Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Richard Braunstein
Abstract
This dissertation focuses on representative bureaucracy as it applies to the administration of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and experienced by Lakota people within two Indian reservation communities. There is limited research on the theory and practice of representative bureaucracy within the context of BIA services. This qualitative study rests on the assumption that representative bureaucracy would lead to positive policy outcomes for Indian people. This research focuses on three specific areas of representative bureaucracy: passive, symbolic, and active representation. This phenomenological research takes as given the centrality of a Lakota epistemology: the beliefs, values and practices embodied in that worldview. Findings from this research indicate that the BIA, to a very minimal degree, models a representative bureaucracy. In terms of passive representation, even though over ninety-five percent (95%) of BIA workers are Native American and look like the people they serve, this research indicated the Lakota people did not view the BIA as mirroring themselves. Responses for both active and symbolic representation were also low. The findings indicate that from the perspective of these Lakota there are important cultural values that are not addressed in the current representative bureaucracy framework. The study calls for the need to consider indigenous epistemologies when exploring further theoretical and practical study of representative bureaucracy within federal programs for Native Americans.
Subject Categories
Public Administration | Public Policy
Keywords
BIA, bureaucracy, lakota communities
Number of Pages
161
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Eagle Bear, Melissa, "An Examination of the Degree to which the BIA Models Representative Bureaucracy in Selected Lakota Communities" (2024). Dissertations and Theses. 246.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/246