This blog post is from Mike Kntson's ReImagine Rural blog. Mike asked me as well as others involved in rural and community development. Enjoy the wish list and please feel free to post your ideas as well.
December 22nd, 2010 by Mike Knutson
Last weekend, Jodi (my wife) and I ventured up to Fort Sisseton for a “Frontier Christmas” with some good friends. The historic fort sits out on the wide open plains of Northeastern South Dakota. Each holiday season, they host this nostalgic event, complete with sleigh rides, holiday caroling, and demonstration by period reenactors. It was a lot of fun, and in my opinion, the antithesis of Christmas shopping in Sioux Falls.
While look back at Christmas traditions from years gone by, I couldn’t help but think of my Christmas wish list for small, rural communities.
My Christmas List
Tops on my list is a purchase, rehab, resell housing program based on the model used by the Northeast Housing Initiative (NHI) of Allen, NE. I’ve written about this program previously. In addition to improving the overall quality of the housing stock in rural communities, it helps make home purchases in rural communities more affordable to young families.
Many of the rural towns that I drive through are blessed to have lower housing costs. Unfortunately, many of the cheaper homes also require considerable renovations. The level of work needed sometimes makes financing the purchase and rehab difficult - especially for young families. A purchase, rehab, resell program like that of NHI brings together the renovation and the financing in a process that eliminates many of those barriers. For that reason, it is at the top of my Christmas List for small, rural towns.
As I wrote a few additional ideas down, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to see what other people would put on their lists?” For that reason, I fired off a quick e-mail to several friends asking, “What would you put on a Christmas list for your hometown?” Below are a few of their responses.
More Christmas Wishes
Kurt Mantonya, Senior Associate at the Heartland Center for Leadership – The one item that is on the top of my wish list for rural communities is working on ways to retain youth and welcome newcomers to these communities. I remember when I was a kid, I heard the old saying “get your education and get out of here, there is nothing for you in this town.” To this day, I long to find a way to move back home because that is where I want to raise my kids. I didn’t have the x-box, swim lessons, karate, 24 hour shopping and other amenities that urban communities have but I survived and have many fond memories of my childhood and would not change a thing if I could.
When I do get the chance to go back home, I “scold” those same people that told me to get out and just come back here to visit. This sends such a wrong message to our youth, the same youth who, like me, would love to move back home after getting some world experience. In order to retain and grow population we must reverse this message and encourage those youth to return and find ways to attract newcomers.
Joel Price, Superintendent of the Faulkton (SD) School District – Number one on my wish list for Faulkton is the ability to build more affordable single and multiple family dwellings in Faulk County to fill a need that is evident and necessary for further growth. (Note: Joel’s an overachiever. He actually sent me a top 10 list for Faulkton. I think he’s been thinking about it for a while!)
Lori Hintz, Executive Director of BASEC — This year, BASEC, wants an updated website for our organization that is user friendly, informative and something that really increases and improves our communication to others.
Sheri Booms Holmes, Communications Director of the West Central Initiative Foundation – Fergus Falls’ Christmas list includes 100 jobs or more each year for the next five years, and a million-dollar angel venture fund, to help create and sustain a healthy economy. Speaking of health, city leaders hope to find an expanded river walk winding its way around the base of the Christmas tree, as part of an initiative to provide more awareness and opportunities for physical activity in the area. Fergus Falls actually has 16 items on its wish list and you can read them all at the Forward Fergus Falls Blog.
It’s a good start…
I think my friends have some pretty good ideas, but I’d like to see that list expand a bit. What’s on your Christmas list for your small town?
2010-12-22
2010-12-21
Visions from the Heartland--December 2010
The latest edition of Visions from the Heartland has just been published. In this issue we have reflected on 2010 and all of the changes and achievements we have been a part of. Learn about our upcoming webinar series as well as our training on conducting effective webinars. Finally, you can download Strengthening the Rural-Suburban-Urban Connection for free! All of this and more can be found at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs066/1102873944558/archive/1104055498633.html
Have a joyous holiday season
Have a joyous holiday season
2010-12-15
2010-12-14
Using the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context
This presentation focuses on the diminishing community capitals over time and resource depletion in Chaco Canyon. The research indicates that there is interdependency on the capitals with natural capital being the most critical for the Ancestral Puebloans in Chaco.
2010-09-13
Sixth Community Capitals Framework Institute: Using the Community Capitals Framework for Assessment, Community Organizing and Evaluation
The Sixth Community Capitals Framework Institute, sponsored by the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, will focus broadly on issues related to mapping impact and understanding change processes employing the Community Capitals Framework.
Who should attend? We invite those using the CCF in their practice, research and evaluation work as well as those who want to know more about the framework and how they might use it. Those who attend will have an opportunity to share their work and experiences with others and to develop strategies for applying the CCF to current research, practice and evaluation efforts.
The Institute will start Friday, October 15, at 8 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 16. To register, please contact Kurt Mantonya at kmantonya@heartlandcenter.info. Please also share the invitation to participate with others who have an interest in community and organizational vitality.
Your registration fee of $68 will include materials, one lunch and a local foods dinner at. The hotel offers a hot breakfast.
Location
The Sixth Community Capitals Framework Institute-Using the Community Capitals Framework for Assessment, Community Organizing and Evaluation will be held at Country Inn and Suites, 2605 S.E. 16th St., Ames, Iowa.
Participants are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. A block of lodging rooms is being held under the name "Community Capitals Workshop" until October 4 at $75 per night. To make your reservations contact:
Country Inn & Suites
2605 S.E. 16th St.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 233-3935, (515) 233-1515 fax http://www.countryinns.com/amesia
Special Requirements We will make every effort to accommodate any special needs. Please list any special dietary or accessibility requirements:
Who should attend? We invite those using the CCF in their practice, research and evaluation work as well as those who want to know more about the framework and how they might use it. Those who attend will have an opportunity to share their work and experiences with others and to develop strategies for applying the CCF to current research, practice and evaluation efforts.
The Institute will start Friday, October 15, at 8 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 16. To register, please contact Kurt Mantonya at kmantonya@heartlandcenter.info. Please also share the invitation to participate with others who have an interest in community and organizational vitality.
Your registration fee of $68 will include materials, one lunch and a local foods dinner at. The hotel offers a hot breakfast.
Location
The Sixth Community Capitals Framework Institute-Using the Community Capitals Framework for Assessment, Community Organizing and Evaluation will be held at Country Inn and Suites, 2605 S.E. 16th St., Ames, Iowa.
Participants are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. A block of lodging rooms is being held under the name "Community Capitals Workshop" until October 4 at $75 per night. To make your reservations contact:
Country Inn & Suites
2605 S.E. 16th St.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 233-3935, (515) 233-1515 fax http://www.countryinns.com/amesia
Special Requirements We will make every effort to accommodate any special needs. Please list any special dietary or accessibility requirements:
2010-09-02
Visions from the Heartland--September 2010
News from the Heartland Center
The Heartland Center is continuing to add to its international reputation for high-quality interactive learning in traditional face-to-face workshops with equally valued interactive webinars in the age of on-line learning. In October we will complete our second series of webinars in this calendar year, and soon we will announce a three-part series starting later in October and ending in December. Our intent is to deliver four three-part webinar series annually, plus occasional one-time offerings on new subjects that we think may be of special interest to our workshop and webinar participants in the U.S. and abroad.
In the current webinar series on Leadership Development and Board Effectiveness, we've had as many as 129 participants in 13 states joining us for a one-hour, live session. Participants get advance reading materials and the opportunity, on-line, to join in at least three interactive learning sessions. Once each webinar closes, we post a link to an archival recording, which participants may re-visit on their own time or tune in if they missed the live session.
Recently, we've been asked to share what we know about interactive learning on-line with other organizations that are just beginning to explore what it means to do training by webinar. If you are interested in this service, contact Senior Associate Kurt Mantonya to learn more. Kurt's address is kmantonya@heartlandcenter.info.
--Milan Wall & Vicki Luther, Co-Directors
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Midwest Rural Assembly Attracts 120 Participants
The Heartland Center was a sponsor and coordinating organization for this year's Midwest Rural Assembly, held August 16-17, 2010 in South Sioux City, Nebraska. Milan Wall, one of the Center's co-directors, helped open the assembly with welcoming remarks. Milan also facilitated a round table discussion on Innovative Strategies for Community Change. This session was one of 22 round tables designed to bring people together to discuss ways of sharing information and addressing priorities.
A critical topic at the assembly was reversing the trend of exporting young people. Five young leaders focused on how rural communities can, instead, welcome and sustain the next generation. Their priorities include:
* Helping young adults get started in sustainable agriculture
* Promoting a broader vision of health
* Preserving working lands
* Providing more educational options in rural areas
* Promoting asset development for people with low incomes
* Attracting young people who care about the environment
Victor Vasquez, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development, outlined key priorities for the department over the next few years:
* Local and regional markets for farmers through the Know your Farmer, Know your Food program. "We've seen nothing but success."
