Introduction To Nation Building

This video is about Nation Building featuring Dr.Manley Begay and Dr.Cornell both from University of Arizonia. It discusses the challenges, obstacles, assets involved in Nation Building.  They have spent the past two decades studying  successful Nation Building. Nation Building is about how Indigenious Nations can bring tools together to build a successful Government that will work for them. THese tools are specific to each Nation as every Nation has different needs. Presently some Nations Governments aren't working for them as they were set up the Federal government and imposed on them. In 1975 the Self Determination Act was passed and First Nations began fighting for Sovereignty.
 In the United States there are several First Nations that have achieved sovereignity. The main  key to a successful nation is a strong political system that is kept seperate from business. Also planning for the future and setting up policies, codes and a constitution. In the States there are several examples of successful Nation Building such as  the Osage Nation, San Carlos Apache, Crow Tribe. In Canada Akwesasne, Membertou, Black Foots are a few that are mentioned.
The main obstacle in the fight for successful Nation Building is Sovereignty. In Canada the attitude by First Nations is dependency on the Federal Government and not enough fight going on to gain sovereignty. The mindsest needs to change.  Chief Strater Crowfoot from the Blackfoot First Nation in ALberta says" you have to try to replace the victim attitude with the victor attitude, the victim attitude keeps you still, the victor attitude gets you moving." This is a common attitude in Canadian First Nations and it is copied at all the different levels. Most First Nations are  dependent on the Federal Government, the people are dependent on the band office for welfare, education and jobs. There is no real initiative taking place to try and make it without the band. But it seems to be mirrored off of the Band's Dependence on the Federal Government.
 IF there was strong leadership in place that we could mirror off of maybe things could be different.  Strong Leadership is an asset but only if everything else is in place: functioning institutions, laws, policies, codes and constitution. You should be able to depend on these policies to maintain the community. Indigenous culture is an asset that should be looked at as a success story that has stood the test of time. If our culture has survived there must be a structure in place that has worked for hundreds of years. 
In Potlotek there is a high level of dependency on the band for jobs, education and welfare. But that was learned from the Band's dependence on the Federal Government. Over the years there has been lots of talk about our uniqueness and all we have to offer, but that gets lost with each new council that gets voted it. The goal of each new council seems to be to tear down what the last council did just as child steps on another child's sandcastle. Without a continuous set of rules and regulations in place we will never get to the ultimate goal of sovereignty.  A council that can't work together, or refuses to work together creates a community that is at war with itself. Thats exactly what was created here. Membertou has the infrastructure in place and a vision that exceeds  the wants needs and expectations of one person or a small group of people. Their success story can be Potlotek's success story too. They(chief anf council) just have to let it happen.