American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The 1998 Navajo Local Governance Act (LGA) expands local control over local matters for the 110 community-governed chapters across the Navajo Nation. The expectation is that decentralized decision-making, planning, program implementation, and funds management may improve effectiveness and efficiency across all levels of Navajo government. This paper examines the viability of this approach to locally governed communities, describes obstacles experienced by aspirant LGA communities that struggle to meet Navajo Nation-established standards in financial management and administration, and argues for continued education and training to help realize local empowerment for the Navajo people.