* Expanding broadband access to make rural communities more competitive economically. "It's not just about technology. It's going to change the nature of education for children who live in poor, rural communities. It will change how they perceive education and the world."
* Renewable energy. The USDA is working closely with the Department of Energy and other partners to reduce and eliminate U.S. dependence on foreign oil. "Ultimately, this is how we view our natural resources and the environment and do things in a better way," said Vasquez. He anticipated an enhanced level of collaboration with DOE that could result in more announcements supporting energy efficiency in the months to come.
* Better land management. USDA oversees tens of thousands of acres of public land. The agency is studying how it can work better with the communities around that land, along with state and local governments, to increase economic development and better manage the natural resources.
"This year's assembly was well attended and the variety of information from the speakers and round tables was remarkable," said Wall. "I am glad that the Heartland Center was a sponsor and host organization. It's venues like this that will make a difference in rural America."
Heartland Center has a Major Presence at the Community Development Society
Heartland Center staff members Milan Wall and Kurt Mantonya attended the annual meeting of the Community Development Society in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 26-29, 2010.
Kurt presented a paper and Power Point presentation entitled "Utilizing the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context," which focused the Community Capitals Framework developed by Heartland Center board member Cornelia Butler Flora and her husband Jan Flora. Kurt placed this framework into societies such as Chaco Canyon in New Mexico that collapsed or were abandoned.
Milan facilitated a session on Innovative Strategies for Community Change that brought together practitioners from the field of rural and community development to identify best practices. This session was created based on convenings of practitioners held in Minnesota and Illinois and led to regional venues such as the Midwest Rural Assembly. Once these best practices have been synthesized, they will be disseminated through a variety of media.
Community Capitals Framework Institute--
Call for Participation
Are you currently using the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) in your work? If so, we would like to learn about your approach and methods. This year's CCF Institute will feature several sessions on data collection, coding and analysis using the CCF in addition to the work sessions created by participants' practice.
We are particularly interested in how the Community Capitals Framework is being used to understand the impact of community change work, leadership development, and climate change. We are also interested in strategies to engage communities and organizations using the Community Capitals Framework. Finally, we want to bring great minds together to discuss strategies for collecting and analyzing data using the CCF.
If you are interested in participating in the program, please send an abstract of your work (500 words) along with key words to Mary Emery at memery@iastate.edu by September 15.
The Heartland Center is a co-sponsor of this year's CCF Institute.
On the Calendar at the Heartland Center
September 2010
* The Heartland Center's webinar on Stewardship Essentials will take place on the 14th.
* The Heartland Center, in collaboration with the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Nebraska Community Foundation, will be presenting HomeTown Competitiveness at the CFED Assets Learning Conference in Washington, D.C. on the 22nd.
October 2010
*
Milan Wall is presenting at the Community Matters 2010 Conference in Denver sponsored by the Orton Family Foundation on the 5th through the 8th.
*
The Heartland Center will be co-sponsoring the Community Capitals Framework Institute in Ames, Iowa, on the 15th and 16th. Kurt will be presenting Utilizing the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context.
*
The Heartland Center's webinar on Governance Effectiveness will take place on the 19th.
*
Milan is presenting a keynote on Clues to Rural Community Survival in Ontario at the Rural Revitalization Summit on the 20th.
About the Heartland Center
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent nonprofit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. The Heartland Center is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a field office located in Kerrville, Texas.
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
650 J St. Suite 305-C
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 474-7667
www.heartlandcenter.info
The Heartland Center is continuing to add to its international reputation for high-quality interactive learning in traditional face-to-face workshops with equally valued interactive webinars in the age of on-line learning. In October we will complete our second series of webinars in this calendar year, and soon we will announce a three-part series starting later in October and ending in December. Our intent is to deliver four three-part webinar series annually, plus occasional one-time offerings on new subjects that we think may be of special interest to our workshop and webinar participants in the U.S. and abroad.
In the current webinar series on Leadership Development and Board Effectiveness, we've had as many as 129 participants in 13 states joining us for a one-hour, live session. Participants get advance reading materials and the opportunity, on-line, to join in at least three interactive learning sessions. Once each webinar closes, we post a link to an archival recording, which participants may re-visit on their own time or tune in if they missed the live session.
Recently, we've been asked to share what we know about interactive learning on-line with other organizations that are just beginning to explore what it means to do training by webinar. If you are interested in this service, contact Senior Associate Kurt Mantonya to learn more. Kurt's address is kmantonya@heartlandcenter.info.
--Milan Wall & Vicki Luther, Co-Directors
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Midwest Rural Assembly Attracts 120 Participants
The Heartland Center was a sponsor and coordinating organization for this year's Midwest Rural Assembly, held August 16-17, 2010 in South Sioux City, Nebraska. Milan Wall, one of the Center's co-directors, helped open the assembly with welcoming remarks. Milan also facilitated a round table discussion on Innovative Strategies for Community Change. This session was one of 22 round tables designed to bring people together to discuss ways of sharing information and addressing priorities.
A critical topic at the assembly was reversing the trend of exporting young people. Five young leaders focused on how rural communities can, instead, welcome and sustain the next generation. Their priorities include:
* Helping young adults get started in sustainable agriculture
* Promoting a broader vision of health
* Preserving working lands
* Providing more educational options in rural areas
* Promoting asset development for people with low incomes
* Attracting young people who care about the environment
Victor Vasquez, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development, outlined key priorities for the department over the next few years:
* Local and regional markets for farmers through the Know your Farmer, Know your Food program. "We've seen nothing but success."
* Expanding broadband access to make rural communities more competitive economically. "It's not just about technology. It's going to change the nature of education for children who live in poor, rural communities. It will change how they perceive education and the world."
* Renewable energy. The USDA is working closely with the Department of Energy and other partners to reduce and eliminate U.S. dependence on foreign oil. "Ultimately, this is how we view our natural resources and the environment and do things in a better way," said Vasquez. He anticipated an enhanced level of collaboration with DOE that could result in more announcements supporting energy efficiency in the months to come.
* Better land management. USDA oversees tens of thousands of acres of public land. The agency is studying how it can work better with the communities around that land, along with state and local governments, to increase economic development and better manage the natural resources.
"This year's assembly was well attended and the variety of information from the speakers and round tables was remarkable," said Wall. "I am glad that the Heartland Center was a sponsor and host organization. It's venues like this that will make a difference in rural America."
Heartland Center has a Major Presence at the Community Development Society
Heartland Center staff members Milan Wall and Kurt Mantonya attended the annual meeting of the Community Development Society in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 26-29, 2010.
Kurt presented a paper and Power Point presentation entitled "Utilizing the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context," which focused the Community Capitals Framework developed by Heartland Center board member Cornelia Butler Flora and her husband Jan Flora. Kurt placed this framework into societies such as Chaco Canyon in New Mexico that collapsed or were abandoned.
Milan facilitated a session on Innovative Strategies for Community Change that brought together practitioners from the field of rural and community development to identify best practices. This session was created based on convenings of practitioners held in Minnesota and Illinois and led to regional venues such as the Midwest Rural Assembly. Once these best practices have been synthesized, they will be disseminated through a variety of media.
Community Capitals Framework Institute--
Call for Participation
Are you currently using the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) in your work? If so, we would like to learn about your approach and methods. This year's CCF Institute will feature several sessions on data collection, coding and analysis using the CCF in addition to the work sessions created by participants' practice.
We are particularly interested in how the Community Capitals Framework is being used to understand the impact of community change work, leadership development, and climate change. We are also interested in strategies to engage communities and organizations using the Community Capitals Framework. Finally, we want to bring great minds together to discuss strategies for collecting and analyzing data using the CCF.
If you are interested in participating in the program, please send an abstract of your work (500 words) along with key words to Mary Emery at memery@iastate.edu by September 15.
The Heartland Center is a co-sponsor of this year's CCF Institute.
On the Calendar at the Heartland Center
September 2010
* The Heartland Center's webinar on Stewardship Essentials will take place on the 14th.
* The Heartland Center, in collaboration with the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Nebraska Community Foundation, will be presenting HomeTown Competitiveness at the CFED Assets Learning Conference in Washington, D.C. on the 22nd.
October 2010
*
Milan Wall is presenting at the Community Matters 2010 Conference in Denver sponsored by the Orton Family Foundation on the 5th through the 8th.
*
The Heartland Center will be co-sponsoring the Community Capitals Framework Institute in Ames, Iowa, on the 15th and 16th. Kurt will be presenting Utilizing the Community Capitals Framework in an Ethnohistorical Context.
*
The Heartland Center's webinar on Governance Effectiveness will take place on the 19th.
*
Milan is presenting a keynote on Clues to Rural Community Survival in Ontario at the Rural Revitalization Summit on the 20th.
About the Heartland Center
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent nonprofit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. The Heartland Center is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a field office located in Kerrville, Texas.
