ABSTRACT
Many economic development specialists suggest that indigenous people, ethnic groups, and, traditional communities need to accept the advice and guidance of informed outsiders when decisions are made regarding their social and economic wellbeing. Although outside advice is often useful, people are often able to fruitfully decide for themselves what best serves their interests. Thus, internal service can frequently be based on local decisions. The benefits of “bottom-up decision making,” as represented by the Tupelo model, demonstrates a specific means of doing so. The advent of Tribal Management and Postmodern Public Administration provide additional insights on how people can control their own destiny.
