LaDonna Harris Native American Collection

The collection consists of documents from LaDonna Harris' personal life as an activist and from AIO's four decades of operation as a non-profit organization involved in advocacy and development projects related to the needs and rights of Native Americans. The contents of this collection range from Ms. Harris' early years as an activist and wife of U.S. Senator Fred Harris in the 1960s, to her founding of AIO in 1970, and running AIO through the 1990s, to AIO's continued operation under the direction of her daughter, Laura Harris, in the early 2000s. The collection documents AIO's principal activities, including organizing conferences, seminars, workshops, and other programs for Native American tribes and governmental agencies. Major initiatives include: partnerships for the Protection of Tribal Environments; Governance project; Family Systems project; Tribal Issues Management System; Toward an Understanding of Rural Economies; IndianNet; and the Ambassadors Program. Additionally, AIO was instrumental in the formation of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, American Indian Telecommunications Consortium, Tribal Association of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. The collection contains correspondence, proposals, seminar materials, and publications related to these and other AIO projects. The collection also features material from governments (federal, state, municipal, and tribal) and civil society organizations with which AIO worked. As such, the collection offers a record of the activist groups and governmental agencies that operated in the same milieu as AIO.

Visit the LaDonna Harris Papers and Americans for Indian Opportunity Records finding aid for more information on the physical collection these documents came from.

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Ada Deer

LaDonna Harris

This file contains La Donna Harris and AIO’s correspondence concerning Ada Deer’s campaign for congress and newspaper clippings on Bert DeLeeuw’s murder, Ada Deer’s campaign, fund raiser and her campaign rivals.
A Good Day to Live for One Million Indians

Task Panel on American Indians and Alaska Natives President's Commission on Mental Health

This is a report of the special populations subpanel on mental health of American Indian and Alaska Natives submitted to the President's Commission on mental health. This report was published by the Graphics Department at the Southwestern Polytechnic Institute.
A Guide to Incorporating Environmental Education Into Indian Schools

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This red paper features fundamentals, suggested activities, and sources to get more information about how to implement environmental education on any scale, in an individual classroom, a school, or even an entire school district within American Indian schools.
AIO: Problem and Response

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This is an undated copy of an AIO report on contemporary issues facing Native Americans.
Alcatraz

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This file contains some copies of news clippings entitled: ‘Indians prepare for long siege on Alcatraz Island’ and ‘The Dream is over: A sad visit to Alcatraz’. Attached to these clippings is a copy of an Alcatraz Indians of all tribes’ proposal to the citizens of the United States
American Indian Business

Author Unknown

This file contains copies of a bi-monthly report on small business owners by the National Economic Development Association (NEDA) stressing the economic support for minority and Native American businesses in New Mexico, a copy of the Proposal to support Metallurgical Coke from Native American Owned Coal, a copy of Minority Business Today issue 1-March 1982, a copy of the newsletter of the Development Agency, a report by the Native American employment coalition, a copy of the printed guide: Indian Country USA travel planner, letters and advertisements related to Native American Business Services, and News on Native American businesses.
American Indian Law Student Association

AILSA

This file contains copies of the statutes of The American Indian Law Students Association (AILSA) at the University of New Mexico School of Law, a manuscript of the AILSA publication entitled 'Indian Notes on the Status of the President’s reorganization project' dated February 8 1978, and a copy of the AILSA report published on September 20, 1971.
American Indian Movement

American Indian Movement

This file contains copies of a letter from the American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) requesting donations and financial support to continue working on their projects, an attachment of the objectives of the A.I.M., communications, and newspaper clippings underscoring Dough Durhnam and other news related to Native Americans.
American Indian Movement (AIM)

Timothy Baylor

This is a copy of a case study of The American Indian Movement by Timothy Baylor. This study proposed to examine the antecedent and conditional factors which determined whether a government intervenes in a social movement to facilitate it or to repress the movement by examining the forms of intervention specifically those used by the FBI in the case of the American Indian Movement. Attached to this manuscript are letters and invitations to events pertinent to the AIM.
Americans For Indian Opportunity

LaDonna Harris

This is a synthesized statement of philosophy and purpose of AIO, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that works to improve relationships among Indians and non-Indians to strike down stereotypes and to build upon the strong, positive self-image and powerful motivating force of pride in Indianness.
Americans for Indian Opportunity – INDIANnet

LaDonna Harris, Judy Kane, and INDIANnet

This file contains a grant application to fund the second phase of INDIANnet, the first national Indian-owned computer network to provide information useful to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Copies of published INDIANnet Newsletters, news clippings, and drafts of the grant are also included.
Americans For Indian Opportunity Red Alert (1975-1981)

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This file contains AIO’s red alert communications and publications for the period of 1975-1981. Included in this file are news about American Indian Education, increasing general revenue sharing funds to Native American Governments, a copy of a red paper entitled Protection of Native American Energy Resources, support to President Carter’s evaluation of water projects, a petition to urge President Carter to set up an Office of Indian Energy within the Federal Energy Administration, Delegation of authority relating to lands and minerals to the Albuquerque area director by the commissioner of Indian Affairs, updating of the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s membership, Community Services Administration Fiscal Year 1976 funding, allocations, and guidelines, Oliphant and Wheeler cases and the Abourezk Bill, Ivy League wants Indian Students, White House Conference on Balanced National Growth and Economic Development, RED ALERT an AIO’s publication #81-1, Red alerts communications and calls for diverse grants and funding includes applications to special community service and continuing education programs, closing dates for Educational television proposals, teacher corps projects, school construction assistance, Health Services, National advisory Council meeting on Indian Education, closing date for receipt of proposals for gifted and talented model projects, State Department Agency for International Development is receiving applications for the International Development Interns Program, and job announcements.
Americans For Indian Opportunity Red Alert (1978-1982)