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
650 J St. Suite 305-C
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 474-7667
www.heartlandcenter.info
2010-08-04
Helping Small Towns Succeed
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development in Conjunction with Rural Partners of Michigan Announces its Annual Institute, Helping Small Towns Succeed.
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is pleased to announce that this year's Helping Small Towns Succeed Institute will be held September 27-29, 2010 in South Haven, Michigan.
Helping Small Towns Succeed is the longest running program of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development and covers the range of the Center's focus and expertise with small communities. It has been attended by more than 1,000 people since its introduction in 1992. The content is updated annually and the conference is offered once a year for the Center's national audience.
This year's content will include:
Clues to Community Survival
Bring citizens together to help identify community strengths and opportunities, and create strategies for long and short
term aspirations and results.
* Explore the characteristics of thriving small towns· Learn techniques for applying this information to back home situations
* Gain a tested, conceptual framework for community development
* Share ideas about community projects within that framework
Leadership Styles and Practices
Features strategies for recruiting and motivating leaders. Personal assessment
instrument on leadership skills and styles.
* Review the historical theories of leadership
Learn a model for practical leadership development
* Test the model within a self-assessment on your leadership skills
* Discuss case studies of community leadership challenges
* Focus on the recruitment of new leaders in a community setting
Appreciative Inquiry
This positive approach to revitalization is gaining worldwide recognition
as a powerful tool for moving communities forward by examining past success.
* Understand the theory of appreciative inquiry
* Explore the techniques and applications of appreciative inquiry as a planning tool
* Learn about the Center's model for a Town Hall meeting using appreciative
* inquiry
* Practice the four elements of appreciative inquiry
* Consider back home applications of the Town Hall meeting model
Branding Your Community
Is your community marketing its attractions to its fullest potential? This
workshop will familiarize you with the concept of branding your community
and offer tools for effective marketing.
* Use a brand creation approach to community identity
* Apply your brand creation to community identity
* Explore tips for creating community brands
* Market your community
Building Social Capital
Unleash the power of social capital in your community. The techniques in this session will help you strengthen your community via building social networks.
* Review the literature and research on social capital
* Problem-solve on how to change projects to address building social capital
* Analyze back home projects that do or do not address building social capital
* Learn about a survey designed to measure social capital and other community capacities
HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC)
HTC is rapidly becoming a fixture in community development theory and
practice throughout the U.S. This framework relies on four key pillars that
can be found or nurtured in every community. This session will be held concurrently with the session on Strengthening Group Effectiveness
* Build local leadership to mobilize and organize diverse community capacity that can sustain community and economic development
* Expand community philanthropy to use charitable giving and endowment building as a tool for sustaining homegrown community economic development
* Energize entrepreneurs to nurture and network residents who want to start or expand a business
* Engage youth and young people to cultivate a sense of belonging, investment and community involvement so that remaining or returning home is seen as an attractive option
Strengthening Group Effectiveness
Managing effective meetings may seem simple, yet it's often a challenging job for community development practitioners, whose role includes leading diverse groups to consensus and beyond. This session will be held concurrently with the session on HomeTown Competitiveness.
* Review elements of group effectiveness
* Understand the stages of group development
* Learn two major group functions and how they are played out
* Review the characteristics of effective groups
Your Training Team
A team of highly experienced community development trainers leads all of your sessions. The team is headed by Heartland Center Co-Directors Vicki Luther and Milan Wall and Senior Associate Kurt Mantonya.
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent nonprofit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. The Heartland Center is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska with a field office located in Kerrville, Texas.
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
650 J St. Suite 305-C
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 474-7667
www.heartlandcenter.info
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is pleased to announce that this year's Helping Small Towns Succeed Institute will be held September 27-29, 2010 in South Haven, Michigan.
Helping Small Towns Succeed is the longest running program of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development and covers the range of the Center's focus and expertise with small communities. It has been attended by more than 1,000 people since its introduction in 1992. The content is updated annually and the conference is offered once a year for the Center's national audience.
This year's content will include:
Clues to Community Survival
Bring citizens together to help identify community strengths and opportunities, and create strategies for long and short
term aspirations and results.
* Explore the characteristics of thriving small towns· Learn techniques for applying this information to back home situations
* Gain a tested, conceptual framework for community development
* Share ideas about community projects within that framework
Leadership Styles and Practices
Features strategies for recruiting and motivating leaders. Personal assessment
instrument on leadership skills and styles.
* Review the historical theories of leadership
Learn a model for practical leadership development
* Test the model within a self-assessment on your leadership skills
* Discuss case studies of community leadership challenges
* Focus on the recruitment of new leaders in a community setting
Appreciative Inquiry
This positive approach to revitalization is gaining worldwide recognition
as a powerful tool for moving communities forward by examining past success.
* Understand the theory of appreciative inquiry
* Explore the techniques and applications of appreciative inquiry as a planning tool
* Learn about the Center's model for a Town Hall meeting using appreciative
* inquiry
* Practice the four elements of appreciative inquiry
* Consider back home applications of the Town Hall meeting model
Branding Your Community
Is your community marketing its attractions to its fullest potential? This
workshop will familiarize you with the concept of branding your community
and offer tools for effective marketing.
* Use a brand creation approach to community identity
* Apply your brand creation to community identity
* Explore tips for creating community brands
* Market your community
Building Social Capital
Unleash the power of social capital in your community. The techniques in this session will help you strengthen your community via building social networks.
* Review the literature and research on social capital
* Problem-solve on how to change projects to address building social capital
* Analyze back home projects that do or do not address building social capital
* Learn about a survey designed to measure social capital and other community capacities
HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC)
HTC is rapidly becoming a fixture in community development theory and
practice throughout the U.S. This framework relies on four key pillars that
can be found or nurtured in every community. This session will be held concurrently with the session on Strengthening Group Effectiveness
* Build local leadership to mobilize and organize diverse community capacity that can sustain community and economic development
* Expand community philanthropy to use charitable giving and endowment building as a tool for sustaining homegrown community economic development
* Energize entrepreneurs to nurture and network residents who want to start or expand a business
* Engage youth and young people to cultivate a sense of belonging, investment and community involvement so that remaining or returning home is seen as an attractive option
Strengthening Group Effectiveness
Managing effective meetings may seem simple, yet it's often a challenging job for community development practitioners, whose role includes leading diverse groups to consensus and beyond. This session will be held concurrently with the session on HomeTown Competitiveness.
* Review elements of group effectiveness
* Understand the stages of group development
* Learn two major group functions and how they are played out
* Review the characteristics of effective groups
Your Training Team
A team of highly experienced community development trainers leads all of your sessions. The team is headed by Heartland Center Co-Directors Vicki Luther and Milan Wall and Senior Associate Kurt Mantonya.
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent nonprofit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. The Heartland Center is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska with a field office located in Kerrville, Texas.
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
650 J St. Suite 305-C
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 474-7667
www.heartlandcenter.info
2010-06-01
2010-05-19
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
In a previous post, I mentioned about the field work and interviews conducted on several reservations in order to create a curriculum and the "25 Characteristics of Thriving Tribal Economies." The case study on Wind River was also included in the updated edition of the Heartland Center's "Clues to Rural Community Survival."
The people of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming view entrepreneurship as the key to future survival. Entrepreneurship, they say, will encourage more people to shop locally, while attracting more outside dollars into the community. Locally owned businesses are important for a community that faces such challenges as a 54% unemployment rate, 28% living on per-capita payments to tribal members, and 62% living below the poverty level. While there are many opportunities for economic development, the twist is finding the right strategy and maintaining traditional cultural and tribal values that are important to the two tribes that share this reservation.
For many entrepreneurs, the main obstacle is financing. The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) provides micro-loans after completion of the Strengthening and Growing Entrepreneurs (SAGE) course offered by the Wind River Development Fund. But as one local entrepreneur says, “People are scared they are going to get their credit rejected—a lot of people have good ideas but don’t want to take the risks because they are afraid to quit their current job, with nothing to fall back on. Taking risks is scary.”
Wind River is similar to many rural communities in the U.S. facing survival challenges. With the expansion and sprawl of large retail chains, it is difficult for smaller entrepreneurs or even established businesses to survive. There is competition between Lander and Riverton, just 20 miles apart for consumer dollars. One of the Shoshone tribal members drives that point home. “We need to make businesses profitable and successful by teaching the community to shop locally first, but Wal-Mart is so close.” She also says that while the superstores may have cheaper shelf prices, “by the time you pay for gasoline to get there and back the full cost is probably higher.”
Another businessman, who operates a trading post on the reservation, echoes a similar sentiment. “I can’t charge high prices for the items in my store because I can’t compete with Denver and Cheyenne.”
