Andrew Curley (Navajo)
Andrew Curley, a member of the Navajo Nation, was born in Gallup, New Mexico in 1982. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Department of Development Sociology at Cornell University studying coal and development in the Navajo Nation. He previously worked at a research organization at the tribal community college and served on the tribe’s commission on government reform for two years. He also worked as a reporter for the Navajo Times.
Presentations from Facing Race 2014
Why Tribal Sovereignty Matters
Tribal sovereignty hinges on the notion that Native American tribes are governments, which are best equipped to advance their nations through self-determination. As such, the United States maintains a government-to-government relationship with nearly 600 Natives tribes. Tribal sovereignty is sometimes misunderstood through the lens of race, when it’s better understood as a way to honor the unique status that Natives hold in the United States. This panel will shed some light on the ways in which tribal sovereignty informs the fight for economic, environmental and gender justice.
Speakers: Carrie Garrow (Mohawk), Andrew Curley (Navajo)