HEAD START GOVERNANCE FOR

COMMUNITY BUILDING, UNITY AND

PROGRAM EXCELLENCE

A Message from the Board of Directors of the

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

Adopted Unanimously
By the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation
Board of Directors
December 10, 2005

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 WWW.FWII.NET
Introduction

The Board of Directors of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation is embarking
on an exciting new initiative of reaching out to the communities of people we were
created to serve. Our primary aim is to listen very carefully to the people we are (or
should be) serving and to reshape all of our programs to more effectively address their
real needs and aspirations.
As a part of this initiative, the Board of Directors feels that it is very important to
ensure that our Head Start Program at United Indians also reaches out and effectively
engages the families and communities it serves.
The United Indians of all Tribes Foundation Board is extremely proud of our Head
Start program, and of the very dedicated and competent staff that work so hard to make
the program what it is. At the same time, the Board feels that strengthening the role
that parents and community members play in program development, decision making,
ongoing operations and program evaluation is an important next step that will
significantly reinforce the quality of education offered to our children, as well as
contribute in many important ways to the unity and strength of our United Indians
extended family and community.
This document, as per Head Start performance standards, outlines specific processes
and steps that will be taken to bring parents and community members more directly into
the circle of advising and guiding program decision making, ongoing operations and new
program development.

The Policy Council

All Head Start programs elect a policy making body referred to as a “Policy Council”.
The general purpose of this Council is to ensure that parents and community members
have a strong voice in the running of the program.
In practice, many community elected boards and councils operate (once elected) in
relative isolation from the communities that elected them, and with few, if any, regular
structured opportunities for parents and community members to become really engaged
in the life of the program.
In order to address this challenge, the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation Board
wishes to address two specific issues.
I. How the Policy Council is elected, and
II. How it functions (once elected) both in its internal decision making process and
its relationship with parents and community it is elected to represent.
I. How the Policy Council is Elected
In order to ensure maximum opportunity for all parents and interested community

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members to select representatives that truly represent them, and who will continue to
engage them once elected, the following electoral process will be followed, beginning
with the 2005 Policy Council elections.

a. Preparation
Three preparatory meetings will be held prior to the actual elections to give
voters a chance to get to know each other, and to become familiar with the needs and
requirements of the United Indians Head Start Program. [Note: This year the
preparatory meetings were:
(1) The parent orientation held before school started
(2) A Policy Council orientation workshop
(3) An open workshop on facilitation and curriculum development held in
October.]
A special dinner will also be held on the day of elections to give further
opportunities for new parents and community members to meet each other and learn
about the program and its needs.
b. Representatives to be Elected
(1) Eight classroom groups will be formed (six Head Start classes and two
Early Head Start groups) consisting of the parents of children currently
enrolled. Each of these groups will elect one representative and one
alternate.
(2) One additional community members group will be formed, consisting of
community members who don’t have children in any of the classrooms.
This group will elect four Community Representatives from the community
at large.
(3) The Board of United Indians of All Tribes will appoint one representative
and an alternate, either from it’s own membership, or from the community
at large.
c. The Process of Elections
Because, in the past, elections run in the usual manner have tended to create
disunity and pit some of the best people in our community against each other
(candidates are nominated, they compete against each other, the community [voters]
become divided over who to select, etc.), the Board wishes to introduce a new
system and approach to elections, which is more consistent with Indigenous
traditional methods for the selection of representatives and leaders.
Step One: Discussion of the qualities anyone should have who is elected to
serve as a representative.
Examples of some qualities other groups have listed are as follows:

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 (1) Listens to others
(2) Respects differences of language and culture
(3) Loves children and gives time to working with and for them
(4) Is able to understand and articulate child, parent and community needs
(5) Is free of addictions and abusive behaviours
These are only examples. Each voting group (ie each of the eight classrooms,
and the community member groups) will hold their own discussions, and their list
will be posted for the voters to see when they are casting their vote.
Step Two: Voting
What there is not:
(1) There are no nominations. Everyone who is a member of the group is
automatically a candidate whether they are present at the meeting or not.
(2) There are also no discussions of individuals, no speeches, no electoral
platforms and no one needs to tell anyone else who they voted for.
What there is:
(1) After the discussion on qualities of those to be elected (Step One above) the
group members are given a ballot with space for the number of
representatives the group is electing.
(2) After silent reflection and prayer in one’s own way, for guidance on who
best combines the qualities identified in Step One (and now posted), each
voter simply writes the name of the person (or persons) she wishes to vote
for on the ballot paper and deposits her ballot in the ballot box (each group
needs a ballot box).
Who is eligible to be elected?
You can vote for yourself or for anyone who is eligible. Classroom parent
groups must elect a parent or guardian of a child who is registered in that
particular classroom. The community group can elect any community member.
Step Three: Counting the Votes
Special vote counters provided by the staff of United Indians will count the
votes. The person in each of the groups with the most votes is automatically
elected. In case of a tie vote, another round of voting will be taken to break the
tie. The eight parent representatives and four community representatives
elected and the United Indians Board member appointed will constitute the 13
member Policy Council until the next elections are held, in approximately one
year.
II. Policy Council Functioning
To ensure a high level of unity within the Policy Council, and between the Council

