2023 PROGRESS REPORT FOR TRIBAL NATIONS

T H E W H I T E H O U S E

2023 PROGRESS

REPORT FOR

TRIBAL NATIONS

PREPARED BY THE DOMESTIC POLICY COUNCIL

[W]e recognize the invaluable contributions of Native peoples that have shaped our

country and honor the hundreds of Tribal Nations who continue exercising their

inherent sovereignty as vital members of the overlapping system of governments in

the United States.

We also recommit to supporting Tribal sovereignty; upholding the Federal

Government’s solemn trust and treaty responsibilities; and working in partnership

with Tribal Nations to advance prosperity, dignity, and safety for all Native

peoples….

Despite centuries of violence and oppression, Native peoples remain resilient and

proud.

Today, Native Americans are essential to the fabric of the United States.

–President Biden

A Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2023

CON TEN TS 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 7 
LEADERSHIP ON TRIBAL POLICY ............................................................................................................... 9 
White House Council on Native American Affairs .................................................................................. 9 
Presidential Proclamations ........................................................................................................................ 9 
STRENGTHENING THE  NATION-TO-NATION RELATIONSHIP ................................................................. 10 
Tribal Nations Summit ............................................................................................................................ 10 
Tribal Consultation ................................................................................................................................. 10 
Agency Guidance on Working with Tribal Nations ............................................................................... 11 
Native Americans in the Federal Government ........................................................................................ 11 
Native American Federal Judges ........................................................................................................ 11 
Native American Federal Officials ..................................................................................................... 11 
Federal Boards and Commissions ...................................................................................................... 12 
New Tribal Affairs Positions ............................................................................................................... 12 
New Tribal Leader and Native Advisory Committees ......................................................................... 13 
New Tribal Offices .............................................................................................................................. 14 
Honoring Native American Contributions .......................................................................................... 15 
Visits to Indian Country .......................................................................................................................... 15 
White House Leadership & Cabinet Secretaries in Indian Country ................................................... 16 
Federal Agency Senior Officials in Indian Country ........................................................................... 16 
Dept. of Interior in Indian Country ..................................................................................................... 17 
RESTORING AND PROTECTING TRIBAL HOMELANDS ............................................................................. 17 
Co-Stewarding or Co-Managing Land with Tribal Nations ................................................................... 17 
New Agreements .................................................................................................................................. 17 
Work to Support Co-Stewardship ....................................................................................................... 19 
Tribal Lands Protection and Expansion .................................................................................................. 19 
Sacred Sites ............................................................................................................................................. 21 
Grazing and Land Use ............................................................................................................................ 21 
Treaty Rights ........................................................................................................................................... 22 
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY, AND INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................. 23 
Regional Strategies and Supports ........................................................................................................... 23 
Whole-of-Government Environmental Justice Agenda .......................................................................... 23 
Contamination Cleanup Efforts .............................................................................................................. 24 
Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience ....................................................................................... 25 

Sustainable Energy .................................................................................................................................. 27 
Water ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 
Fish Restoration ...................................................................................................................................... 30 
Conservation ........................................................................................................................................... 32 
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR INDIAN COUNTRY ............................................................................................. 33 
President Biden’s FY 2024 Budget Request ........................................................................................... 33 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................................... 35 
The Buy Indian Act ................................................................................................................................. 35 
Other Tribal and Native-Owned Businesses Support ............................................................................. 35 
Access to Capital in Indian Country ....................................................................................................... 37 
Improving Federal Funding Accessibility ............................................................................................... 37 
Reports, Analysis, or Guidance............................................................................................................... 38 
Community Economic Development ...................................................................................................... 39 
Government Support and Entitlement Policies ....................................................................................... 40 
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ......................................................................................................................... 40 
Bison Restoration Initiative .................................................................................................................... 40 
Food Sovereignty .................................................................................................................................... 41 
HEALTH CARE ........................................................................................................................................... 43 
Mental Health.......................................................................................................................................... 43 
Cancer ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 
Indian Health Service Improvements ...................................................................................................... 45 
Health Research and Data Sharing .......................................................................................................... 45 
Substance Use ......................................................................................................................................... 46 
Public Health funding ............................................................................................................................. 46 
NATIVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ........................................................................................................... 47 
Child Care ............................................................................................................................................... 47 
Reproductive Health Care ....................................................................................................................... 48 
Youth Mental Health ............................................................................................................................... 48 
Maternal Health ...................................................................................................................................... 48 
VETERANS .................................................................................................................................................. 50 
Native American Veterans Homelessness Initiative ............................................................................... 50 
Cemeteries............................................................................................................................................... 50 
Veteran’s Health and Cultural Competency ........................................................................................... 51 
TRANSPORTATION ..................................................................................................................................... 52 
Electric Vehicle Initiative For Tribal Nations ......................................................................................... 52 
Highway Safety ....................................................................................................................................... 54 

