Indigenous Governance

Indigenous Governance Traditions

This research area focuses on governance practices from indigenous communities worldwide, exploring their approaches to consensus-building, resource management, conflict resolution, and leadership.

Indigenous governance systems often embody principles that differ significantly from Western state models, including:

• Deep integration of governance with cultural and spiritual practices
• Emphasis on consensus rather than majority rule
• Responsibilities to non-human beings and future generations
• Distributed leadership models
• Oral traditions for encoding and transmitting governance knowledge

Current Projects

• Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy decision-making structures
• Aboriginal Australian consensus processes
• Andean ayllu governance systems
• Arctic indigenous resource management practices