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and the parents and community they represent, the following steps will be taken.
(1) Roberts Rules of Order will be modified, to work with the Principles of
Consultation (Appendix A) in Policy Council meetings or in meetings between
the Policy Council and the Community. A much more informal, community
friendly process of consultation and consensus seeking will be the foundation
for decision making and majority vote will prevail (see Appendix B for details).
The reason for this change is because we have learned that a rigid use of
Roberts Rules of Order tends to create barriers to effective participation,
especially for Indigenous peoples and other minority groups. We have seen that
Roberts Rules can be used by some to silence and/or manipulate others. Our
goal is to open up the processes of our decision-making, so that everyone feels
comfortable in contributing what he or she may have to offer.
(2) Facilitative Leaders
Normally, a Council will choose from among its members a duly elected
chairperson and secretary, the leaders. We will use a more participatory method
to allow for rotating leaders. Any member wishing to play a leading role will be
given the opportunity to facilitate or be the secretary at a Policy Council or
community meeting. Every Policy Council member will be trained for both
roles and all will be supported to be facilitative leaders.
The role of the meeting Facilitator is to facilitate discussions of the Council
such that each and every member is able to speak, and have her views
considered carefully by the others. The Facilitator also helps the Council to
make effective decisions by a) summarizing the issues to be discussed; b)
keeping the discussions focused on the topic being discussed; and c)
summarizing the ideas and suggestions presented by members so that the
Council can make a decision to approve or disapprove what is proposed.
The role of meeting Secretary is to keep a permanent record of Council
decisions, to prepare correspondence on behalf of the Council, and to receive
correspondence and put issues before the Council arising from that
correspondence.
The important thing is that these vital roles are carried out as we have described,
and that any trace of controlling behaviour be kept out of Council functioning,
so that all members feel that they are able to participate as equals.
Agenda
The Facilitator, Secretary and key staff work together to prepare a suggested
agenda prior to each meeting, but the suggested agenda is reviewed at the
beginning of the meeting, and the Council as a whole decides what the actual
agenda will be.
The suggested agenda is developed immediately after each monthly meeting
with the help of key staff, to ensure continuity and follow up and provide the

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 staff and Policy Council members with a guide for supporting each other for the
preparation of the next meeting.
The agenda structure could include typical agenda items such as: review and
approval of past meeting minutes, old business, new business, staff and
committee reports. The Steps of Consultation (see Appendix B) will ground the
Policy Council with culturally and individually sensitive practices that ensure
all are welcome and supported.
General Observation
The role of the leaders is to serve the Council, not to control it. Leaders have
no more power or authority than any other member. The Council, as a body (as
a circle) and not its individual members, have authority and that authority is
rooted in the community that elected the Council and depends on that
community’s guidance, continued support and delegation of authority.
Performance Standards
This document addresses the following Head Start performance standards to ensure
comprehensive systems and excellent communication between all governance
stakeholders for the Head Start program.
• 1304.50(d)(1)(vi) The composition of the Policy Council and the procedures by
which policy group members are chosen.
• 1304.50(d)(1)(ii) Procedures describing how the Board of Directors and the
Policy Council will implement shared-decision making.
• 1304.50(d)(1)(iv) The program’s philosophy and long and short range program
goals and objectives.
The Board of Directors has both general fiscal and legal responsibility and, approval
authority for adherence to the performance standards and program plans addressing
the performance standards.
The Policy Council has approval authority for the program plans addressing the
performance standards.
(3) Quarterly Community Meetings and Monthly Family Gatherings
Community Meetings
The Policy Council, in collaboration with the management and staff of the
United Indians Head Start Program, will hold four open community meetings a
year spaced approximately three months apart (fall, winter, spring and summer).
These meetings are for all the stakeholders: parents, community members,
teachers, staff and friends of United Indians Head Start Program.
This process of holding regular community gatherings should become a primary
source of direction and guidance for program decision-making.