The beautiful Wind River Reservation is located on 2.2 million acres in west central Wyoming, spanning from Riverton to the east and ending near the town of Dubois to the west. The north-south range encompasses the Owl Creek Mountains to the north to Sand Draw to the south. The reservation is home to two tribes that are linguistically and culturally different. The Northern Arapahoe and the Eastern Shoshone cooperate on reservation-wide matters to meet the needs of all citizens. Once traditional enemies who were forced together in 1868, the tribes today govern reservation lands jointly while maintaining separate identities, languages and cultures.
Ft. Washakie, 40 miles west of Riverton, serves as the tribal headquarters for both the Shoshone and Arapahoe. Other communities within the immediate area include Ethete, Wind River, St. Stephens and Arapahoe. A joint business council meets periodically to make reservation-wide decisions while each tribe has a separate tribal council to handle matters that are specific to that tribe.
The joint business council is responsible for oversight activities on matters that concern jointly owned resources, programs and land, of which each tribe owns 50%. The leadership position of the joint business council alternates between an Arapahoe chair and a Shoshone chair every other meeting or as agreed upon between the two tribes.
There are many layers and levels of bureaucracy involved when each individual tribe, as well as the joint council and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), work together. One result of the complex procedure is anyone trying to do economic development tends to find their task overwhelming. “This is one of the main weaknesses of the system because almost anyone can present an opportunity at any time or anyone representing an outside entity can propose (a project) for consideration to either tribe, the joint council, or the BIA,” said one tribal planner. “Thus we spend a lot of time and resources with a lot of different entities working separately toward the same goal which creates competitive chaos, and the result is usually that nothing gets accomplished.”
The old style of business is where outside entities wanting to do business on the reservation either go to the BIA, tribal attorneys or tribal members looking for who they thought were “movers and shakers” to sponsor their proposals. They often wine and dine the locals, expecting them to help bypass the rules, regulations and red tape. This has created a need for an initial single point of contact to reduce the opportunity for deals to take place that are detrimental to the tribes and their resources.
Sovereignty, jurisdiction and ownership are critical to tribal economic development. The tribal leaders would like to see the tribe grow economically but carefully. Economic pursuits that are culturally, ceremonially and tribally sensitive that generate revenue define economic development. The tribal planners have seen business opportunities come and go and remember that one of the most successful economic development projects came as a result of a forest fire.
The Kates Basin fire scorched over 136,000 acres and was ranked as one of the top ten forest fires at the time. But with destruction came opportunity. The tribes contracted to administer the $2.3 million rehabilitation plan, which was an important step in their efforts to become more independent of the federal government.
Another successful endeavor was the negotiation of the Western Area Power Administration electrical allocation contract. Both of these projects capitalized on natural resources, which when linked with tourism, can increase sources of revenue.
Another source of revenue is entrepreneurship. An enterprising entrepreneur who opened a kids clothing store in Arapahoe credits part of her success to the Wind River Development Fund and their efforts. The Wind River Development Fund engages interested tribal members in the SAGE program, a 10-week course specifically designed for reservation entrepreneurs. The Wind River Development Fund is a partner in the Oweesta Collaborative which was established as a demonstration project focusing on native entrepreneurship in South Dakota and Wyoming. The collaborative incorporates a network of volunteer and paid professional service providers, coaches and mentors to answer questions and provide on-one help to start or grow a business. The premise of the demonstration project is that by systematically growing the private sector on Indian reservations, conditions of long-term poverty can be reduced. According to an Oweesta Collaborative coordinator, “the program is based on the Lakota value of Wawokiye: generosity without expectation of return.” She says that the initiative is a “systematic approach to business development centered on the specific needs of native entrepreneurs.”
Once students have finished the 50-hour course in such areas as rural marketing, making cash flow projections, setting business goals, and tax issues, they are eligible to apply for a small loan from the Wind River Development Fund. A written business plan is also completed, and that has proved to be a valuable asset to Native entrepreneurs who can use their plans as leverage for additional funding. Another valuable program of the WRDF is the Individual Development Account (IDA) that provides, according to the Shoshone Times, “a 3:1 match designed for working families to achieve lasting economic independence by regular saving to ultimately purchase an asset--a small business or a home.”
The SAGE class is also helping a tribal member start a retail sportswear store. “It’s going to be something similar to a Footlocker,” she said. She notes that reservation residents are driving as far as Casper or Denver to buy shoes and athletic apparel. “I am hoping I can get it going. I am going to gear more towards the sports, regular sports, basketball, baseball, football and the clothing.”
As on many reservations, the Arapahoe tribe exercised its sovereignty by establishing a small casino just south of Riverton at the 789 Truck Stop complex as an additional source of revenue. Now in its 14th year, the casino is the only one in the region. It will soon be replaced by a much larger casino that will offer Class III gaming which permits Vegas style gambling. With casino revenue and increased tourism, a few small businesses have cropped up. The Shoshone tribe is also working toward building a tribal casino in another area of the reservation.
But gambling, a lifeline for many tribes, has limited potential here. In Hot Springs and Fremont Counties, cows outnumber people by three to one. The population in the two counties surrounding the reservation is 40,000, including 7,200 Northern Arapahoe and about 4,000 Eastern Shoshone. The key is combining the tourism potential with gaming.
Besides the casino and truck stop, other businesses include an R.V. park, an art gallery, two trading posts, auto repair business, utility company, grocers, gas stations, laundromat and printing business, to name a few, scattered throughout Ft. Washakie, Ethete and Arapahoe. The largest economies in the region rely on resources such as agriculture, ranching, and mining.
Educating people about keeping dollars in the community, shopping locally and breaking a cycle of dependency is critical if this community wants to succeed while maintaining cultural traditions.
2010-05-17
25 Characteristics of Thriving Tribal Economies
During 2006 and 2007, I was engaged in fieldwork to help create a curriculum on tribal economic development and entrepreneurship. The fieldwork, (my favorite part of being and anthropologist) was designed using an Appreciative Inquiry approach that focused on what tribes were doing "right" with regard to economic development rather than the deficiency model. There were five tribes involved in the study; the Wind River reservation in Wyoming, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota, the Winnebago of Nebraska, the Rosebud Sioux of South Dakota and the Flathead of Montana.
Once the fieldwork was completed, we sat down and wrote case studies for each reservation, again focusing on the positive aspects of economic development. After these case studies were created, a companion curriculum was written. This core curriculum was then pilot-tested with a group of tribal planners. The post workshop remarks were very positive. After this training, we once again looked at the data and created what we call "25 Characteristics of Thriving Tribal Economies" as a checklist and workbook. The entire curriculum was then utilized at a training in Montana, once again, with very positive remarks. What follows, are those characteristics. I would like to thank everyone who participated in this program and look forward to taking this training to other communities.
25 Characteristics of Thriving Tribal Economies
1. Balance between traditional wisdom and new approaches.
2. Proactive council that works in tandem with economic development
professionals.
3. Separation of politics and business.
4. Continuity in tribal government.
5. Commitment to economic self sufficiency.
6. Multiple revenue streams created through diversified economic strategies.
7. Keen awareness of internal assets combined with smart use of external resources.
8. Tribal commitment to supporting entrepreneurial efforts and encouraging entrepreneurial spirit.
9. Evidence of an investment culture.
10. Adoption and/or creation of a uniform commercial code.
11. In-place structure guaranteeing an autonomous judiciary.
12. Positioned to take advantage of incentive programs such as 8A, 638.
13. Use of failures and successes to build collective knowledge about managing enterprises.
14. Evidence of a strategic focus in both economic and community development.
15. Willingness to collaborate within the tribe and with other entities.
16. Proactive stance with respect to both internal and external opportunities.
17. Emphasis on the value of spending dollars locally.
18. Recognition of the importance of sovereignty.
19. Recognition of the importance of cultural relevance.
20. Attention to multiple capitals that include social and cultural networks, human capital, financial capital and infrastructure.
21. Strategy to develop tribal financial institutions and/or build successful partnerships with external financial institutions.
22. Importance of having “champions” for community and economic development.
23. Evidence that the tribe is discarding “the BIA mentality.”
24. Support for child care, K-16 and lifelong education.
25. Importance of strong, locally-based institutions (health and wellness, social services, education, etc.).
2010-05-14
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is pleased to announce its new Leadership Development and Board Effectiveness series. These five webinars on developing community leadership and building board member capacity will begin in June and conclude in October, 2010. Each webinar will be designed to provide interaction, discussion and feedback. Webinar participants will receive a packet of downloadable training materials that include session powerpoints and readings. Registrants will also be able to view the webinar via recording, so you can refresh your learning experience at any time. Webinars will last 60 minutes and will be hosted by an experienced team of Heartland Center trainers. This summer's topics include:
* Leadership Styles and Practices: Learn what it means to be an effective leader. Assess your own leadership strengths and aspirations and create an action plan for building new skills and practices.
* Working with Groups: Managing effective meetings may seem simple, yet it's often a challenging job for community development practitioners, whose role includes leading diverse groups to consensus and beyond.
