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Direct Relief for Tribal Citizens: �Getting beyond Per Caps��Navigating the American Rescue Plan Act�A Series for Tribal Nations�Session Seven��September 8, 2021��

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The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development

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Karen Diver�Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa�Moderator�HKS 2003, MPA�Board of Governors�Honoring Nations, Harvard Project

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The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development

Chairman Rodney Butler�Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

Chairwoman Cathy Chavers�Bois Forte Band of Chippewa

Miriam Jorgensen�HKS 1991, MPP, 2000, PhD�Research Director�Harvard Project �Native Nations Institute

President Kevin Killer�Oglala Sioux Tribe

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Direct Relief for Tribal Citizens: Getting beyond Per Caps��Navigating the American Rescue Plan Act�A Series for Tribal Nations����Miriam Jorgensen�Research Director, The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Harvard University & Research Director, Native Nations Institute, The University of Arizona

This series is brought to you with the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation and Walmart

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The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development

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Competing priorities for ARPA funds

I heard the news today

  • Pandemic unemployment benefits ending
  • Eviction moratoriums ending
  • Child Tax Credit supplement expires at year end
  • Treasury slow to deploy Emergency Rental / Homeowner Assistance programs, State Small Business Credit Initiative; other agencies slow too
  • Feds are imposing bureaucratic burdens that make recovery monies difficult to access

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I heard the news yesterday

  • Largest transfers of wealth to Indian Country ever seen
  • If invested in infrastructure, and other aspects of community and economic development, this could be a major game changer

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Strategic Dimensions of Revenue Distributions:�Weighing Needs of the Present against the Future, �Needs of Individuals/Families against the Collective

 

Individual

Collective

Present

 

Per capita payments

Income replacement

Rent, housing, utilities assistance

Food assistance�Uncovered healthcare costs�School supplies

Support for tribal government operations (i.e., law enforcement)

Increased funding for social programs (e.g., healthcare)

Infrastructure spending�(e.g., water and sanitation)

Future

 

College scholarships

Trust funds for young people

Savings accounts for citizens

Down payment grants for citizen home purchases

Economic diversification

Sovereign wealth funds

Infrastructure investment & maintenance

Land purchases

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Direct payments �(per caps, for example)

  • Administrative capacity
  • Audit possibilities
  • Dependence
  • Adverse incentives

Longer term spending

  • Strategic planning needs
  • Project management needs
  • Encumbrance deadlines, completion deadlines

Strategic Dimensions of Revenue Distributions:�Weighing the Requirements of Various Spending Plans

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Its all about finding a balance

Individual Distributions Now:

Tribal citizens have pressing needs.

There are ways to minimize problems with per cap policies.

Investments for the Long Term:

There’s no guarantee that this level of spending by the US federal government will happen again.

This could be Indian Country’s Marshall Plan.

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Further reading

S Cornell, M Jorgensen, S Carroll, I Record, R Seelau & R Starks. 2007. Per capita distributions of American Indian tribal revenues: A preliminary discussion of policy considerations. Native Nations Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. November.

E Henson, M Hill, M Jorgensen & Kalt. 2021. Recommendations for the Allocation and Administration of American Rescue Plan Act Funding for American Indian Tribal Governments. Policy Brief No. 6. COVID-19 Response and Recovery Policy Brief Series. Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Cambridge, MA & Native Nations Institute, Tucson, AZ. April.

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Thank You

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For more information, visit www.hpaied.org

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This series is brought to you with the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation and Walmart

The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development