Transportation Infrastructure Development ............................................................................................ 54 
HOUSING .................................................................................................................................................... 55 
PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE ................................................................................................................... 56 
Missing and Murdered Indigenous People & Violence Against Native Women ................................... 56 
U.S. Attorneys in Indian Country ........................................................................................................ 57 
Law Enforcement .................................................................................................................................... 61 
Holistic Public Safety Work ................................................................................................................... 61 
Drug Trafficking ..................................................................................................................................... 63 
Youth and Juvenile Justice ...................................................................................................................... 63 
Disaster Preparedness ............................................................................................................................. 64 
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................... 65 
Tribal Colleges and Universities ............................................................................................................. 65 
Internship, Apprenticeship, and Service Programs ................................................................................. 65 
Supporting Schools and Educators ......................................................................................................... 67 
HEALING FROM DESTRUCTIVE PAST POLICIES ...................................................................................... 67 
Indian Boarding Schools ......................................................................................................................... 67 
Protecting Native Children ..................................................................................................................... 68 
Voting Rights .......................................................................................................................................... 69 
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES, KNOWLEDGE, AND CULTURE....................................................................... 69 
Indigenous Knowledge and Historic Preservation .................................................................................. 69 
Graves Protection and Repatriation ........................................................................................................ 71 
Native Languages .................................................................................................................................... 72 
Indian Arts and Crafts ............................................................................................................................. 73 
Traditional Medicine ............................................................................................................................... 74 
TECHNOLOGY, BROADBAND, SPECTRUM AND CYBERSECURITY ........................................................... 74 
Internet and Broadband ........................................................................................................................... 74 
Cybersecurity .......................................................................................................................................... 75 
INTERNATIONAL AND BORDER ISSUES ..................................................................................................... 75 
Repatriation ............................................................................................................................................. 75 
Border Issues ........................................................................................................................................... 76 
International Indigenous Rights and Partnerships................................................................................... 76 
Trade and Investment Policy .................................................................................................................. 79 
APPENDIX A. - LIST OF ACRONYMS .......................................................................................................... 80 
 
   

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

EXE CUT I VE SU M MAR Y

This report documents progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made in 2023—including following

through on commitments and developing new policies and initiatives that support Tribal Nations and Native

communities. President Biden’s relationship with Tribal Nations and their citizens is built on respect for

Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, honoring federal trust and treaty responsibilities, protecting Tribal

homelands, and conducting regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal Nations.

The work documented in this report is extensive—reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration’s deep

commitment to Indian Country. President Biden is committed to delivering on policies that will make things

better for Native communities. Policies that will protect what is most precious to Tribal communities—

from their children to their languages. And policies that will strengthen the most vital institutions for the

well-being of Native people: their Tribal Nations. This Administration is dedicated to championing a new

era of the Nation-to-Nation relationship with Tribal Nations. One where Tribal Nations are recognized and

supported in their significant role as part of the tapestry of governments that make up the United States and

provide vital services to the American people. And one where Tribal Nations are, above all, respected as

the sovereigns that they are.

This report documents significant accomplishments across the Federal Government in 2023. As discussed

in detail in this report, over the past year the Administration:

• Took significant steps to reform and improve Tribal consultation;

• Continued to appoint Native Americans to the Federal Government in record numbers;

• Sent the highest ranks of the Federal Government to Indian Country;

• Continued championing innovative co-stewardship and co-management agreements to ensure

Tribal Nations have a role—and can bring their invaluable knowledge and expertise—to federal

land management;

• Worked to ensure federal employees properly understand and respect Tribal treaty rights and sacred

sites;

• Implemented both local and all-of-government approaches to combatting climate change’s effects

on Tribal homelands;

• Centered environmental justice and Tribal priorities in our approach to conserving and protecting

our Nation’s lands and natural resources;

• Fought for unprecedented levels of funding for Indian Country—including securing reliable

advanced funding for Indian Health Service for the first time in history;

• Took bold steps to make federal funding more accessible to Tribal Nations;

• Expanded the Federal Government’s efforts to buy from Native-owned businesses;

• Worked to restore healthy and abundant Bison populations;

• Brought much needed updates to the Indian Health Service and launched innovative new programs

to help expectant mothers;

• Expanded funding to build child and elder care facilities in Indian Country;

• Successfully defended one of Indian Country’s most precious laws—the Indian Child Welfare

Act—before the United States Supreme Court;

• Expanded work to prevent homelessness amongst Native veterans;

• Built new electric vehicle infrastructure in Indian Country and helped Tribes transition to a green

economy;

• Made homes more affordable for families on reservations;

• Supported teacher retention in Tribal schools;

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• Continued difficult but important work to record the history of Indian Boarding Schools and move

toward healing;

• Expanded broadband infrastructure to bring internet to more Native homes;

• Updated processes to protect Native arts and crafts; and

• Affirmed the value of Indigenous Knowledge in work throughout the Federal Government

The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to report on these accomplishments in detail in the pages that

follow, but we know we have more work to do. We are ready to keep working—to finish the job we have

started: building a new era of partnership, respect, and continued progress for Indian Country.

Student Maya Giidaaba Tilousi Lyttle delivers remarks and introduces President Joe

Biden at the Historic Red Butte Airfield in Tusayan, Arizona Tuesday, August 8, 2023,

before he signs a proclamation establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni –

Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. (Official White House

Photo by Cameron Smith).

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LE A D ERSHI P ON TRIB A L PO LIC Y

WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS

President Biden reinstated the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) in his first

100 days in office. WHCNAA is co-chaired by Department of the Interior Secretary Haaland and White

House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, and includes the top leadership of all other agencies and

offices with major equities in Indian Country. Throughout 2023, WHCNAA held monthly staff meetings

and committee meetings to coordinate Tribal policy across WHCNAA member agencies and develop new

policy initiatives. The leadership of WHCNAA—including Cabinet secretaries and senior advisors to the

President—met three times during 2023, including the Tribal Nations Summit, to discuss the Biden-Harris

Administration’s priorities in Indian Country and coordinate commitments. In addition, on May 30, Interior

Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Environmental Protection Agency

Administrator Michael Regan, and Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and

Implementation John Podesta, held a WHCNAA Tribal leadership engagement on the Administration’s

work implementing the Inflation Reduction Act.

PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS

Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. President Biden, recognizing the importance

of increasing awareness for the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, declared May 5, 2023,

Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day. President Biden issued a proclamation declaring October 9, 2023, as Indigenous

Peoples’ Day, to show our gratitude for the myriad contributions that Indigenous People have made to our

world, and renew our commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Native American Heritage Month Proclamation. In November 2023, President Biden issued a

presidential proclamation declaring November as Native American Heritage Month.

The story of America’s Indigenous peoples is a story of their resilience and survival;

of their persistent commitment to their right to self-governance; and of their

determination to preserve cultures, identities, and ways of life.

–President Biden

A Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 2023

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

STRENG THE NING TH E

NAT ION -TO-NATI ON RELATI ONS H IP

TRIBAL NATIONS SUMMIT

The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to honoring and strengthening the Nation-to-Nation

relationships the United States has with Tribal Nations. Hosting the Tribal Nations Summit every year is at

the core of this commitment. The President will host the third White House Tribal Nations Summit of the

Biden-Harris Administration on December 6-7, 2023.

This year’s Summit will increase the

opportunity for Tribal leaders and top

Administration officials to have

meaningful conversations about the

most important issues facing Tribal

communities by featuring closed-press

Nation-to-Nation conversations

between Tribal Leaders and Agency

Leadership These smaller group

sessions will facilitate a more open

exchange of ideas between federal and

Tribal officials. The Summit will also

feature new Administration

announcements and updates that

implement vital policy initiatives

supporting Tribal communities—which

are encompassed in this report.

TRIBAL CONSULTATION

Presidential Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation. At the 2022 Tribal Nations

Summit, President Biden issued a new Presidential Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal

Consultation to provide more consistency in how agencies initiate, provide

notice, conduct, record, and report on Tribal consultations. Agencies were

directed to require annual Tribal consultation training for all employees who

work with Tribal Nations or on policies with Tribal implications.

Additionally, DOI and OPM were tasked with establishing a uniform training

module. Agencies were directed to do this work with direct input from Tribal

Nations.

By the end of 2023, nine federal agencies—ACHP, DOI, DOJ, DOL, NOAA,

NEH, Treasury, USACE, and USDA—will be on track and/or have completed

revised consultation policies and/or consultation trainings. Furthermore,

12 federal agencies—DOC, DOD, DOE, DOL, DOT, ED, EPA, HHS, OPM,

Treasury, USACE, and USTR—have issued guidelines on how they will

implement new Tribal consultation policies; hosted listening sessions on what

12 AGENCIES

are on the path to

updating their

consultation policies

9 AGENCIES

revised Tribal

Consultation policies or

developed trainings

President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the 10th Tribal Nations Summit,

Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at the U.S. Department of the Interior in

Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

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these trainings should entail for their agency; and/or have developed interim courses and modules.

OPM, with guidance from DOI and funding from VA, announced it is set to deliver the uniform Tribal

consultation training for the Federal Workforce in 2024. OPM is currently working with DOI, DPC,

and OMB on securing funding for this initiative. Trainings could be offered as soon as May 2024.

AGENCY GUIDANCE ON WORKING WITH TRIBAL NATIONS

DOD’s Tribal Protocols Guidebook. In June 2023, DOD’s Legacy Resource Management Program

published a Tribal Protocols Guidebook, which serves as a resource guide on how to build and enhance

relationships with Tribal governments in the Lower 48 states. The guidebook serves to aid DOD

personnel—such as commanders, cultural resource professionals, natural resource professionals, Tribal

liaisons, legal counsel, and public affairs staff—who engage with federally recognized Tribes in the process

of meeting federal trust responsibilities. A webinar has been posted to promote the Guidebook within DOD.

EPA’s Tribal Treaty or Similar Rights Guidance. EPA finalized its Tribal Treaty or Similar Rights

guidance in November 2023. It will serve as the backbone of the EPA Tribal Program and further EPA’s

commitment to working with Tribal Nations, as well as assess how EPA’s decisions impact Tribal rights.

U.S. Forest Service’s Action Plan on Strengthening Tribal Consultation. In February 2023, USDA

released its USFS Action Plan on Strengthening Tribal Consultation, outlining steps the agency will take

to advance Tribal consultation and strengthen Nation-to-Nation relationships with federally-recognized

Tribes.

Social Security Administration Action Plan Reaffirmed its Commitment to Consultation. In April

2023, SSA released its Fiscal Year 2023 Tribal Consultation and Call to Action plan, providing six

objectives the Agency will take to facilitate robust engagement regarding policies with Tribal implications.

NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Native American Federal Judges

President Biden continues to nominate Native Americans to the federal bench. In October 2023, President

Biden nominated Sara Hill (Cherokee) to serve as a federal judge in the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Hill has a wealth of experience in federal practice and federal

Indian law, having served as the Attorney General for the Cherokee Nation. Hill is President Biden’s

fourth Native American judicial nominee and, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, would be the first American

Indian woman to serve as a federal judge in Oklahoma.

Historic Number of Native American Federal Officials

President Biden has continued to appoint Native Americans to positions across the Federal Government. In

2023, President Biden made the following appointments:

Agency

Position (*New Position)

Appointee

DOC

*Director of the Office of Native American Business Development

Shaun Deschene

DOL

Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management

Carolyn Angus-

Hornbuckle

DOT

*Assistant Secretary for Tribal Government Affairs

Arlando Teller

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Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Advancing

Education Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native

Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities

Naomi Miguel

Peace

Corps

Senior Advisor on Climate

Alexandra

Lawrence

SSA

*Director of the Office of Native American Partnerships

Richard Litsey

State

Ambassador to Barbados,

Federation of Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, the

Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, & Saint Vincent, and the

Grenadines

Roger Nyhus

Federal Boards and Commissions

President Biden has also continued to prioritize the nomination and appointment of Native Americans to

serve on federal boards, commissions, and independent agencies in 2023, some of which include:

