland v. Brackeen ..read more

Association on American Indian Affairs Announces 8th Annual Repatriation Conference ..read more

The Association Welcomes New Executive Team Members ..read more

December 11, 2020: Joint Inter-Tribal and Organization on the omission of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in the ABC prime-time television series ..read more

The Association on American Indian Affairs calls on Harvard to comply with NAGPRA after three decades of institutional racism ..read more