Native Nations Institute

What Native Nations Institute does

Native Nations Institute (NNI) is a research, education, and outreach program housed at the University of Arizona in Tucson, founded in 2001 through a partnership between the University and the Udall Foundation. NNI supports Indigenous nation building across the 575 federally recognized U.S. tribal nations and an expanding international Indigenous audience. Its service population includes tribal leaders and government staff, non-Native professionals working with tribal nations, and academic scholars.

The institute's core offerings fall into three layers. First, open-access knowledge infrastructure: the Indigenous Governance Database (1,600+ free curated resources), the Constitutions Resource Center, and published reports on topics such as tribal citizen participation and rights-of-nature laws. Second, applied curricula: cohort-based seminars including Native Know-How and Remaking Tribal Constitutions, plus two primary courses — the in-person January in Tucson flagship ($750) and the asynchronous Rebuilding Native Nations Online course ($250). Third, standards and convening: the IEEE 2890 standard on Indigenous Data Provenance (2025) and summits such as the U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty Summit (500+ attendees in 2026).

NNI operates as a non-profit research program; revenue is generated through course and seminar fees (low dollar volume given sub-$1K pricing), foundation and federal grants (Bush, Udall, Luce, Urban Indian Health Institute, SSHRC), institutional support from the University of Arizona, and donations. Distribution is direct-to-leader through tribal networks, alumni referrals, and partner institutions (NYU, Harvard, Urban Indian Health Institute).

Name

Native Nations Institute

Legal name

Native Nations Institute (A program of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona)

Website

https://nni.arizona.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Native Nations Institute is a University of Arizona non-profit research and education program, founded in 2001, that supports Indigenous nation building across 575+ U.S. tribal nations through open-access governance resources, cohort-based courses, and standards-setting in Indigenous data sovereignty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Governance Research & Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal Research Universities & Research Centers (Research-Active TCUs) (EDAHANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM)

Keywords

• Indigenous governance education
• Tribal nation building
• Constitutional reform support
• Indigenous data sovereignty
• Native governance research

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University of Arizona Institutional Funding: NNI is a program of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona, funded through university allocations, grants, and donor contributions.
2. Course and Seminar Fees: NNI generates revenue through fee-based educational programs including the January in Tucson course ($750) and Rebuilding Native Nations Online self-paced course ($250). The Native Know-How seminar may also generate program fees.
3. Grants and Sponsored Research: NNI operates research projects funded by grants from foundations and government agencies, including support from the Bush Foundation, Udall Foundation, and federal research programs.
4. Donations: NNI accepts charitable contributions through the University of Arizona Foundation, with a dedicated donation portal on its website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Native Nations Institute (NNI) is a research and education program that supports Indigenous nation-building through courses, seminars, applied research, online resources, and direct technical assistance. It maintains the Indigenous Governance Database and a Constitutions Resource Center, hosts in-person seminars, offers fee-based courses for credit and professional development, and conducts governance analyses for Native nations and organizations.

Product overview

The Native Nations Institute is an educational and research organization that provides a portfolio of programs and digital resources supporting Indigenous nation building. Its offerings include the Indigenous Governance Database (IGD), Constitutions Resource Center, Native Know-How Seminar, Remaking Tribal Constitutions Seminar, January in Tucson course, Rebuilding Native Nations Online, cohort programs, youth programs, research-based seminars, and governance analysis services. These products work together to strengthen self-governance and self-determination for Native nations through education, research, and direct services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Native Know-How (NKH): A 4-hour online or in-person seminar on how to work and partner with Native nations
• Remaking Tribal Constitutions Seminar
• Indigenous Governance Database
• Constitutions Resource Center
• Rebuilding Native Nations