* Engaging the Community: Outlines practical strategies for strengthening your organization through community participation and volunteerism. Once a project is off the ground and you have enough people engaged, this session will also help you maintain momentum.
* Stewardship Essentials: Explains the essential concepts of board stewardship and how stewardship applies to the board's role in interpreting and updating an organization's mission, strategy development, evaluation, resource development and being an effective emissary.
* Governance Effectiveness: Provides an introduction to tools, techniques and processes that effective boards use to plan and manage their meetings, document their decision-making, successfully navigate conflict, recruit and orient new members to board service. The webinar will also help clarify the dual governance roles of staff and board for developing organizational strategies and documenting progress.
Each webinar will start at 12:00 p.m. (Central) and end at 1:00 p.m. The training team includes Milan Wall, Vicki Luther and Kurt Mantonya from the Heartland Center staff and Gordon Goodwin, a former Heartland Center board member with expertise in building board capacity. The cost of each webinar is $59.99, or purchase the entire webinar series at one time for is $250.00, a savings of $49.99. Each registration entitles a single user to have more than one person attend at their computer in one site. Additional registrations from the same organization will be treated as another single registration.
For more details and registration information about this exciting webinar series, please visit the Heartland Center's webinar page. You can also contact Kurt Mantonya for additional information.
* Leadership Styles and Practices: Learn what it means to be an effective leader. Assess your own leadership strengths and aspirations and create an action plan for building new skills and practices.
* Working with Groups: Managing effective meetings may seem simple, yet it's often a challenging job for community development practitioners, whose role includes leading diverse groups to consensus and beyond.
* Engaging the Community: Outlines practical strategies for strengthening your organization through community participation and volunteerism. Once a project is off the ground and you have enough people engaged, this session will also help you maintain momentum.
* Stewardship Essentials: Explains the essential concepts of board stewardship and how stewardship applies to the board's role in interpreting and updating an organization's mission, strategy development, evaluation, resource development and being an effective emissary.
* Governance Effectiveness: Provides an introduction to tools, techniques and processes that effective boards use to plan and manage their meetings, document their decision-making, successfully navigate conflict, recruit and orient new members to board service. The webinar will also help clarify the dual governance roles of staff and board for developing organizational strategies and documenting progress.
Each webinar will start at 12:00 p.m. (Central) and end at 1:00 p.m. The training team includes Milan Wall, Vicki Luther and Kurt Mantonya from the Heartland Center staff and Gordon Goodwin, a former Heartland Center board member with expertise in building board capacity. The cost of each webinar is $59.99, or purchase the entire webinar series at one time for is $250.00, a savings of $49.99. Each registration entitles a single user to have more than one person attend at their computer in one site. Additional registrations from the same organization will be treated as another single registration.
For more details and registration information about this exciting webinar series, please visit the Heartland Center's webinar page. You can also contact Kurt Mantonya for additional information.
Federally Recognized Tribes
Here is the third encyclopedia entry I authored from Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty, Donald Fixico, ed.
Federally recognized tribes are those tribes that share a relationship with the U.S. government either through treaty or through congressional legislation. According to international law and treaty, the U.S. government is supposed to protect the tribal lands and tribal resources of federally recognized tribes. Under the same obligation, it is to provide them federal assistance with health care, education, and economic development (O’Brien 1989, 90). These tribes must have officially been recognized by the federal government. The period of self-determination (1968-present) has seen a dramatic shift in legislative policy and attitude toward Indian country evidenced by the passing of acts developed to foster and stimulate economic development in reservation communities. Examples of these acts include the Indian Financing Act and the Native American Programs Act, which establish a revolving line of credit; the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which allows tribes the opportunity to conduct gaming; and the Indian Tribal Government Tax Status Act, which allows tribes to utilize the tax advantages enjoyed by states and to raise money for governmental programs. Unrecognized tribes, frustrated because these benefits are not reaching their communities, petition to become federally recognized. Of the more than 600 tribes to date, 562 tribes are federally recognized. The federal government classifies tribes into four categories: (1) federally recognized tribes, (2) unrecognized tribes, (3) tribes that have been terminated, and (4) tribes recognized by states. More than two hundred tribes are not recognized by the federal government because of termination, have never been formally recognized via treaty or other legislation, or have been decimated by war and disease. Many of these tribes are currently seeking formal recognition in order to receive federal assistance, but tribes that were terminated cannot seek recognition.
The current process, known as the Federal Acknowledgment Process (FAP) was initiated by Congress on October 2, 1978. The secretary of the interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) set forth ethnohistorical, genealogical, anthropological, geographical, and legislative requirements that petitioners must meet to be recognized. A group must be able to prove that it meets these criteria:
(1) The group can be identified by historical evidence, written or oral, as being an American Indian Tribe; (2) its members are descendants of an Indian Tribe that inhabited a specific area, and these members continue to inhabit a specific area in a community viewed as American Indian and distinct from other populations in the area; (3) the Indian group has maintained governmental authority over its members as an autonomous entity throughout history until the present; (4) the membership of the group is composed principally of persons who are not members of any other Indian tribe; and (5) the tribe has not been the subject of congressional legislation expressly terminating their relationship with the federal government. (Pevar 1992, 262)
Many tribes cannot seek recognition because of the fifth clause, termination; but there are other means, beyond the recognition guidelines, that a tribe can pursue, such as Department of the Interior administrative decisions and congressional legislation.
To date, several hundred groups are seeking federal recognition through the Federal Acknowledgment Process by meeting the requirements and submitting to review by the Department of the Interior. The process is costly, more than $250,000 per case. The benefits of reestablishing the relationship between government and tribe are immense. Not only is the tribe eligible for welfare, health care, education, and other federal assistance, but the tribe can enter into and negotiate casino gaming compacts if the state in which it is located allows this form of gaming. Indian gaming is a multibillion-dollar business that has benefited the tribes that operate casinos.
Kurt T. Mantonya
See also
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 1831; Federal Acknowledgment Process (FAP); Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 1988; Termination.
References and Further Reading
O’Brien, Sharon. 1989. American Indian Tribal Governments. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
Prevar, Stephen L. 1992. An American Civil Liberties Union Handbook: The Rights of Indians and Tribes. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. 2002. Testimony Before the Committee on Indian Affairs, U.S. Senate. Indian Issues: Basis for BIA’s Tribal Recognition Decisions Is Not Always Clear. Statement of Barry T. Hill, Director, Natural Resources and Environment. Washington, D.C.: General Accounting Office.
2010-05-07
Indian Civil Rights Act
Here is the second encyclopedia entry from Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty, Donald Fixico, ed.
Indian Civil Rights Act, 1968
The Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA, 25 U.S.C. §§ 1301–1333) was enacted on April 11, 1968, and is like the Bill of Rights in that it guarantees to Native peoples personal freedoms against actions of the federal government. The act was born out of necessity. Public Law 280, passed in 1954, transferred civil and criminal jurisdiction of reservation Indians to six states (Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin). Public Law 280 created a certain amount of lawlessness and reduced federal programs to Indian citizens, for example, welfare, health, education, and law enforcement programs in California. Other examples include allegations of maltreatment or lack of protection by law enforcement officers because reservations have no tax base, or because in many instances the response time (several miles) makes law enforcement almost nonexistent. Because Indian tribes were not subject to the Bill of Rights and other constitutional protections, the Indian Civil Rights Act was passed in response to lawlessness before as well as after the passage of PL 280 and in response to other issues pertaining to crime in Indian country. The ICRA is divided into seven titles: Title I is the act itself. Title II encompasses the definition of an Indian tribe, self-government, tribal courts, and Indian rights. Title III establishes the model code governing courts of Indian offenses. Title IV covers jurisdiction over criminal and civil actions (PL 280). Title V is an amendment to the United States Code, Section 1153 of Title 18. Title VI deals with the employment of legal counsel by Indian tribes. Title VII deals with materials relating to the constitutional rights of Indians and authorizes the secretary of the interior to make available certain documents, manuscripts, and opinions relating to Indian law and to republish these documents. The documents include Indian Affairs Laws and Treaties, Volumes 1 and 2, and Federal Indian Law.
The most important title, Title II, defines an Indian tribe, self-government, and the tribal court, as well as the constitutional rights provided by the act and habeas corpus (release from unlawful restraint). The constitutional rights provided in Title II of the ICRA are as follows:
No Indian tribe in exercising powers of self-government shall (1) make or enforce any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for a redress of grievances; (2) violate the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, nor issue warrants, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized; (3) subject any person for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy; (4) compel any person in any criminal case to be a witness against himself; (5) take any private property for a public use without just compensations; (6) deny to any person in a criminal proceeding the right to a speedy and public trial, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and at his own expense to have the assistance of counsel for his defense; (7) require excessive bail, impose excessive fines, inflict cruel and unusual punishments, and in no event impose for conviction of any one offense any penalty or punishment greater then imprisonment for a term of one year or a fine of $5,000, or both; (8) deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws or deprive any person of liberty or property without due process of law; (9) pass any bill of attainder or ex post facto law; or (10) deny to any person accused of an offense punishable by imprisonment the right, upon request, to a trial by jury of not less than six persons. (Getches, Wilkinson, and Williams 1998, 506)
Kurt T. Mantonya
See also
Indian Country; Public Law 280, 1953.