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a. Regular (e.g. quarterly or bi-monthly) Head Start community meetings –
These sessions would have the following components and would be geared
toward getting broad-based consensus on key issues.
i. A spiritual component (e.g. a blessing from one or more of the spiritual or
cultural traditions represented by community members, an inspirational
reading for a brief reflection period, a “virtues pick”, etc.)
ii. A learning period (where parents and communities can explore some of the
key concepts and skills related to early childhood education and the operation
of early childhood programs
iii. A consultation time when working groups can report and receive input and
when the management and staff can put forward specific issues for discussion
A social time with activities for the whole family, food, celebration of
significant achievements, music, etc.
(4) Family Gatherings
Each classroom group will also hold a “family gathering” once a month to allow
parents and staff to talk about matters related to that particular classroom. This
will be done as a whole school gathering to build community sharing.
(5) Spanish Translation
A significant portion of our Head Start community speaks Spanish as their first
language. Some of the parents and community members do not feel confident
enough of their English to be able to participate as equals in Policy Council or
family and community gatherings that are conducted in English. It is therefore
extremely important to ensure that Spanish-English translation is available at all
of these meetings as required.
(6) Principle Centered Program Development
A principle is a statement of what we hold to be valuable or true. It is about
what works in human development, in education and in life. By weighing our
plans and our actions in the balance of our principles, we are able to continually
adjust what we are doing for maximum effectiveness.
Following are 16 principles now guiding all United Indians of All Tribes
Foundation programming. We invite you to carefully consider your program
plans and actions in light of them, and to adjust accordingly. We also invite you
to articulate other principles that you believe are important.

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 Sixteen Principles for Building a Sustainable World

1. Human beings can transform their world. The web of our relationships with others and the natural
world which has given rise to the problems we face as a human family can be changed.
2. Development comes from within. The process of human and community development unfolds from
within each person, relationship, family, organization, community, or nation.
3. Healing is a necessary part of development. Healing the past, closing up old wounds and learning
healthy habits of thought and action to replace dysfunctional thinking and disruptive patterns of human
relations is a necessary part of the process of sustainable development.
4. Justice. Every person (regardless of gender, race, age, culture, religion) must be accorded equal
opportunity to participate in the process of healing and development and to receive a fair share of the
benefits.
5. No vision, no development. A vision of who we can become, and what a sustainable world would be
like, works as a powerful magnet, drawing us to our potential.
6. Authentic development is culturally based. Healing and development must be rooted in the wisdom,
knowledge and living processes of the culture of the people.
7. Interconnectedness. Everything is connected to everything else. Therefore, any aspect of our healing
and development is related to all the others (personal, social, cultural, political, economic, etc.). When
we work on any one part, the whole circle is affected.
8. The hurt of one is the hurt of all; the honour of one is the honour of all. The basic fact of our
oneness as a human family means that development for some at the expense of well-being for others is
not acceptable or sustainable.
9. Unity. Unity means oneness. Without unity, the common oneness that makes (seemingly) separate
human beings into “community” is impossible. Disunity is the primary disease of community.
10. No participation, no development. Participation is the active engagement of the minds, hearts and
energy of the people in the process of their own healing and development.
11. Spirit. Human beings are both material and spiritual in nature. It is therefore inconceivable that human
community could become whole and sustainable without bringing our lives into balance with the
requirements of our spiritual nature.
12. Morals and ethics. Sustainable human and community development requires a moral foundation.
When morals decline and basic ethical principles are violated, development stops.
13. Learning. Human beings are learning beings. We begin learning while we are still in our mother’s
wombs, and unless something happens to close off our minds and paralyze our capacities, we keep on
learning throughout our entire lives.
14. Sustainability. To sustain something means to enable it to continue for a long time. Authentic
development does not use up or undermine what it needs to keep on going.
15. Move to the positive. Solving the critical problems in our lives and communities is best approached
by visualizing and moving into the positive alternative that we wish to create, and by building on the
strengths we already have, rather than on giving away our energy fighting the negative.
16. Be the change you want to see. The most powerful strategies for change always involve positive role
modeling and the creation of living examples of the solutions we are proposing. By walking the path,
we make the path visible.

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APPENDIX A: PRINCIPLES OF CONSULTATION

Purpose

• Create team commitment, trust among diverse participants

• Identify opportunities and solve problems
• Determine the best course of action

Ten Principles for Success

1. Respect each participant and appreciate each other’s diversity. This is the
prime requisite for consultation.

2. Value and consider all contributions. Belittle none. Withhold evaluation

until sufficient information has been gathered.