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This set contains AIO’s red alert communications and publications for the period of 1978-1982. Included in these documents are the American Indian Child Care Welfare Act, The Native American Opportunity Act, a Red paper entitled: For some of our best friends and others: Indian Tribes are separate units, a response from Cabinet Officials, Red Alert #78-78-04 on Brown skinned people may be more susceptible to pesticides- Environmental Planning Seminars Scheduled by AIO, excerpts from the minutes of the Annual Board meeting on the Proposed transfer of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Indian Education to the New Department of Education, and correspondence with Federal Government Departments and the U.S. Congress.
An Overview of Americans For Indian Opportunity, Inc.

LaDonna Harris and Laura Harris

This file contains copies of American for Indian Opportunities reports, communications, updates on the organization, programs sponsored by AIO, communications with editors and publishers, drafts of AIO’s organizational information, work on environmental issues, the American Indian Institute, the Symposium on Sovereign dependency, Conflict management process, Indian Youth development, management session, an AIO’s Corporate Capacity Statement, biographical profile of LaDonna Harris, and copies of some bibliographical sources.
A Project to Establish Linkages Between the Department of Defense, Tribes, and Industry Defense Contractors to Further Tribal Development

LaDonna Harris

This is a copy of a proposal presented to the Administration for Native Americans by the AIO to contribute to the goals of strong tribal governments and the growth of strong and diversified tribal economies.
A Question of Power: Indian Control of Indian Resource Development

LaDonna Harris

This file summarizes information about the Conference sessions on Indian Control and Indian Resource Development held at the Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, Wisconsin, September 21-22-23, 1975. This conference is one of a series designed to explore the options available to tribes as owners of natural resources; consider ways to make existing government programs work for the tribes; recommend changes to existing policies where necessary, learn how to deal with developers, explore new sources of capital, and examine structures for internal decision-making.
Arizona Snow Bowl

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This a copy of a memo addressed to LaDonna Harris concerning the Arizona Snow Bowl expansion and the appeal processes to follow.
As Long as the Water Flows: Indian Irrigation Projects

Gail Offen

In this red paper the author describes Indian irrigation projects based on internal studies by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Assessing Expectations for the Government to Government Relationship

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This file contains copies of the Assessing expectations for government to government relationship: Results of a national survey conducted by Americans for Indian Opportunity. Attached to this survey results are copies of USDA senior executive Service candidate development program: Individual Program of Study-Proposal for Action by David Mackenzie, a draft of a Statement of policy: Policy on American Indians and Alaska Natives by the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and an abbreviated individual study plan proposal for action by Christine Pytel from the USDA-Forest Service
A Violation of Trust: Federal Management of Indian Forest Lands

Rich Nafziger

This is a red paper about the importance of Indian timber for tribal development, the environment, and the development of the country. Management of Indian forests as a shared responsibility of Tribal and Federal governments and a proposal of change documents are included.
Barriers to the Full Participation of Tribal Governments in the U.S. Federal System: A Capitol Hill Symposium Report

LaDonna Harris

This file contains a set of communications and correspondence concern a report of the AOI Symposium on 'Barriers to the full participation of Tribal Governments in the U.S. Federal System' held on Capitol Hill on June 29, 1987
Briefing on Recent Hate Crimes Against Alaska Natives and Other Acts of Discrimination

Alaska Federation of Natives

This copy of the Briefing on recent hate crimes against Alaska Natives and other acts of discrimination was presented to the Alaska Advisory Committee and the United States Commission on Civil Rights on April 26, 2001 by the Alaska Federation of Natives to report recent incidents of racial discrimination against Alaska Natives.
Business Realities in Indian Country: A Brief Introduction for Corporate America

Alan Parker

In this booklet the author discusses the characteristics which distinguish the business environment on most Native American reservations to identify relative advantages and disadvantages for the purpose of dispelling possible confusion or misperceptions.
Coal: Black Death for Red Culture

David Logsdon

This is a Red Paper about coal mining in American Indian lands and its impact on water, soil, air quality, economy, natural environment, cultures, and development of tribes. The author makes an analysis of the damaging impact of strip mining, coal fired electricity, and coal gasification on the soil, underground water reserves, air, and the natural environment of Native American communities. The author also includes a critical analysis of the role of the U.S. Interior Department, the BIA, and the leasing treaties in tribal development programs to call for more participation of the Indian communities for protecting and managing natural resources in Indian lands.
Collective Design of the Tribal Future: Structural Analysis of Vision Statements Constructed by the People of the Apache, Cheyenne, and Arapaho, Comanche, and Pawnee Tribes

Benjamin J. Broom

This paper reports on the results of recent design sessions conducted with several tribes in Oklahoma. During 1991 and 1992 the Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO), a national Native American Organization concerned with Tribal Governance processes worked for Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity (OIO) to sponsor a series of four projects that included participative design sessions with the Apache, Cheyenne & Arapaho, and Pawnee Tribes of Oklahoma. The research methodology is described as participant centered, contextually embedded, dialogically based, integrated, and participant validated.