References and Further Reading
Clarkin, Thomas. 2001. Federal Indian Policy: In the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations 1961–1969. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
Deloria, Vine, Jr., and Clifford M. Lytle. 1983. American Indians, American Justice. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Getches, David H., Charles F. Wilkinson, and Robert A. Williams, Jr. 1998. Cases and Materials on Federal Indian Law. St. Paul, MN: West.
Johnson, Troy R., ed. 1999. Contemporary Native American Political Issues. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.
Indian Civil Rights Act, 1968
The Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA, 25 U.S.C. §§ 1301–1333) was enacted on April 11, 1968, and is like the Bill of Rights in that it guarantees to Native peoples personal freedoms against actions of the federal government. The act was born out of necessity. Public Law 280, passed in 1954, transferred civil and criminal jurisdiction of reservation Indians to six states (Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin). Public Law 280 created a certain amount of lawlessness and reduced federal programs to Indian citizens, for example, welfare, health, education, and law enforcement programs in California. Other examples include allegations of maltreatment or lack of protection by law enforcement officers because reservations have no tax base, or because in many instances the response time (several miles) makes law enforcement almost nonexistent. Because Indian tribes were not subject to the Bill of Rights and other constitutional protections, the Indian Civil Rights Act was passed in response to lawlessness before as well as after the passage of PL 280 and in response to other issues pertaining to crime in Indian country. The ICRA is divided into seven titles: Title I is the act itself. Title II encompasses the definition of an Indian tribe, self-government, tribal courts, and Indian rights. Title III establishes the model code governing courts of Indian offenses. Title IV covers jurisdiction over criminal and civil actions (PL 280). Title V is an amendment to the United States Code, Section 1153 of Title 18. Title VI deals with the employment of legal counsel by Indian tribes. Title VII deals with materials relating to the constitutional rights of Indians and authorizes the secretary of the interior to make available certain documents, manuscripts, and opinions relating to Indian law and to republish these documents. The documents include Indian Affairs Laws and Treaties, Volumes 1 and 2, and Federal Indian Law.
The most important title, Title II, defines an Indian tribe, self-government, and the tribal court, as well as the constitutional rights provided by the act and habeas corpus (release from unlawful restraint). The constitutional rights provided in Title II of the ICRA are as follows:
No Indian tribe in exercising powers of self-government shall (1) make or enforce any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for a redress of grievances; (2) violate the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, nor issue warrants, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized; (3) subject any person for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy; (4) compel any person in any criminal case to be a witness against himself; (5) take any private property for a public use without just compensations; (6) deny to any person in a criminal proceeding the right to a speedy and public trial, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and at his own expense to have the assistance of counsel for his defense; (7) require excessive bail, impose excessive fines, inflict cruel and unusual punishments, and in no event impose for conviction of any one offense any penalty or punishment greater then imprisonment for a term of one year or a fine of $5,000, or both; (8) deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws or deprive any person of liberty or property without due process of law; (9) pass any bill of attainder or ex post facto law; or (10) deny to any person accused of an offense punishable by imprisonment the right, upon request, to a trial by jury of not less than six persons. (Getches, Wilkinson, and Williams 1998, 506)
Kurt T. Mantonya
See also
Indian Country; Public Law 280, 1953.
References and Further Reading
Clarkin, Thomas. 2001. Federal Indian Policy: In the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations 1961–1969. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
Deloria, Vine, Jr., and Clifford M. Lytle. 1983. American Indians, American Justice. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Getches, David H., Charles F. Wilkinson, and Robert A. Williams, Jr. 1998. Cases and Materials on Federal Indian Law. St. Paul, MN: West.
Johnson, Troy R., ed. 1999. Contemporary Native American Political Issues. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.
May, 2010 E-Visions from the Heartland
The May issue of E-Visions from the Heartland has just been released. Take a few minutes to see what the Center has been up to, learn about our upcoming five-part webinar series entitled Leadership Development and Board Effectiveness and read about a recent graduate who returned to his home town.
2010-04-22
Encyclopedia Entries
I am going to be uploading some of my published material. The first three that I will upload over the next few days are encyclopedia entries from Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty, Donald Fixico, ed. It was published in 2007 in three volumes and 958 pages. This encyclopedia was awarded with Outstanding Academic Title 2009 by Choice and the Booklist Editors' Choice--2008.
COUNCIL GROVE, KANSAS
Council Grove, Kansas, is one of the state’s oldest historic communities, having played a part in an important chapter in American Indian treaty history. The community is located in Morris County in east central Kansas, on the Neosho River (Neosho is an Indian word meaning “wet bottoms”). Because of its location on the Santa Fe Trail, Council Grove became an important gathering place for tribes and traders. It was the intention of the U.S. government to foster a safe route along the trail vis-Ã -vis treaty with Native Americans in the area. The first of these treaties was concluded on August 10, 1825, with the Big and Little Bands of Osage Indians, so that the U.S. government could obtain the right-of-way for a public highway, thus establishing the Santa Fe Trail.
The treaty was signed under an oak tree in a large grove of timber on the eastern side of the Neosho River. George C. Sibley, one of three commissioners sent by President John Quincy Adams, named the area Council Grove for the convocation of treaty signers. The other two commissioners were Benjamin Reeves and Thomas Mathers. For the right-of-way through their territory, the Osage were paid $800. The commission headed west and six days later met with the Kaw or Kanza Indians to negotiate a treaty.
The treaty was signed on August 16, 1825, although not in Council Grove but in McPherson County, Kansas. The treaty was an exact duplicate of the treaty with the Osage. In this treaty, the Kaw Indians gave up their tribal lands of some twenty million acres in northeast Kansas and relocated to a twenty-square-mile reservation near present-day Topeka, Kansas. For the cession of this vast land base, the Kaw were awarded an annuity of $3,500 for twenty years; a quantity of cattle, hogs, and domestic fowl; a blacksmith; and an agricultural instructor. Another treaty with the Kaw in 1846 relocated the tribal members to a twenty-square-mile reservation and encompassed what is now present-day Council Grove. Provisions of this treaty included the sale of their two-million-acre reservation for ten cents an acre; in return, the tribe received an annuity of $8,000 for thirty years; $2,000 for agriculture and education; a gristmill; and 256,000 acres. Manifest Destiny and the desire to open up more lands for expansion led to yet another treaty with the Kaw. A treaty signed in 1859 pushed the reservation slightly south of Council Grove from Kaw lands and gave the tribe only 80,000 of the poorest acres in the area, to be divided into forty-acre plots for each family. The remaining 176,000 of the 256,000 acres were held in trust by the U.S. government, to be sold to the highest bidder. Finally, on May 27, 1872, the starving Kaw (for whom the state of Kansas is named) were relocated to Oklahoma. The Kaw were relocated and their lands diminished so often in such a short time that Kaw Chief Al-le-ga-wa-ho pleaded to Secretary of the Interior Colombus Delano, “Great Father, you Whites treat us Kan-zey like a flock of turkeys, you chase us to one stream, then you chase us to another stream, soon you will chase us over the mountains and into the ocean” (“Collision” 2003, para. 20).
By the Neosho River, a stump portion of the Council Oak still remains, protected by a shelter. Before it was blown over by a storm in 1958, the tree was seventy feet tall, and its trunk was sixteen feet around. In the area are fifteen more state and federal historic properties, including the Council Grove Historic District and the Kaw Methodist Mission.
Kurt T. Mantonya
See also
Treaty with the Great and Little Osage–August 10, 1825; Treaty with the Kansa–August 16, 1825; Treaty with the Kansa Tribe–January 14, 1846; Treaty with the Kansa Tribe–October 5, 1859.
References and Further Reading
Brigham, Lalla Maloy. 1921. The Story of Council Grove on the Santa Fe Trail. Topeka: Kansas State Historical Society.
“Collision–Lethal Contact.” 2003. Kaw Mission State Historic Site. Retrieved June 5, 2007, from http://ww.kshs.org/places/kawmision/lethalkanzareservations.htm.
Rollings, Willard H. 1995. The Osage: An Ethnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains. Columbia: University of Missouri Press.
U.S. Department of War. 1825. Indian Treaties, and Laws and Regulations Relating to Indian Affairs: To Which is Added an Appendix Containing the Proceedings of the Old Congress, and Other Important State Papers, in Relation to Indian Affairs. Washington City: Way and Gideon.
2010-04-21
Things That Make You Want to Scream!!!
