Indigenous Student Seminar Academic Program

Indigenous Student Seminar sessions are taught by fellows of the Hoover Institution, tribal leaders, and scholars working on indigenous issues. The core curriculum explores a law and economics approach to examining federal policy, tribal governance, and indigenous entrepreneurship. The curriculum assumes no previous coursework in public policy-related subjects.

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS

The Indigenous Student Seminar offers participants networking opportunities with scholars in the field of Public Policy from the Hoover Institution and Stanford University. Visit the Seminar Faculty page for updates as we confirm speakers for the August 2023 seminar.

A DAY IN THE INDIGENOUS STUDENT SEMINAR

Days will be organized around the themes of Pre-Contact Indigenous Economies, Federal Indian Law and Policy, and Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Each day will include lectures from scholars and policy practitioners, robust Q&A sessions, and small group discussions. Lunches will be attended by the entire class and one or more professors from that day’s sessions. 

Class sessions will end in the late afternoon. There will be group dinners with invited speakers on some of the evenings. Students can expect to spend 2-3 hours a day outside of class on homework, studying individually or in groups, and working on group projects. Readings and case studies must be completed before group meetings and class sessions to facilitate active participation.

PREVIOUS INDIGENOUS STUDENT SEMINAR TOPICS & FACULTY

Renewing Indigenous Economies
Terry Anderson, John and Jean De Nault Senior Fellow

Government Transfer Payments: Their History and their Economic Effect
John Cogan, Leonard and Shirley Ely Senior Fellow

The Law and Economics of Indian Country Crime
Adam Crepelle, Campbell Visiting Fellow

Indigenous Economies by the Numbers: What We Learn from Research
Dominic Parker, Ilene and Morton Harris Visiting Fellow

Technology, Economics, and Governance
John B. Taylor, George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics

Native Identity
C. Matthew Snipp, Burnet C. and Mildred Finley Wohlford Professor of Humanities and Sciences in the Department of Sociology, Stanford University

The Navajo Legal Ceremony: Curing Federal Indian Law
Joseph Austin, Co-founder, ACES School

Land Rights & Social Change
Karol Boudreaux, Land Tenure Specialist, USAID

Taxation and Tribal Sovereignty
Kelly Croman, Board Member Emeritus and Former Chair, National Intertribal Tax Alliance

Indigenous Entrepreneurship
Deanna Kennedy, Associate Dean, Academic Programs, University of Washington - Bothell

Indian Nations' Sovereignty and Jurisdiction
Stacy Leeds, Foundation Professor of Law and Leadership at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

Creating Private-Sector Economies & Sustainable Communities in Indian Country
Robert J. Miller, Professor of Law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

Indigenizing ESG Standards
Mark Podlasly, Director of Economic Policy, First Nations Major Project Coalition

Native Identity
C. Matthew Snipp, Burnet C. and Mildred Finley Wohlford Professor of Humanities and Sciences in the Department of Sociology

Traditional Law & Governance
Sheldon Spotted Elk , Director, Indian Child Welfare Unit, Casey Family Programs

Tribal Business & Entrepreneurship
Daniel Stewart, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, Gonzaga University

Radical Hope: Indian Futuring
Bill Yellowtail, Former Montana state senator and Katz Professor in Native American Studies at Montana State University

The Alliance for Renewing Indigenous Economies is a joint project of the Tulo Centre of Indigenous Economics in Kamloops, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.