Board or Commission

Appointee

Board of Directors of AmeriCorps

Alvin Warren

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Karen Diver

Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees

Johnpaul Jones

Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees

Madeline Fielding Sayet

Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees

Jane Semple Umsted

Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees

Rose Simpson

Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees

Manuelito Wheeler

Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

Tadd M. Johnson

Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

Rion Ramirez

National Advisory Council on Indian Education

Duane A. Bedell

National Advisory Council on Indian Education

Jolene Bowman

National Advisory Council on Indian Education

Donna Brown

National Advisory Council on Indian Education

Lucyann Harjo

National Advisory Council on Indian Education

Sedelta Oosahwee

National Museum and Library Services Board

Kelli Mosteller

President’s Commission on White House Fellowships

Libby Washburn

President’s Committee on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition

Ben Jacobs

President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Philip J. Deloria

President's Export Council

Brett Isaac

New Tribal Affairs Positions

First Assistant Director for Indigenous Engagement and Native American Affairs at the White House

Office of Science and Technology Policy’s. In November 2023, OSTP brought on its first-ever Assistant

Director for Indigenous Engagement and Native American Affairs. The creation of this position arises from

OSTP and CEQ’s Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge, released at

the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit. This position will lead OSTP’s engagement with Indian Tribes, Native

Hawaiians, and other Indigenous Peoples and will provide a whole-of-government approach to elevate and

incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into federal decision-making.

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Along with the White

House Staffers at the

Office of Management

and Budget, Office of

Intergovernmental

Affairs, and Domestic

Policy Council,

President Biden’s White

House has four positions

dedicated to Indian

Country.

Complementing the White House’s efforts, Agencies across the federal family have also established and/or

filled Tribal Affairs positions over the past years. The below positions are established career roles across

the Federal Government.

Agency

Position (*New Position)

DOC, NOAA

*Tribal Liaison – Alaska

DOC, NOAA

*Senior Tribal Liaison

DOC, NOAA

Director for Climate Initiatives for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

DOD

Senior Tribal Advisor and Liaison

DOD, Dept. of Navy

*Tribal Affairs Program Manager

DOI

*Director and Senior Attorney Advisor for the Office of Indigenous

Communications & Technology

DOL

Tribal Liaison

GSA

*Tribal Liaison

GSA, Federal

Acquisition Service

Program Advisor, Tribal Affairs*

GSA, Federal

Acquisition Service

*State, Local, Tribal, & Territorial Customer Advocate and Business

Development Specialist

NEH

*Strategic Advisor for Native & Indigenous Affairs

USDA

*Special Policy Advisor on Tribal Agricultural Lands

New Tribal Leader and Native Advisory Committees

In 2022, DOI, DHS, GAO, HUD, and USDA established new Tribal Advisory Committees to ensure that

Tribal leaders have direct and consistent contact with federal agency decision makers and to institutionalize

Tribal voices within policy. These committees are in effect and ongoing. At the 2023 Tribal Nations

Summit, USDA announced the members for its inaugural Tribal Advisory Committee.

Secretary Haaland gathers with Native American Federal Officials and Senior Staff to

celebrate Native American Heritage Month on Nov. 29, 2023 (Official White House Photo).

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In September 2023, NOAA announced the selection of its members for Inaugural Marine and Coastal

Area-based Management Advisory Council. The Council will advise agency leadership on science-based

approaches to area-based protection, conservation, restoration, and management of coastal, Great Lakes,

and marine places. Two of the new Council members will provide representation from Tribal and

Indigenous communities.

In total, the Biden-Harris Administration now includes the following advisory bodies on Tribal policy:

Agency

Position

DHS

Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council

DOE

State and Tribal Government Working Group

DOI

Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee

DOJ

Attorney General’s Tribal Nations Leadership Council and the Attorney

General’s Advisory Council’s Native American Issues Subcommittee

DOL

Native American Employment and Training Council

National Advisory Council on Indian Education

EPA

National Tribal Caucus

FCC

Native Nations Communications Task Force

GAO

Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council

HHS

Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee

HUD

Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee

Treasury

Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee

USDA

Tribal Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs

New Tribal Offices

Office of Strategic Partnerships at the BIA. In 2022, DOI established Office of Strategic Partnerships

within BIA to build partnerships, leverage resources, and promote innovative solutions. DOI, in

collaboration with Native Americans in Philanthropy, is working on partnerships to support Native-led

conservation, economic development, and education.

Office of Native American Partnerships at SSA. SSA established an Office of Native American

Partnerships in their Office of the Commissioner and created a 2023 Action Plan. This new office’s work

thus far includes: engaging with Tribal Leaders; building partnerships with community organizations;

supporting Tribal applicants’ disability, retirement, and survivor claims; determining where to install new

Video Service equipment to bridge the distance between Tribal communities and SSA Field Offices; and

recruiting Native students by promoting direct hiring authority opportunities. Additionally, SSA held

listening sessions, meetings with Tribal advocates in urban Indian centers and the Pine Ridge Oglala

Reservation, and held two formal consultations in Pine Ridge and the National Indian Council on Aging

Conference. The Office also conducted a successful pilot program which served Alaska Natives in remote

areas and are working to establish a Commissioner’s Tribal Advisory Committee.

Office of Indigenous Communications & Technology at DOI. DOI established the Office of Indigenous

Communications & Technology to assist Tribal Nations and entities in managing, developing, and

maintaining broadband infrastructure; creating new electromagnetic spectrum leasing mechanisms;

providing technical assistance for the establishment of wireless, digital, and technological projects on Tribal

lands; and developing technological services that can foster partnerships between Tribes and the tech

industry (i.e., electric vehicles, light detection and ranging, and career opportunities in the tech industry for

Indigenous participants). DOI Office of the Secretary, alongside BIA, is currently working on establishing

the office’s organizational structure, mission, and policy development goals. In addition, DOI announced

two new positions including its Director and Senior Attorney Advisor positions.