Like everyone, my email inbox is riddled with spam. I get the Hybrid Car, Spycamera, Mysnoring and Viagra emails almost daily. In fact I deleted 700 emails last night that I received the past three weeks. I have also noticed an uptick in the number of ponzi schemes, specifically the "I am related to Nigerian royalty and I need to send money in order to secure my portion of $30M or so." So what's the big deal? Well I got one today that just turned my stomach and am pasting the body of that email below.
Hello,
My name is Sgt., I am an American soldier serving with the 3rd infantry division in Iraq.
I have summed up courage to contact you to seek your co-operation in moving some funds from here.
The said fund in US currency was discovered in barrels at a farmhouse during a rescue operation in one of the former military dictator's top men who died while trying to escape,I managed to conceal some of this fund with the help of a colleague.
Now that we are out of town and restricted to our camp till we pullout finally,I have been able to get the money, which runs close to fifteen million dollars,carefully packaged and carefully packaged and moved safely out of troubled spot and spotlight to a British security courier company office which enjoys diplomatic immunity here.THEY DON'T KNOW THE REAL CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE BUT BELIEVE THAT IT CONTAINS PERSONAL EFFECTS WHICH BELONG TO AN AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR SOLDIER WHO DIED IN A RAID HERE IN IRAQ WHO BEFORE GIVING UP, URGED ME TO DELIVER THE LUGGAGE TO HIS FAMILY IN THE STATE.
With our impending return to State,I have decided to move the package (fund) out now, and this is where I need you to act as the supposed relatives of the deceased and thereby receive the package.
I have found a very safe way of getting this package to you at home and will discuss it upon your response provided I can be assured it will be safe till I return.I want you to indicate YOUR INTEREST to go on with me,and how much percentage you want for your co-operation.
Above all,I cannot over-emphasize the importance of confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of this mail.Whether or not you are interested,do not discuss this with anybody as it will spell doom to us here.
Do respond promptly so I can furnish you with more details.
Regards,
The interesting thing is that country of origin of this email was the UK, not Iraq. I find the use of our American soldier's tour of duties in Ponzi schemes like this appalling, disgusting and morally wrong. God Bless the soldiers before us, God Bless the soldiers now and God Bless the soldiers in the future. Thank you for protecting our freedoms and way of life.
Hello,
My name is Sgt., I am an American soldier serving with the 3rd infantry division in Iraq.
I have summed up courage to contact you to seek your co-operation in moving some funds from here.
The said fund in US currency was discovered in barrels at a farmhouse during a rescue operation in one of the former military dictator's top men who died while trying to escape,I managed to conceal some of this fund with the help of a colleague.
Now that we are out of town and restricted to our camp till we pullout finally,I have been able to get the money, which runs close to fifteen million dollars,carefully packaged and carefully packaged and moved safely out of troubled spot and spotlight to a British security courier company office which enjoys diplomatic immunity here.THEY DON'T KNOW THE REAL CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE BUT BELIEVE THAT IT CONTAINS PERSONAL EFFECTS WHICH BELONG TO AN AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR SOLDIER WHO DIED IN A RAID HERE IN IRAQ WHO BEFORE GIVING UP, URGED ME TO DELIVER THE LUGGAGE TO HIS FAMILY IN THE STATE.
With our impending return to State,I have decided to move the package (fund) out now, and this is where I need you to act as the supposed relatives of the deceased and thereby receive the package.
I have found a very safe way of getting this package to you at home and will discuss it upon your response provided I can be assured it will be safe till I return.I want you to indicate YOUR INTEREST to go on with me,and how much percentage you want for your co-operation.
Above all,I cannot over-emphasize the importance of confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of this mail.Whether or not you are interested,do not discuss this with anybody as it will spell doom to us here.
Do respond promptly so I can furnish you with more details.
Regards,
The interesting thing is that country of origin of this email was the UK, not Iraq. I find the use of our American soldier's tour of duties in Ponzi schemes like this appalling, disgusting and morally wrong. God Bless the soldiers before us, God Bless the soldiers now and God Bless the soldiers in the future. Thank you for protecting our freedoms and way of life.
2010-04-07
2010-03-24
2010-03-19
2010-03-18
2010-03-15
2010-02-19
2010 Nebraska Marketplace
I will be co-presenting at the Fourth Nebraska Marketplace: Opening Doors to Success. This year's conference will be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 and Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at the Ramada Convention Center in Kearney, Nebraska. Our session is entitled, Start a Leadership Development Program that Maintains Momentum" and will be presented on Wednesday from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The following is the description of the session.
Community leadership programs are an effective means to renew a community's leadership base, especially when youth are engaged in the process. This session will explore ways to develop a community leadership program and methods of reaching out to those in the community you may not have considered. Session participants will also learn ways to maintain momentum in order to carry the leadership program into the future. Session participants will also go through a leadership assessment that will give them indicators of their leadership characteristics.
We will also have a booth in the exhibit hall so if you are in the area or in attendance at the conference, stop by and say hi. For more information on Nebraska Marketplace as well as information on other sessions and presentations, click on the link below.
http://www.cfra.org/marketplace/agenda-nebraska
Community leadership programs are an effective means to renew a community's leadership base, especially when youth are engaged in the process. This session will explore ways to develop a community leadership program and methods of reaching out to those in the community you may not have considered. Session participants will also learn ways to maintain momentum in order to carry the leadership program into the future. Session participants will also go through a leadership assessment that will give them indicators of their leadership characteristics.
We will also have a booth in the exhibit hall so if you are in the area or in attendance at the conference, stop by and say hi. For more information on Nebraska Marketplace as well as information on other sessions and presentations, click on the link below.
http://www.cfra.org/marketplace/agenda-nebraska
2010-02-12
Attendance Impressive for Community Strategic Planning Sessions
As you may recall, the Heartland Center was conducting community assessment and strategic planning for Henderson, Nebraska, a community of 986 people located 65 miles west of Lincoln. Three data collection efforts were utilized, including key informant interviews, an online Community Capacity Questionnaire and three focus groups, one composed entirely of youth.
Two town hall meetings were facilitated by Milan Wall and Kurt Mantonya of the Heartland Center in order to guide Henderson and rural York County residents through a strategic planning process. These town halls were grounded in Appreciative Inquiry where participants go through the four phases of Discovering their past, Dreaming about their future, Designing a preferred future and Delivering results. The first town hall, held in November, 2009, with approximately 86 people in attendance, served as the kickoff and took participants through the first two phases.
In January, 2010, Heartland Center staff facilitated a second town hall, with approximately 70 people in attendance to present the findings from the data collection. After the presentation, the final two phases of Appreciative Inquiry process were completed. At the end of the evening, four community priorities were established that included: Attracting and retaining young people, housing development, business development and building a community center. A task force made up of town hall participants was established for each of these priorities and discussion on next steps and adding additional members concluded the evening.
The Heartland Center has conduct these town halls for the past five years in several communities in Nebraska, helping them identify priorities for community betterment projects. The process requires only a few hours and brings a lot of energy and excitement into a community. If your community would like to explore such a process, please contact Kurt Mantonya at kmantonya@heartlandcenter.info.
Two town hall meetings were facilitated by Milan Wall and Kurt Mantonya of the Heartland Center in order to guide Henderson and rural York County residents through a strategic planning process. These town halls were grounded in Appreciative Inquiry where participants go through the four phases of Discovering their past, Dreaming about their future, Designing a preferred future and Delivering results. The first town hall, held in November, 2009, with approximately 86 people in attendance, served as the kickoff and took participants through the first two phases.
In January, 2010, Heartland Center staff facilitated a second town hall, with approximately 70 people in attendance to present the findings from the data collection. After the presentation, the final two phases of Appreciative Inquiry process were completed. At the end of the evening, four community priorities were established that included: Attracting and retaining young people, housing development, business development and building a community center. A task force made up of town hall participants was established for each of these priorities and discussion on next steps and adding additional members concluded the evening.
The Heartland Center has conduct these town halls for the past five years in several communities in Nebraska, helping them identify priorities for community betterment projects. The process requires only a few hours and brings a lot of energy and excitement into a community. If your community would like to explore such a process, please contact Kurt Mantonya at kmantonya@heartlandcenter.info.
Community Assessment and Strategic Planning in Henderson, Nebraska
Henderson, Nebraska, a community of 986 people located 65 miles west of Lincoln, recently hired the Center to conduct community assessment work in preparation for the development of a strategic and long-term master plan. The Heartland Center is assisting with the assessment and strategic planning. Assessment work will be conducted through the Center's Community Capacity Questionnaire (online), key informant interviews and focus groups.
The strategic planning process began in November and is based on an Appreciative Inquiry model of Discover, Dream, Design and Deliver. During a November town hall meeting, Heartland Center staff guided 86 people, ten percent of this community's population, through the first two phases, Discover and Dream. A report back on the interviews, focus groups and online survey will be presented to Henderson in January, 2010 along with the final two phases (Design and Deliver), forming the basis for the strategic plan.
