Drawing on the experience of Native nations in North America, this paper explores the ways that Indigenous peoples are reclaiming the right to govern themselves according to their own designs and putting those designs into practice by developing institutions that respond both to Indigenous cultures and to legal and political constraints.

 One role for research is to be used for social transformation in the interest of furthering social justice and human rights. If this is a role that is valued, then understanding beliefs that guide such research is critical. Professor Mertens will make a presentation about a set of beliefs that constitute the transformative paradigm of research. The transformative paradigm is situated in a belief that places priority on cultural responsiveness, reciprocity with communities, and addressing issues of discrimination and oppression.