Legal defensibility
When defensibility replaces culture, tribal members lose access to the systems they build.

The 1994 Drug & Alcohol Policy is the clearest example of defensibility replacing care.

Before the policy: 95% tribal member employment.

After the policy: 60% tribal member employment.

A 35% collapse.

Two types of governances within a tribal government

Traditional governance relies on:

• relationships
• memory
• accountability
• community presence
• shared responsibility

Administrative governance relies on:

• paperwork
• signatures
• compliance
• HR procedures
• legal defensibility