The strategic planning process began in November and is based on an Appreciative Inquiry model of Discover, Dream, Design and Deliver. During a November town hall meeting, Heartland Center staff guided 86 people, ten percent of this community's population, through the first two phases, Discover and Dream. A report back on the interviews, focus groups and online survey will be presented to Henderson in January, 2010 along with the final two phases (Design and Deliver), forming the basis for the strategic plan.
'E-Visions From the Heartland, February 2010'
The latest edition of Visions From the Heartland has been sent. To view the February edition, click on the link below.
'E-Visions From the Heartland, February 2010'
'E-Visions From the Heartland, February 2010'
2010-02-09
2010-02-08
6 Myths About the Future of Small Towns
In this discussion I have added the research that the Heartland Center has conducted over the years to formulate "6 Myths About the Future of Small Towns." This is by no means an exhaustive listing but we have found these emerging themes time and time again. My discussion question for you is "which myth resonates the most with you and why?" I would also like to hear about some examples from your community.
Thanks
Kurt
6 MYTHS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SMALL TOWNS
1. Towns that are "too small" have no future.
Mythology about small towns says that there is a certain population number that can support a community and no less. That number may be 2500 or 1000 or 500, depending on whose "expertise" is being quoted.
The truth is that there is no magical number at which a town can survive. Heartland Center research has shown that even very tiny towns, with populations as small as 100 or less, manage to survive through thoughtful planning, entrepreneurial genius and hard work. No community should perceive itself as "too small" to survive.
In fact, small towns can use size as a competitive advantage. As with a small business, the smaller community can retain certain flexibility. Without the disadvantages of city bureaucracy, it can respond faster to new trends and changing marketplace opportunities. Like a small business, it can seek its own unique niche.
2. A community's location is key to its survival.
Dependence on proximity to a major highway, a large metropolitan area or a significant natural resource is typical of industrial-age thinking that believes a community's success hinges on location.
This type of thinking may have been more important in the past, when industry and agriculture employed most rural jobholders. Today, however, with growth in the service, information and government sectors, the old industrial age factors bear lesser importance.
Now, the key is "what community leaders do with what is available." This translates as attitudes and behaviors of people in leadership. In other words, in an Information Age, leadership, not location, is the most important factor in community survival.
3. Industrial recruitment is the best strategy for economic development.
Recruiting new industries is still the strategy of choice among many small towns and economic development experts, even though study after study suggests that industrial recruitment, alone, is not a realistic long-term answer.
Too often, small towns have wasted all their time, energy and money trying to attract new industry, only to learn that they should have been working harder to keep the employers they already have.
Small towns that throw all their eggs into the industrial recruitment basket are taking a big risk. They're competing for a few expansions or relocations against thousands of other small towns just like themselves nationwide. They should be working on a broader strategy that emphasizes growing from within, first, then recruiting from the outside.
4. Small towns can't compete in the global economy.
Too many people seem convinced that small towns can't compete in a global economy. Yet small towns throughout America are home to an amazing variety of highly sophisticated, entrepreneurial successes.
Many rural communities have small manufacturers that are producing high-quality products for a unique marketing niche, which extends beyond the local area to a regional, national or even international market.
With access to toll-free incoming telephone lines and over-the-road package shippers, businesses can compete in the global marketplace. Because they are located in smaller and often less complex local business environments, they may be able to compete by moving quickly to take advantage of fast-moving marketplace opportunities.
5. The "best people" leave small towns as soon as they can.
The continuing decline of population in most rural areas remains a problem. But this fact is often described in inaccurate and unproductive ways.
Too often, even rural people use the term "brain drain" as if it meant that anyone with brains would get out. They act as if the "best and brightest" should leave to seek better opportunities in the cities or to get a higher education, never to return.
It is true that many people find opportunities elsewhere, but it's also true that many capable people stay in small towns or return to them. As small town leaders, they make priceless contributions to local quality of life, giving time and attention to civic affairs, service clubs, school events and family matters.
State and local leaders should stop acting as if the "brain drain" means that no talent is left.
6. The rural and urban economies are not interdependent.
Another myth about rural communities says that larger metropolitan areas are more important than smaller communities in our nation's economy.
It's not really news that rural industries such as agriculture, mining or land management are playing a smaller role in the rural-urban economic mix. This doesn't mean, however, that cities and counties could maintain their quality of life without farm products, coal, oil and the natural resources available to the city and country person alike.
Many city residents are nostalgic or sentimental about small towns, but they often forget that our essential raw materials need dynamic rural infrastructures to get from rural to urban markets.
Understanding myths like these is key to stopping the negative influence on community survival. Focusing on the positive aspects of small towns and maintaining a creative outlook on all development strategies will insure community vitality for years to come. Total community involvement and a strong sense of pride can put an end to the myths and pave the way for successful rural community living.
Thanks
Kurt
6 MYTHS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SMALL TOWNS
1. Towns that are "too small" have no future.
Mythology about small towns says that there is a certain population number that can support a community and no less. That number may be 2500 or 1000 or 500, depending on whose "expertise" is being quoted.
The truth is that there is no magical number at which a town can survive. Heartland Center research has shown that even very tiny towns, with populations as small as 100 or less, manage to survive through thoughtful planning, entrepreneurial genius and hard work. No community should perceive itself as "too small" to survive.
In fact, small towns can use size as a competitive advantage. As with a small business, the smaller community can retain certain flexibility. Without the disadvantages of city bureaucracy, it can respond faster to new trends and changing marketplace opportunities. Like a small business, it can seek its own unique niche.
2. A community's location is key to its survival.
Dependence on proximity to a major highway, a large metropolitan area or a significant natural resource is typical of industrial-age thinking that believes a community's success hinges on location.
This type of thinking may have been more important in the past, when industry and agriculture employed most rural jobholders. Today, however, with growth in the service, information and government sectors, the old industrial age factors bear lesser importance.
Now, the key is "what community leaders do with what is available." This translates as attitudes and behaviors of people in leadership. In other words, in an Information Age, leadership, not location, is the most important factor in community survival.
3. Industrial recruitment is the best strategy for economic development.
Recruiting new industries is still the strategy of choice among many small towns and economic development experts, even though study after study suggests that industrial recruitment, alone, is not a realistic long-term answer.
Too often, small towns have wasted all their time, energy and money trying to attract new industry, only to learn that they should have been working harder to keep the employers they already have.
Small towns that throw all their eggs into the industrial recruitment basket are taking a big risk. They're competing for a few expansions or relocations against thousands of other small towns just like themselves nationwide. They should be working on a broader strategy that emphasizes growing from within, first, then recruiting from the outside.
4. Small towns can't compete in the global economy.
Too many people seem convinced that small towns can't compete in a global economy. Yet small towns throughout America are home to an amazing variety of highly sophisticated, entrepreneurial successes.
Many rural communities have small manufacturers that are producing high-quality products for a unique marketing niche, which extends beyond the local area to a regional, national or even international market.
With access to toll-free incoming telephone lines and over-the-road package shippers, businesses can compete in the global marketplace. Because they are located in smaller and often less complex local business environments, they may be able to compete by moving quickly to take advantage of fast-moving marketplace opportunities.
5. The "best people" leave small towns as soon as they can.
The continuing decline of population in most rural areas remains a problem. But this fact is often described in inaccurate and unproductive ways.
Too often, even rural people use the term "brain drain" as if it meant that anyone with brains would get out. They act as if the "best and brightest" should leave to seek better opportunities in the cities or to get a higher education, never to return.
It is true that many people find opportunities elsewhere, but it's also true that many capable people stay in small towns or return to them. As small town leaders, they make priceless contributions to local quality of life, giving time and attention to civic affairs, service clubs, school events and family matters.
State and local leaders should stop acting as if the "brain drain" means that no talent is left.
6. The rural and urban economies are not interdependent.
Another myth about rural communities says that larger metropolitan areas are more important than smaller communities in our nation's economy.
It's not really news that rural industries such as agriculture, mining or land management are playing a smaller role in the rural-urban economic mix. This doesn't mean, however, that cities and counties could maintain their quality of life without farm products, coal, oil and the natural resources available to the city and country person alike.
Many city residents are nostalgic or sentimental about small towns, but they often forget that our essential raw materials need dynamic rural infrastructures to get from rural to urban markets.
Understanding myths like these is key to stopping the negative influence on community survival. Focusing on the positive aspects of small towns and maintaining a creative outlook on all development strategies will insure community vitality for years to come. Total community involvement and a strong sense of pride can put an end to the myths and pave the way for successful rural community living.
2010-01-06
Community Almanac
This unique online tool helps users create lasting records of the places they love. Community Almanac's non-profit sponsors (Orton Family Foundation and The Open Planning Project) want to help communities articulate, implement and steward their heart & soul. It's a lasting record of the place you love—the place you call home. Anyone can contribute! And it's free! Just find your community and start adding to its almanac—written stories, photos, videos—anything you'd like to share. Visit http://www.communityalmanac.org/
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