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Honoring Native American Contributions

In a March 2023 ceremony, Henrietta Mann and the national

radio program “Native America Calling” were named

recipients of the 2021 National Humanities Medal by the

White House and NEH. Henrietta Mann is a citizen of the

Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, celebrated professor

of Native American studies, and leading figure in the

development of programs devoted to Native American studies.

“Native America Calling” is a national radio program focused

on issues affecting Native communities in the United States.

VISITS TO INDIAN COUNTRY

Vice President and Second Gentleman’s Visit to Gila

River. In July 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris visited the

Gila River Indian Community. She addressed a crowd of

elected leaders and community members, alongside Governor

Stephen Roe Lewis, and highlighted Tribal leadership on

clean energy and climate resilience. She also underscored the

Administration’s commitment to protecting Tribal voting

rights, investing in Tribal community banks, and promoting mental health resources. Prior to the meeting,

the Vice President met with a group of Native youth leaders from O’odham Tribes in the region.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff joined the Vice President for the visit and met with a group of Gila River

military veterans. Following the remarks, the Vice President visited a reclaimed water pipeline project

funded with $83M from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

First Lady Jill Biden’s Visit to Menominee Nation.

In October 2023, First Lady Jill Biden visited

Menominee Nation, alongside Secretary of the

Interior Deb Haaland. Her two-day visit included

touring the Menominee Tribal Enterprises’ sawmill,

which operates the Tribe’s lumber businesses, the

College of Menominee Nation, and the Keshena

Primary School to greet students. She ended her visit

speaking at the Women’s Empowerment Summit.

During her visit, she highlighted the Biden-Harris

Administration’s support for Tribal sovereignty and

honoring the unique Nation-to-Nation relationship,

as well as the impact Tribal women have made within

their community, especially to protect the

environment.

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The Biden-Harris Administration has made visiting Indian Country a priority. Below are maps that capture

the travel of Senior Administration Officials since President Biden took office.

President Joe Biden presents the 2021 National

Humanities Medal to Henrietta Mann at the

National Arts and Humanities Medal

Ceremony, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in the

East Room of the White House. (Official White

House Photo by Cameron Smith).

Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian

Community welcomes Vice President Kamala Harris and

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff to the Gila Crossing

Community School at Gila River Indian Community.

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White House Leadership & Cabinet Secretaries in Indian Country

during the Biden-Harris Administration

Federal Agency Senior Officials in Indian Country

during the Biden-Harris Administration

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Dept. of the Interior in Indian Country

during the Biden-Harris Administration

RESTORIN G AN D PROTECTING TR IBA L

HO M E LAND S

CO-STEWARDING OR CO-MANAGING LAND WITH TRIBAL

NATIONS

The Administration is championing an innovative way of partnering with Tribal Nations by signing

agreements with them to co-steward or co-manage the lands and waters that are most precious to Tribal

communities. This kind of work represents the respectful and mutually-beneficial partnership that is

indicative of the Biden-Harris Administration’s hopes for a new era of Nation-to-Nation relationships

between Tribal Nations and the Federal Government.

New Agreements

New Tribal Agreements to Co-Manage or Co-Steward Federal Lands and Waters. In 2021,

DOI and USDA announced Joint Secretarial Order 3403 on Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility to Indian

Tribes in the Stewardship of Federal Lands and Waters, which committed both agencies to a process for

establishing Tribal co-stewardship agreements. In 2022, DOC additionally signed on, and DOI and USDA

announced they had signed over 20 new co-stewardship agreements in the first year since the Joint

Secretarial Order.

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In 2023, DOI signed 70 new co-stewardship and co-management

agreements and USDA’s U.S. Forest Service signed over 120 new co-

stewardship or co-management agreements. USDA’s work came with

investments of approximately $68 million, more than triple its

investment in FY 2022.

NOAA Tri-Sovereign Agreement on Chinook Salmon. Separate from the process outlined in the

Joint Secretarial Order, DOC’s NOAA partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and

the Winnemem Wintu Tribe to sign a co-stewardship agreement in May 2023 to restore Chinook salmon,

including a call for the Tribe to contribute traditional ecological and practical knowledge of the species to

the mountains north of Redding, California.

Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. At the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, NOAA

announced the process to designate a national marine sanctuary off the coast of central California. In August

2023—with input from Tribal Nations, state and federal agencies, Indigenous communities, and the

public—NOAA released a proposal to designate a 5,617 square mile area of ocean from Montaña de Oro

State Park in San Luis Obispo County to Naples along the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County as a

national marine sanctuary. The draft management plan includes a framework for Tribal and Indigenous

collaborative management that would provide suitable opportunities for Tribes and Indigenous

communities to join in decision-making processes. The public comment period for the draft proposal closed

October 25, 2023, and NOAA is currently reviewing the feedback it received. The final decision on

sanctuary designation is expected in 2024.

Hanford National Monument Sacred Sites Memorandum of Understanding. DOE and DOI

announced it will enter into a Secretarial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a

collaborative framework to improve protection of/access to Laliik or “Rattlesnake Mountain,” located

within the Hanford nuclear site in Benton County, Washington. This effort will increase access to conduct

traditional harvesting and enable cultural and ceremonial activities for the Confederated Tribes of the

Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, Yakama Tribes, and the Wanapum Band.