Products and services

• Indigenous Governance Database A free online database housing Indigenous governance-related articles, videos, reports, and other resources, intended for Native nations, indigenous leaders, scholars, students, and the general public.
• Constitutions Resource Center (CRC) An online portal (formerly the Indigenous Constitutions Resource Bank) hosting tribal constitutions, constitutional reform materials, and analyses. Designed for Native nations undertaking constitutional reform, governance scholars, and the public.
• January in Tucson
• Rebuilding Native Nations Online
• Native Know-How Seminar
• Remaking Tribal Constitutions Seminar
• Research-Based Educational Seminars
• Governance Analysis for Native Nations
• Youth Programs
• Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance
• LEADING Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 1600+ free governance resources available through the Indigenous Governance Database
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IEEE approved and published the first-ever international standard on Indigenous data provenance developed under the leadership of Stephanie Russo Carroll (NNI). The standard provides guidance for scientists and professionals on recording provenance for Indigenous Peoples' data. IEEE standards are used in over 160 countries.
• Indigenous Data Alliance (IDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Indigenous Data Alliance is the primary organization responsible for planning and executing the U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit. IDA was co-founded by Stephanie Russo Carroll (NNI Associate Research Professor). NNI serves as the institutional home for summit activities. IDA board officers include Malia Villegas, Donald Warne, and Tai Pelli.
• Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001The Udall Foundation co-founded NNI with the University of Arizona in 2001 as a self-determination, self-governance, and development resource for Native nations. The foundation's namesake, Stewart L. Udall, was a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior who championed Native American rights.
• Bush FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bush Foundation is a long-standing partner supporting NNI's programs. NNI's Director Eileen Briggs serves as Grant Making Director at the Bush Foundation. The Foundation has supported NNI's nation-building initiatives and the partnership includes IAC representation.
• Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard's Project on Indigenous Governance and Development (a sister organization to the Udall Center's NNI) is a key partner. Randy Akee from Harvard served as secretary of the Indigenous Data Working Group. The Harvard Project was co-founded alongside the research that underpins NNI's work.
• Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IPLP program at U of A Law is both an academic partner (offering the LL.M. program) and a program partner, with faculty associates Melissa Tatum, Rebecca Tsosie, and Robert A. Williams Jr. contributing to NNI's research and education.
• Native Governance CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative Governance Center (NGC), based in Minneapolis, is a key partner providing resources and support for Native nation governance strengthening. NGC and NNI share mission alignment around tribal governance capacity building.
• New York UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYU Associate Professor Jane Anderson served as Vice Chair of the Indigenous Data Working Group that developed the IEEE standard on Indigenous data provenance. Anderson is co-founder of Local Contexts, a data labelling tool for Indigenous data.
• Harvard UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard Kennedy School's Randy Akee (of Native Hawaiian descent) served as secretary of the working group that developed the IEEE Indigenous data provenance standard. Harvard's Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is a sister organization to NNI.
• Memorial University of NewfoundlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorial University Professor Max Liboiron (Red River Métis) co-directs the IndigeLab Network with Stephanie Russo Carroll. Liboiron's projects funded the open-access publication of the IEEE Indigenous data standard.
• U.S. State DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. State Department funds the Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) Women's Leadership Institute, for which NNI delivers core educational content about Native Nation Building to Latin American women scholars during their time in Tucson.
• Center for Latin American Studies, University of ArizonamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLAS at U of A runs the SUSI Women's Leadership Institute under Dr. Marcela Vásquez-León's direction. NNI plays a key role in delivering Native Nation Building content to SUSI students.
• Institute for Training and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe nonprofit ITD (based in Amherst, Massachusetts) is the broader organizational leader for the SUSI Women's Leadership Institute program that includes NNI's participation.
• Pascua Yaqui TribemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pascua Yaqui Tribe hosted the 2024 and 2026 U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty Summits at its Casino Del Sol conference center, providing the primary venue for these major NNI co-organized events.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Donald Warne (Oglala Lakota), co-director of Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, is an IDA board officer and contributes to NNI's Indigenous data sovereignty work. His background bridges traditional and modern medicine in Indigenous health contexts.
• Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephanie Russo Carroll is a founding member and current chair of GIDA. The Global Indigenous Data Alliance is a key international network partner advancing Indigenous data governance standards globally.
• US Indigenous Data Sovereignty NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Stephanie Russo Carroll, the US Indigenous Data Sovereignty Network is a domestic counterpart to the international GIDA network, advancing Indigenous data rights within the United States.
• Collaboratory for Indigenous Data GovernancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirected by Stephanie Russo Carroll, the Collaboratory is an interdisciplinary research network that develops research, policy, and practice innovations for Indigenous data sovereignty. Based at NNI/Udall Center, it partners with Indigenous communities in the U.S. Southwest and the Arctic as well as an international network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First Nations Development Institute: A Longmont, Colorado-based nonprofit that strengthens American Indian economies and communities through asset-building, education, research, and advocacy. Operates in adjacent governance and economic development space serving Native nations.
• Native Governance Center: A Minneapolis-based nonprofit providing resources and support for Native nation governance strengthening. NGC and NNI share mission alignment around tribal governance capacity building and frequently partner.
• Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development: A sister research organization at Harvard Kennedy School that NNI explicitly draws upon for its 35-year research foundation. Operates in the same nation-building research domain with shared co-founder Stephen Cornell.

Regional players

• American Indian Policy Institute: Arizona State University-based institute advancing Indian Country through research, policy analysis, and community engagement. Closely comparable in university-hosted research and policy mission but regionally focused on Arizona.

Others

• Udall Foundation: Federal scholarship and educational foundation focused on Native American and environmental policy. Co-founded NNI with the University of Arizona in 2001 and remains a core strategic partner.
• Bush Foundation: A regional Minnesota foundation that funds Indigenous nation-building initiatives and serves as a long-standing partner. NNI's Director Eileen Briggs serves as Grant Making Director, making this both a funder and ecosystem peer.
• Indigenous Data Alliance (IDA): A close strategic partner co-founded by NNI's Stephanie Russo Carroll, responsible for planning and executing the U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty Summit held biennially at NNI-co-organized venues.

Broad incumbents

• National Congress of American Indians: The oldest, largest American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization in the U.S. Serves as the primary unified voice for tribal governance and sovereignty at the federal level, overlapping significantly with NNI's policy and governance mission.

Emerging players

• Local Contexts: An Indigenous data labeling initiative co-founded by NYU's Jane Anderson, who worked with NNI on the IEEE Indigenous data provenance standard. Provides tools that complement NNI's CARE Principles and standards work.
• Center for Native American Youth: A policy and youth development organization within the Aspen Institute focused on Native youth leadership and wellbeing, overlapping with NNI's youth programs and governance education mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nniarizona
• Facebookfacebook.com/nativenationsinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/native-nations-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/nniarizona

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Native Nations Institute