Working Papers
The Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development Working Paper Series presents novel and innovative ideas and provides a forum for the publication and circulation of working papers produced by scholars, leaders, and community members focused on various topics related to Indigenous Peoples, including Self-Determination, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Political Institution Building, Property Rights and Legal Institutions, Natural Resources and Conservation, Social and Economic Outcomes, and Data Creation and Collection.
The mission of the HKS Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is to conduct and promote collaborative research, learning, and teaching that improves the political, social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of all Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and communities. Our efforts support Indigenous Peoples’ sovereignty and the rights to self-determination and self-governance.
Working Papers are provided in draft form for purposes of comment and discussion only. The views expressed — and any policy recommendations made — in Working Papers are the authors’ alone and should not be ascribed to the HKS Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, the Ash Center, Harvard Kennedy School, or Harvard University. Inclusion of a Working Paper in this series does not imply directly or indirectly any affiliation with Harvard University or any other units. The inclusion of a Working Paper in this series does not indicate the Working Paper has been fully peer-reviewed or published in any way.
Working Papers Hub
WP 26-014: Beyond the Conventional Narrative: Economic Heterogeneity and Human Capital Among American Indians
There is substantial heterogeneity in economic, educational, and health outcomes among American Indians, shaped by factors such as geographic location, resource endowments, and historical experiences with federal policies. There is clear evidence that...
WP 26-013: Native American and Alaska Native Voting Behavior Across the Electoral Process
Although scholarship on Native American and Alaska Native (NA/AN) political participation has expanded, most studies focus on voter turnout or a single election, leaving limited evidence on how Native citizens navigate the broader electoral process over...
WP 26-012: Colonial Urgency: Indigenous Governance and the Institutional Architecture of Emergency Communication
Emergency systems do more than communicate risk. They determine whose governments are recognized as legitimate authorities, whose languages are operationally available, which relationships are treated as infrastructure, and who must absorb the work of...
WP 26-011: Data Centers and Rural Environmental Disamenities: Issues in Indian Country
Data centers, built rapidly to process artificial-intelligence workloads, impose local costs while their benefits accrue largely elsewhere: higher electricity prices, heavy water use for cooling, and, through fossil-fuel backup power and grid demand...
