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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Indian Education (Part 1)

Author Unknown

This is a two-part file on Native American Education. A publication from the American Indian/Alaska Native and National Education Association on the quest for quality education, a copy of a memorandum on the Position on Intermountain Off-Reservation Boarding School including detailed description of the school facilities and budget, a copy of the Revised Report on the Definition of Indian: A study of alternative definitions and measures relating to eligibility and service under part A of the Indian Education Act, a copy of the State of the art of American Indian Bilingual education produced by the Contracting Corporation of America focusing on American Indians, a copy of a proposal to fund the Indian Head Start Program, related correspondence, copies of press releases, and publications by the Higher Education Daily, The American Indian College Fund, and a copy of the Testimony of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium to the Subcommittee for Interior Appropriations United States House of Representatives are included.
Indian Education (Part 2)

Author Unknown

This is a second part file on Indian Education that includes a report about the Development Financing Alternatives on Tribal Lands: The Lender’s Perspective dated November 1991, a copy of a proposal submitted to the L.J. Skaggs & Mary C. Skaggs Foundation on June 8, 1983 under the category of a project of historic interest entitled ‘Indian Education and the Federal Boarding School: Oral Histories from the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, a copy of the Indian Education Act in the 1980’s: Quest for equity and quality-12th Annual report to the Congress of the United States in which the National Advisory Council of Indian Education (NACIE) offers recommendations and advice on Indian Education to U.S. Congress, and some correspondence of LaDonna Harris with federal and other organizations.
Indian Gaming

LaDonna Harris

This file contains correspondence, testimonies, senators’ statements, Senate hearings, resolutions, drafts of amendments and checklists, reports, copies of congressional record-senate, a bill, and communications between LaDonna Harris President of the Americans for Indian Opportunity and members of the U.S. Senate, tribal leaders, and the President of the United States regarding the Native American gaming legislation and Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments.
INDIANnet 1991-94

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This is a progress report about the development of INDIANnet for the 1991-1994 period. INDIANnet, Inc., a telecommunications network for tribal communities aimed to provide accurate and timely information on and for tribes. In a true public-private partnership, INDIANnet was developed with interested tribes and several federal agencies.
INDIANnet Data Survey

LaDonna Harris

This file contains communications and a questionnaire sent to some Native American Tribes to participate in the development of INDIANnet.
INDIANnet Plan

George Baldwin

This is a plan that describes the development of national civic Network Information Systems (NIS) designed to meet the needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. A copy of INDIANnet Census Information and Network Center, as well as a work plan are attached to this plan.
INDIANnet Reports for EPA and Other Systems Corporations

INDIANnet

This file contains copies of final and quarterly reports on contracts and agreements that INDIANnet submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and The Apple Corporation. These reports provide information about accomplishments and contributions of INDIANnet, fulfillment of contracts and agreements with federal agencies, systems improvements, data, new users, publicity about INDIANnet and AIO, new or on-going initiatives, barriers and solutions as well as future plans.
INDIANnet Telecommunications Network Project

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This file contains plans, budgets, a TIIAP Planning Grant and a timetable prepared by UNM Native American Studies. AIO's correspondence with sponsors and the New Mexico State Senate, the UNM Board of Regents, news clippings, drafts of reports, discussions, meetings, and grants to promote equity of access to Native American Communities are included.
Indians and the Environmental Protection Agency (1978)

LaDonna Harris and Maggie Gover

This is an Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) report of a meeting for New Mexico Tribal decision makers and representatives of the Dallas Regional EPA Office held at the Sheraton Old Town Inn in Albuquerque, NM on November 29, 1978.
Indians and the Environmental Protection Agency (1980)

Marianna Ray and LaDonna Harris

This is a report of a meeting for Montana Tribal decision makers and representatives from the Montana EPA Office. This meeting was sponsored by Americans for Indian Opportunity held in Billings, Montana on May 13 and 14, 1980 where mutual environment concerns were discussed.
Indian Schools – St. Catherine

Consolata Beecher

This a letter dated June 16, 1997 requesting LaDonna Harris’ support for Saint Catherine Indian School, which is closing due to financial deficit to continue the operations of this educational center.
Indians in the Next Decade

LaDonna Harris

This is a transcript of ‘Indians in the Next Decade Meeting’ to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Americans for Indian Opportunity and provide a forum to share ideas about where Indian country is going in the 1980s decade.
Indians, The Energy Research and Development Administration: A Look at Common Interests and Concerns.