USFS and Chippewa Bands Agree to Co-Stewardship. In May 2023, USFS Superior National

Forest signed an MOU with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior

Chippewa, and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (the “Bands”) to provide co-

stewardship and protection of the Bands treaty-reserved rights under the 1854 Treaty within the Superior

National Forest. This agreement is the first of its kind between the Bands and the Superior National Forest.

USFS and The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes Memorandum of

Understanding to Co-Steward the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. The Forest Service

recognizes the importance of Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area within the Tongass National Forest to

Tlingit & Haida people and acknowledges the value of Tlingit & Haida Indigenous Knowledge in the

administration of the MGRA. USFS has signed a historic MOU with Tlingit & Haida regarding the

Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

USFS Tribal Co-Stewardship Keystone Agreements. USFS committed $100 million that address

Tribal priorities within Forest Service mission critical work. In 2023, the USFS has been working to develop

agreements with both Tribal organizations and large-scale Tribal/Forest Service partnerships in the field.

The USFS is also expanding similar types of agreements designed to increase Tribal workforce capacity

and engagement in co-stewardship with the Forest Service on Tribal priorities and mission critical work.

190+

New Tribal Co-Stewardship or

Co-Management Agreements

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Work to Support Co-Stewardship

Other than signing co-stewardship agreements, these federal agencies are supporting co-stewardship and

co-management within their agencies in the following ways:

Department of the Interior

▪ Created an Inter-Bureau Co-Stewardship Committee and a Solicitor’s Co-Stewardship Working

Group.

▪ Established performance evaluation standards for co-stewardship.

▪ Creating a dashboard tracker for co-stewardship.

▪ Developed co-stewardship trainings for DOI employees and executives.

▪ Securing funding to expand Tribal co-stewardship of public lands.

▪ Developing a BIA Excess Lands Handbook to identify and support Tribal opportunities for co-

stewardship or consolidating Tribal homelands.

▪ Issuing an annual report on co-stewardship and legal authorities supporting it in November and

December 2023, respectively.

United States Department of Agriculture

▪ Produced and published a list of statutory authorities that govern land exchanges, purchases, and in

limited circumstances transfers, and a document outlining the financial resources available to Tribes

in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Department of Commerce

▪ Established a Co-Stewardship Committee.

▪ Identifying resources of significance and value to Tribes managed by DOC and notifying all Tribes

under DOC management of identified resources.

▪ Producing a legal review from NOAA on advancing co-stewardship that includes a summary of

actions taken so far and a list of current land and water treaty responsibilities and authorities that

support co-stewardship in March 2024.

United States Army Corps of Engineers

▪ Developed and published best practices and processes for the use of Tribal Cooperative Agreements

to increase co-management and co-stewardship opportunities.

▪ USACE will begin the development of a uniform approach for Tribal co-land management and co-

stewardship, including reviewing its authorities, guidance, and regulations to support Tribal co-

stewardship or co-management activities on USACE-owned lands.

TRIBAL LANDS PROTECTION AND EXPANSION

Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. On March 21, 2023, President Biden proclaimed and reserved the

506,814-acre Avi Kwa Ame National Monument on DOI-managed lands in Nevada. Avi Kwa Ame is

considered to be among the most sacred places on Earth by the Mojave, Chemehuevi, and some Southern

Paiute people. It is also important to other Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples including the Cocopah,

Halchidhoma, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Kumeyaay, Maricopa, Pai, Quechan, Yavapai, and Zuni Tribes.

Its scenic peaks include Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain), which is designated as a Traditional Cultural

Property on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its religious and cultural importance.

Castner Range National Monument. On March 21, 2023, President Biden also proclaimed and reserved

the 6,672-acre Castner Range National Monument outside of El Paso, Texas. Castner Range hosts

significant cultural sites documenting the history of Tribal Nations, including the Apache and Pueblo

peoples and the Comanche Nation, Hopi Tribe, and Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. On

August 8, 2023, President Biden proclaimed and reserved nearly one million acres as the Baaj Nwaavjo

I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. This designation was

responsive to the tireless leadership and calls for protection of the region by an interTribal coalition

comprised of 12 Tribal Nations with ancestral homelands in the area. Baaj nwaavjo means “where

Indigenous Peoples roam” in

the Havasupai language, and

I’tah kukveni means “our

ancestral footprints” in the

Hopi language—reflecting the

significance of the Grand

Canyon area to not just one,

but many Tribal Nations. The

monument protects over 3,000

known cultural and historic

sites, including 12 properties

listed on the National Register

of Historic Places and sites

precious to many Tribal

Nations in the Southwest since

time immemorial – including

the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi

Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab

Band of Paiute Indians, Las

Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa

Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian

Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation,

San Juan Southern Paiute

Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes. These sites include

Gray Mountain, called Dziłbeeh by the Navajo, which is a part of Navajo ceremonial songs, stories, and

rituals; and Red Butte, where President Biden signed the monument proclamation, which towers above the

southern portion of the monument and is known as Wii’I Gdwiisa by the Havasupai Tribe.

Land Buy Back Program Report. DOI issued a Ten Years of Consolidating Land and Building Trust

report documenting the implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. DOI created

this program in 2012 to carry out the land consolidation aspects of the Cobell v. Salazar (2009) Settlement

Agreement. During the program’s 10-year history, approximately three million equivalent acres were

returned to Tribal trust ownership and $1.69 billion was paid to more than 123,000 individuals. The Buy-

Back Program made a meaningful impact in addressing fractionation, which created economic opportunities

for both Tribes and landowners and supported Tribal sovereignty. To achieve these results, the Program

partnered with more than 50 Tribes in 15 states, including: Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota,

Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. The program’s funding ended in November

2022, per the Settlement and Claim Resolution Act of 2010. Unfortunately, fractionation remains a

significant hindrance to many Tribes and their communities. The report emphasizes the need to continue

land consolidation efforts and identifies potential new or revised policies that could be considered.

