Call for Projects

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Call for Project Proposals from Native Communities and Leaders  
NATION BUILDING II PROJECTS  
of the  
Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP)  
HUNAP and Nation Building II: 

HUNAP is one of Harvard's 17 Interfaculty Initiatives of the  Office of the 
President and Provost. Consistent with the Harvard University  charter of 1650 
calling for the "education of English and Indian youth," HUNAP  has developed 
partnerships with established faculties at Harvard to build viable  programs 
of research, teaching, and outreach on issues affecting the lives of  
indigenous peoples. As part of this mission HUNAP funds the Nation Building II  
graduate course offered through the Kennedy School of Government and the  Graduate 
School of Education.  
A Nation Building II Project is a field based research project  requested by 
a client that focuses on some of the major issues Native American  tribes and 
nations face. These projects are based on the "sovereign" choice of a  
community to partner with a university to study native issues, including  
sovereignty, economic development, constitutional reform, leadership, health and  social 
welfare, land and water rights, culture and language, religious freedom  and 
education. The project is completed by graduate and undergraduate students  
enrolled in Native Americans in the 21st Century: Nation Building II. The 
Projects are conducted under  the guidance of faculty members with relevant 
expertise. Students participate in  a weekly colloquium where they present their 
work-in-progress to fellow students  and faculty. The lead faculty member for Nation 
 Building II is Prof. Dennis Norman, Harvard Medical School and  faculty 
chair of HUNAP.  
Students are not writing term papers for a scholarly audience.  Rather, they 
are charged with doing research that is likely to assist their  client. From 
the students¢ perspective, the learning comes from figuring out the  links 
between what they have studied and the real challenges that Native  decision 
makers and organizations face. From the clients¢ perspectives, Nation  Building II 
Projects provide a source of assistance in the form of talented and  committed 
students with the capacities to look into problems and issues that the  press 
of daily events prevents the client from digging into.  
The HUNAP Nation Building II Projects deal specifically with  the issues 
facing Native nations or organizations working in Native affairs.  Students 
participate in a weekly colloquium where they present their  work-in-progress to 
fellow students and faculty. The lead faculty member for Nation Building II is 
Prof.  Dennis Norman, Harvard Medical School and faculty chair of HUNAP.  
H
ARVARD UNIVERSITY NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM  
Students are not paid for their work, but instead produce their  Nation 
Building II projects in fulfillment of course requirements. Students  typically 
work in teams of two, and HUNAP supports short-term field visits of  the students 
on an as-needed basis. Over the last seven years, more than 80  Nation 
Building II Projects have been performed on behalf of tribes and tribal  
organizations. Examples of Projects include:  

Creating a Nation Building Museum: Considerations for the redesign and  
reorganization of the Hall of the North American Indian: Peabody Museum of  
Archeology and Ethnology.  Options for a Constitution: Heiltsuk First Nation  
Strengthening Families for the Future: Exploring Historical Trauma at  Mashantucket 
Pequot  Tribal Regulation of Genetic Research: One Sky Center, Portland, Oregon 
  
First Step to Request a Project  
Email Dennis Norman at dennis_norman at Email Dennis Norman at 
dennis_norman@<WBR>harvard.edu with  contact information so we can arrange a phone conversation 
to clarify and help  come up a project that can meet your needs and is 
practical The deadline for initial contact is mid January 2009.  
After Phone Consultation, How do I submit a proposal?  
Email your proposal to dennis_norman at Email your proposal to 
dennis_norman@<WBR>harvard.edu. In the  body of the message, give brief answers to the listed 
questions, numbering each  
1) Your name and title ; 2) Your organization; 3) Mailing  address; 4) E-mail 
address; 5) Phone number; 6) Fax number; 7) Proposed title  for this project; 
8) A one-page description of the problem or concern you would  like our 
students to work on; and 9) A brief explanation of how you expect to  use the final 
product.  
Deadline for written proposal 1/30/09  
If email is not accessible, fax or send a typewritten proposal  to:  
Prof. Dennis Norman  
Harvard University Native American Program  
14 Story Street, Suite 400  
Cambridge, MA 02138  
Fax: (617) 496-3900  
Telephone 617-726-3285  
Are all submitted proposals assigned to a team of students?  
The number of Nation Building II Project proposals received by  HUNAP 
typically exceeds the number of students available to undertake projects.  For this 
reason, we cannot  
H
ARVARD UNIVERSITY NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM HARVARD UNIVERSITY NATIVE AMERICAN 
PROGRAM  
guarantee that all Nation Building II Project proposals will be  selected, 
though HUNAP makes every attempt to match students' interests with  prospective 
clients' requests. All clients will be contacted if either their  proposal was 
selected or not and will be considered for the next years class if  
acceptable to the client.  
Where can I find additional information?  
If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact Professor Norman by email  
at dennis_norman at If you have questions, do not hesitate to contac

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