LaDonna Harris and Maggie Gover

This is a research report that describes the scope of [American] Indian resources, their effect on the national energy supply and the relationship that should exist between Indian nations and the Energy Research and Development Administration. There are areas of mutual interest as the tribes strive towards self-sufficiency and the Energy Research and Development Administration strives towards its goals of fulfilling the nation's energy needs and its share of the Federal trust responsibility to Indian Nations. The trust responsibility includes the duty to see that Indian rights are protected and developed in a way that is in the best interests of the beneficiaries of the trust, both culturally and economically.
Indian Tribal Governments: Problems and Challenges on the People's Road to Sovereignty

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This is a copy of an article manuscript providing basic information for a better understanding of the problems and challenges facing Native American tribes today in their efforts to gain more control over their destiny as sovereign peoples.
Indian Tribal Governments: Problems and Challenges on the People’s Road to Sovereignty (Published article)

LaDonna Harris and Cesare Marino

This is an article by LaDonna Harris and Cesare R. Marino published by CENTERBOARD, The Journal of the Center for Human Relations Studies at the University of Oklahoma. This publication corresponds to volume II, Issue 1, Spring 1984. In this contribution, the author intends to provide basic information about the unique political status of Native American tribes in the dynamics of tribes and the federal government for a better understanding of the problems and challenges currently facing tribes in their effort to gain more control over their destiny as sovereign people.
Indian Tribes are Separate Government Units

LaDonna Harris

This AIO red paper entitled ‘Tribes are separate government units’ outlines the discussion on the status of American tribes recognized by the Federal government and American laws as separate governmental units, distinct from the states in which their reservations may lie.
Indian Tribes as Developing Nations

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This is a report from training sessions held at the Johnson Foundation's Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, Wisconsin September 21-23, 1975 for tribal decision-makers from the Great Lakes Area.
Indigenous Leaders of America – Fomento y Capacitación del Liderazgo Indígena en América

Jose Matos Mar

This is a copy of a proposal faxed to LaDonna Harris and AIO for starting a program in the ethno-development of the Indigenous peoples of all America. Because this proposal was originated in Mexico City, the content of this proposal is written in Spanish.
Introduction: The Firewater Myth: North American Indian Drinking and Alcohol Addiction By Joy Leland

LaDonna Harris

This is a draft of the introduction to the published book "The Firewater Myth: American Indian drinking and alcohol addiction" by Joy Leland. It was prepared and written by LaDonna Harris.
Joe Sando

Joe Sando and Albert Schroeder

This file contains a manuscript entitled “A Pueblo Indian Invasion of Europe-1981” and a published article on the Jemez Pueblo by Joe Sando. A Copy of a published article entitled ‘The Pecos Pueblo’ by Albert Schroeder is also attached here.
LaDonna Harris’ Papers

LaDonna Harris

This file contains White and discussion papers by LaDonna Harris including drafts with the authors marks and annotations as well as correspondence with Editors and Publishing Companies. Paper titles include: Government to Government: Indian Tribes and the Federal Government, Indian Reservation Economies, The Kerner Report: An American Indian Viewpoint, Colonization of Indian Economy, Esther Ross and the rebirth of the Stillaguamish Tribe, Values of Native American Tribes, Off- Reservation Indians and Unrecognized Tribes, The Menominee Peoples, To all my Comanche Relatives, Tribal Governments in the U.S. Federal System, American Indians and The Constitution, Harmony through Wisdom: Recreating traditional ways of building consensus among the Comanche, American Indians and Tribal Governments, Indians, Coal, and The Big Sky, Diverse Values through Strong Tribal and Federal Governmental Interaction
LaDonna Harris' Personal Correspondence – Early Years

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This file contains LaDonna Harris’ personal correspondence with family members and very close friends. Some pictures are included.
LaDonna Harris’ White Papers – Drafts

LaDonna Harris

This file contains drafts and correspondence between La Donna Harris and editors for the publication of papers on: a chapter about American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Indian princess or woman warrior; Harmony through wisdom of the people (multiple updates); and a copy of a published paper entitled: ‘The wisdom of the people: A sharing and nurturing of Tribal Spirit”
Language

Author Unknown

This file contains newspaper and magazine clippings on American Indian languages and the Native American communities’ struggle to keep their languages and traditions alive.
Messing with Mother Nature Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

This file contains published reports on AIO’s first regional seminar for tribal decision-makers on the environmental health impacts of development on Native American communities and the roles of government agencies charged with the responsibilities for various aspects of environmental protection and individual safety. Sample publications include Milwaukee, Billings, Sacramento, Seattle, and a final report gathering the contributions of over 25 tribes and 8 federal agencies who attended this meeting on October 15-17 1980. Included in this file are correspondence between LaDonna Harris and federal government officials and a work plan.