Implementation of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Act. In December 2020, the Leech Band

of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act was signed into law, which transfers approximately 11,760 acres of

public land to DOI to be held in trust for the benefits of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Previously, it was

managed by the Chippewa National Forest. To implement this Act, USDA developed and published a map

of proposed parcels for transfer on the Chippewa National Forest in August 2023.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks and signs a proclamation establishing the Baaj

Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National

Monument on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at the Historic Red Butte Airfield in Tusayan,

Arizona. (Official White House Photo by Oliver Contreras).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

HEARTH Act Ordinance Approvals. Under the HEARTH Act, Tribes with Secretary of the Interior-

approved Tribal leasing regulations are authorized to negotiate and enter into leases without further

approvals by the Federal Government. To date, 105 Tribal leasing regulations have been approved by the

Secretary of the Interior.

Boundary Waters Withdrawal. On January 6, 2023, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed Public

Land Order 7917, withdrawing approximately 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest in northeastern

Minnesota from disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws for a 20-year

period, subject to valid existing rights. This action will help protect the Rainy River watershed, including

the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the 1854 Ceded Territory of the Chippewa Bands, from

the potential adverse impacts of new mineral and geothermal exploration and development.

Beaufort Sea Withdrawal. On March 12, 2023 President Biden withdrew approximately 2.8 million acres

of the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean nearshore in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska as indefinitely

off-limits for future oil and gas leasing. This withdrawal bars the area from extractive development,

ensuring perpetual habitat and subsistence protection for whales, seals, and polar bears.

SACRED SITES

Sacred Sites Best Practice Guide. The Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency

Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites, signed in 2021, commits

the signatory agencies to identifying best practices for the management and protection of sacred sites on

federal lands and waters. Fulfilling this commitment, WHCNAA has completed a Best Practices Guide for

Tribal and Native Hawaiian Sacred Sites, which provides best practices, procedures, and guidance for the

management, treatment, and protection of sacred sites, identifies impediments to federal-level protection of

sacred sites, and acts to address and remedy impediments. The initial draft was based on comments heard

at two federal listening sessions, and the final version has been expanded and improved based on comments

received through Tribal consultation.

Domestic Mining Law Reform Working Group and Report. At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, DOI

and USDA announced efforts to implement new regulatory and policy recommendations designed to protect

Tribal interests and resources from impacts of mining. These efforts are in place to increase Tribal

engagement in mining proposals and promote well-designed mining activity that accounts for climate

change, current mining best practices, and most up-to-date technology developments. The Biden-Harris

Administration established an Interagency Working Group on Mining Regulations, Laws, and Permitting

and, developed, submitted, and presented its report to Congress in September 2023. The report includes

recommendations on ways to:

1. Engage Tribes early during the development of mining proposals on public lands;

2. Give Tribes a seat at the table in discussions regarding mining proposals; and

3. Improve consideration and protection of Tribal interests and resources as mining decisions are

being made.

GRAZING AND LAND USE

USDA Completed Analysis of Base Property Requirements for Grazing Permits Issued to Tribes. The

U.S. Forest Service reviewed rangeland management program policies, and identified a need to clarify the

flexibilities available for base property requirements to ensure the grazing program is equally available to

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all, including in Indian Country. Specifically, USDA clarified that Tribal trust land can be used for

satisfying the base property requirement.

Streamlining Tribal Agricultural Land and Related Program Access. BIA and USDA are working to

coordinate, plan, and implement USDA programs on lands held in trust or with restricted status.

Specifically, USDA and BIA are supporting updates to agricultural and grazing permits to better facilitate

Tribal participation and identify barriers to Tribal participation in agriculture, grazing and conservation

programs. Additionally, USDA plans to exchange data with BIA in order to cross reference agricultural

activities and land ownership for more efficient payment and distribution of funds in USDA farm

production and conservation programs.

USFS Handout on BIL and IRA Resources. USFS Office of Tribal Relations prepared and provided a

handout that maps financial resources available in BIL and IRA for Tribal leaders present at the 2023 Tribal

Nations Summit.

TREATY RIGHTS

Tribal Treaty Rights and Reserved Rights Memorandum of Understanding. At the 2021 Tribal

Nations Summit, 17 federal agencies, coordinated through WHCNAA and signed the Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Tribal

Treaty Rights and Reserved Rights, committing to integrate Tribal treaty rights into agency decision-making

processes.

In 2022, the 17 signatories developed and released the Best Practices Guide for Identifying and Protecting

Tribal Treaty Rights, Reserved Rights, and Other Similar Rights in Federal Regulatory Actions and Federal

Decision-Making. This year, the MOU Workgroup focused on addendums to the Best Practice Guide and

is in the process of integrating an Addendum on the Indian Cannons of Construction that will provide

information to federal agency officials on the application of the Indian Canons of Construction to treaties

with Tribes and certain statutes. The MOU Workgroup is also exploring Promise to Purchase and Hire

provisions into the Best Practice Guide.

In August 2023, WHCNAA hosted a Tribal consultation to take recommendations from Tribes regarding

what action federal agencies can take to further protect Tribal treaty rights, reserved rights, and similar

rights. Tribal leaders offered substantive written and verbal comments, which will inform the direction and

deliverables for the MOU Workgroup and relevant WHCNAA workstreams. Additionally, the WHCNAA

and the MOU Workgroup is currently in the process of creating a training curriculum with BIA Office

of Human Capital for federal agencies to inform and provide best practices on making agency decisions

and policies with respect to Tribal treaty rights, reserved rights, and similar rights.