3. Contribute and express opinions with complete freedom.

4. Carefully consider the views of others --- if a valid point of view has been
offered, accept it as your own.

5. Keep to the mission at hand. Extraneous conversation may be important

to team building, but it is not consultation, which is solution driven.

6. Share in the group’s unified purpose --- desire for success of the mission.

7. Expect the truth to emerge from the clash of differing opinions. Optimum
solutions emerge from diversity of opinion.

8. Once stated, let go of opinions. Don’t try to ‘‘defend’’ your position, but
rather let it go. Ownership causes disharmony among the team and
almost always gets in the way of finding the truth.

9. Contribute to maintaining a friendly atmosphere by speaking with

courtesy, dignity, care, and moderation. This will promote unity and
openness.

10. Seek consensus. But if consensus is impossible, let the majority rule.
Remember, though, that decisions, once made, become the decision of
every participant. After the group has decided, dissenting opinions are

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 destructive to the success of the mission. When decisions are undertaken
with total group support, wrong decisions can be more fully observed and
corrected.

APPENDIX B: STEPS FOR CONSULTATION

1. Define the problem clearly. Make sure everyone has the same understanding of what
is being discussed. It may help to write the question or issue down where everyone
can see it.
2. Identify the human values or spiritual principles which are related to the issue. It can
be helpful to think about both the principles or values which should be part of the
solution and the values/principles whose violation has helped to cause the problem.
3. Gather information which might help you make a good decision. This information
may be held as common knowledge by the group members and merely needs to be
made explicit. Other times research may need to be undertaken by consulting
relevant literature or talking to various kinds of people (both “experts” and ordinary
citizens). Do not try to make a decision or to evaluate the information while you are
gathering it.
4. Make sure everyone in the group understands all the information that has been
gathered.
5. Give everyone the opportunity to express their opinion about what should be done,
based on the guiding principles which have been identified. Everyone should have
the opportunity to speak once before anyone speaks twice.
6. Avoid taking offence at the point of view put forward by someone else. It is out of
the clash of differing point of view that a creative solution is found. In the same
spirit, avoid speaking in ways which will be offensive to others.
7. Don’t hold on to your point of view. Once it has been given to the circle, it doesn’t
belong to you any more. You don’t have to keep defending it.
8. After all the participants have contributed their ideas, the facilitator (or any other
group member) should try to synthesize what has been said into a course of action
which everyone can agree on.
9. Anyone who feels that an important point has not been taken into consideration in this
synthesis should be given the chance to speak again.
10. Steps 5 to 9 can be repeated several times until a consensus is reached. If, during this
process, it becomes evident that a vital piece of information is lacking, be sure to get
it before proceeding.
11. Use a majority vote as a last resort if complete consensus can’t be reached.
12. Once a decision has been reached, it is important for everyone to support it
wholeheartedly, even if you are not in full agreement. Through this type of united

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 action, any flaws in the plan will be revealed and can be remedied without hard
feelings or conflict.

APPENDIX C: ELEMENTS OF AN EVOLVING COLLABORATIVE

GOVERNANCE MODEL

Process of Election

Step One – Prayer

Each, in our own ways, ask the Creator (or however we designate a higher power or
source of inspiration), for guidance and direction so that Her will can guide everyone
involved in the election process. Pray enough so everyone at the election meeting is truly
connected heart and mind with the Creator.

Step Two – Consultation

Discuss the qualities of good leaders, and particularly those qualities needed in leadership
for this time and situation. Do not discuss individual names – only the qualities a leader
should have.

Step Three – Reflection, Prayer and Meditation

Reflect (think deeply) about the qualities needed in those chosen for leaders in the
situation. Then think about whom best combines those qualities from among the circle
and community; consider everyone. Without the least trace of prejudice and with an
open and loving heart, ask the Creator to guide you to make the best choice.

Step Four – Vote

Write down the names of the people for whom you have been guided to vote. Do not
discuss your choices with anyone before or after the vote. Your choice is between you
and the Creator. The number of names you vote for should equal the number of positions
on the council. If your ballot has less or more names it will not be counted.

Step Five – Count the Vote

A special committee of four scrutineers (vote counters) is chosen by those at the election
meeting. The scrutineers count the number of votes each person receives. The people
with the most votes are chosen. This is called a “plurality vote”.

For example, if the election is to choose seven council members, then the seven people
with the highest number of votes are selected. The person with the most votes has the
responsibility to call the first meeting of the council. Beyond that, it is not important how
many votes each council member received.

