Tribal Leaders Institute

A service of Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.

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The Tribal Leaders Institute (TLI) has two goals:

1. Provide character education that will decrease funds lost by tribal programs through ethical violations, and
2. Galvanize tribal members to demand ethical behavior from their leaders and themselves. What makes SLC’s ethics workshops unique? Our training is based on traditional Native American values of honesty, courage, perseverance, and generosity. We focus not on theory but on leading by example.

"Among the Dakotas lying and stealing from other tribal members was a capital offense. A person who was capable of lying was believed to be capable of committing other cowardly crimes against the tribe and was put to death to prevent the evil from doing more harm. If a person stole from another tribal member he was forever after called Wamanon (thief) and this distinction followed him for the rest of his life. " - Charles Eastman, Dakota 1858 – 1939

1. Introduction to Ethical Issues on Indian Reservations
This “introductory” course gives an overview of ethical issues on Indian Reservations today.

2. Courageous and Ethical Managers Managers need four basic functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling but even more they need four traditional values of courage, honesty, perseverance and generosity to guide them.

3. Becoming a Responsible Worker How values of courage, honesty, perseverance and generosity will help you become a valuable employee. (November, 2009)

4. Courageous and Ethical Governing Boards and Committees (January, 2010) Encourage governing board members to make courageous and ethical decisions.

5. Introduction to Tribal Governments (May, 2010) Courageous, ethical and responsible government.

Dr Longie’s Most Recent Entries

The Wisdom of our Ancestor, Charles Eastman - I was so mad yesterday when I left the North Dakota High School Activities Association meeting I was beside myself. There were several reasons...

Generosity is not only a Dakota value - Having been raised in the late 50's and 60's, when Indians and Whites didn't socialize very much, I developed a lot of stereotypes about White people...

A Historic Event - I have been on one type of governing board or another ever since 1988 when I was appointed to Little Hoop's College Board of Regents ..

Tanyan wowunkdakapi (Dakota for good conversation) is our free, on-line discussion forum. Join tribal members from around the country to discuss:

• Reservation Ethics Reservation Ethics – discuss contemporary reservation ethics; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
• Ethics in the News Ethics in the News – Comment on and/or post links to news articles
• Ethics in History Ethics in History – Post examples of our ancestors highly ethical behavior and comment on them.
• Joe The Tribal Worker and Susie Sainte. Have your own Joe or Susie story? Share it here.

Dr Demars recent entries:

Advice to Board Presidents: Look in the Mirror ! - "You have to begin with changing yourself. That means having the self-honesty to look at what in yourself needs to be changed. No one's perfect." ...

Worst Instincts: You CAN Learn Ethics from Books - The latest book I read, Worst Instincts, is about boards, particularly, the ACLU board....

That's just stingy! While I have often thought of honesty and courage as being the most important ethical values... I think stinginess - the opposite of generosity...

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