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If there is a tie in the voting for the last position on the council, then a vote is held to
break the tie. The vote is between only the people who tied. For example, if the election
is to choose seven council members and there is a tie between the seventh and eighth
number of votes, then a vote is held to break the tie. If there is a tie between the second
and third, or fourth and fifth number of votes, no vote is necessary since it is clear they
have been selected.

Step Six – Acceptance and Support

Everyone in the community must now give their whole-hearted and unreserved support to
the chosen. No one should speak secretly against those elected. Rather, everyone should
now rally behind the council, pray for them, share their best ideas and insights with them
and cooperate to insure the success of everyone in promoting the healing and
development of the people.

Step Seven – Servant Leadership

The newly chosen council members should show the utmost humility at all times and
should approach their work in the attitude of loving service to the community. They
should actively solicit (ask for) the views and opinions of community members, and work
very hard to insure that the real leaders are the people and the council their servants.

Suggested Qualities of Servant Leaders

1. Spiritually centered – actively in a relationship with the Creator.
2. Morally strong – lives a good moral life, suitable to stand as a role model (particular
attention to the issues of addictions, relationships with the opposite sex and honesty
regarding money should be considered).
3. Believes in the people’s capacity to heal and develop, and shows this belief in the
way they work with the people.
4. Is engaged in his or her own healing journey and is a relatively healthy person.
5. Has a good mind, and clearly understands the process of healing and development,
and the issues the people are facing.
6. Has demonstrated devotion to the people’s healing and development by hard work
and a good attitude over a long time.
7. Shows true respect for the Creator, the Earth, and all persons (does not show
disrespect for anyone including women, men, youth, the poor, other races, etc.).
8. Can work well with others in a team.
9. Strives to work from a position of forgiveness, unity and harmony with everyone.

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APPENDIX D: GUIDELINES FOR TALKING CIRCLES
(Excerpted from The Sacred Tree Curriculum Guide produced by The Four Worlds Development Project,
1988)

Talking circles are useful when the topic under consideration has no right or wrong answer, or
when people need to share feelings. Moral or ethical issues can often be dealt with in this way
without offending anyone. The purpose of talking circles is to create a safe environment for
people to share their point of view with others. This process helps people gain a sense of trust in
each other. They come to believe that what they say will be listened to and accepted without
criticism. They also gain an appreciation for points of view other than their own. During the
circle time, people are free to respond however they want as long as they follow these rules.
• All comments should be addressed directly to the question or issue, not to comments that
another participant has made. Both negative and positive comments about what anyone else
in the circle says should be avoided. Just say what you want to say in a positive manner.
Speak from the heart.
• Only one person speaks at a time. Everyone else should be listening in a non-judgmental
way to what the speaker is saying. Some groups find it useful to signify in some way who
has the floor. Going around the circle systematically is one way to achieve this. Another is
to use some object (such as a stone or stick) which the person who is speaking holds and then
passes to the next person who has indicated a desire to speak.
• Silence is an acceptable response. No one should be pressured at any time to contribute
if they feel reticent to do so. There must be no negative consequences, however subtle, for
saying “I pass.”
• At the same time, everyone must feel invited to participate. Some mechanism for
ensuring that a few vocal people don’t dominate the discussion should be built in. An
atmosphere of patient and non-judgmental listening usually helps the shy people to speak out
and the louder ones to moderate their participation. Going around the circle in a systematic
way, inviting each person to participate simply by mentioning each name in turn can be an
effective way to even out participation.
• It is often better to hold talking circles in groups of ten to fifteen rather than with a large
group, because in smaller groups everyone has time to say what they need to say without
feeling pressured by time.
• The group leader facilitates the discussion by acknowledging contributions in a non-

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judgmental way (that is, by avoiding comments such as “good comment” or “great” which
can be seen as making comparisons between different contributions), and by clarifying
comments when necessary, (e.g. “If I understand what you’re saying, you’re...”).
• No comments which put down others or oneself are allowed. Some agreed-upon way of
signaling the speaker when this is occurring should be established. Self put downs include
such comments as, “I don’t think anyone will agree with me, but...” or “I’m not very good
at...”.
• Speakers should feel free to express themselves in any way that is comfortable: by
sharing a personal story, by using examples or metaphors, by making analytical statements,
etc.
• Some groups have found it useful to encourage participants to focus on consciously
sending the speaker loving feelings. In this way listeners are supporting the speaker and not
tuning out so they can think about what they will say when it is their turn.

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