BIL Funds for Protecting Tribal Treaty and Reserved Rights. Utilizing funding from BIL and the IRA,

NOAA committed a minimum of $404 million towards protecting Tribal Treaty and Reserved Rights (TTR)

by prioritizing climate resilience, Tribal fisheries’ needs, and Tribal communities. This includes Tribal set-

asides in fish passages, habitat restoration, capacity building, science support and investments in fish

hatcheries (including funds for distribution through BIA’s 638 contracts).

USDA-DOI-DOD Tribal Treaties Database Announces Extensive Expansion. USDA, along with the

DOI and DOD, partnered with Oklahoma State University on the creation of a Tribal Treaties Database.

The first phases of the database included working with Oklahoma State University to create the interface

for the database, digitizing and indexing Charles Kappler’s Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties with emphasis

on refining all Tribal connections (signatory Tribes to modern federally recognized Tribes a.k.a. successor-

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

in-interest Tribes). In phase three, Oklahoma State University completed extensive research on additional

resources not found in Kappler’s Volume II. These resources are being populated into a public-facing

database and include the identification of 350+ new agreements (treaties, unratified treaties, Congressional

Acts, and other related documents).

ENVIRO NME NT , ENE R GY, AND

IN F RA S T RU C TU R E

REGIONAL STRATEGIES AND SUPPORTS

Arctic Strategy Implementation Plan. In October 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration released an

implementation plan for the 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region. Key items relating to Alaska

Natives include:

1. Community driven relocation efforts to assist environmentally threatened communities in Alaska

facing relocation, managed retreat, or protection-in-place challenges;

2. Accelerating efforts to clean up and address lands that were contaminated when transferred under

the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act;

3. Pursuing new co-management and co-stewardship agreements for lands and resources in Alaska;

and

4. Improving the delivery of water and sanitation services to Alaskan communities.

NOAA’s Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy. In May 2023, NOAA Fisheries released its first-

ever national Equity and Environmental Strategy to guide the agency to serve all communities more

equitably and effectively. This national strategy describes the path NOAA will take to incorporate equity

and environmental justice into the vital services NOAA provides to all communities, including Tribal

Nations, communities, and organizations.

Tribally Specific Resource Guides to Support North Atlantic Priorities. NOAA has many tools that

can help Tribal Nations address a host of oceanic, atmospheric, and environmental challenges. To better

assist Tribal Nations, NOAA is learning more about each Tribal Nation’s priorities and developing a NOAA

resource guide for interested Tribal Nations. In April 2023, NOAA finalized its web-based NOAA resource

guides for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinah). Currently,

NOAA is creating a resource guide for the Passamaquoddy Tribe and Pleasant Point.

USACE Proposed Policy and Procedural Guidance on Alaska Native Corporations. USACE

announced it is working on a policy and procedural guidance for USACE partnerships with Alaska Native

Corporations as non-federal interests. USACE anticipates the final guidance to be published following

Tribal consultation in June 2024.

WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AGENDA

Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.

In April 2023, President Biden signed Executive Order 14096, which recognizes that addressing Tribal

concerns, respecting Tribal values, and fulfilling obligations related to sacred sites, are all important parts

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

of the Administration’s whole-of-government commitment to advancing environmental justice. Executive

Order 14096 reaffirms the need for the Federal Government to respect Tribal sovereignty by ensuring that

Tribal Nations are consulted on federal policies that potentially affect human health and environments that

have Tribal implications. It underscores the importance of recognizing, honoring, and respecting cultural

practices, subsistence practices, ways of living, Indigenous Knowledge, and other traditions of Tribal

Nations. This executive order provides a Federal Government-wide definition of environmental justice for

the first time, which includes “the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of

income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other

federal activities that affect human health and the environment.” This order charges each federal agency to

make achieving environmental justice part of its mission.

Justice40 Initiative. For the first time in our nation’s history, the Federal Government has made it a goal

that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities

marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution, including federally-recognized Tribal

entities. President Biden made this historic commitment, launching the Justice40 Initiative, when he signed

Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, within days of taking office. To

help agencies advance this goal, in November 2022, CEQ launched version 1.0 of the Climate and

Economic Justice Screening Tool, which is a geospatial mapping tool designed to identify disadvantaged

communities, or “Justice40 communities.” To respect Tribal sovereignty and self-government and to fulfill

federal trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations, land within the boundaries of federally-recognized

Tribes are highlighted as disadvantaged on the map. Alaska Native Villages are included as point locations

that are smaller than census tracts. This decision was made after meaningful and robust consultation with

Tribal Nations. In addition, in January 2023, the White House issued an addendum to the Justice40 Interim

Implementation Guidance making clear that all federally-recognized Tribes and Tribal entities are

disadvantaged communities for the purpose of this Initiative, whether or not they have land. Through the

President’s Investing in America agenda, federal agencies are making historic levels of investment to

advance the Justice40 goal, including in Indian Country.

CONTAMINATION CLEANUP EFFORTS

Orphaned Wells Cleanup to Reduce Impacts of Methane Pollution in Tribal Communities. As a part

of BIL investments in cleaning up methane pollution, $150 million is set aside for Tribal orphaned well

cleanups. In September 2023, DOI awarded $39 million in BIL funding to 10 Tribes to plug hundreds of

orphaned oil and gas wells and remediate legacy pollution in Tribal communities. Additionally, DOI has

awarded $560 million to support Tribal communities and states that have plugged 6,000 orphaned oil and

gas wells. DOI recently released another round of funding—$50 million—to Tribes to plug, remediate, and

restore orphaned wells and well sites on Tribal lands. These activities will help reduce methane emissions,

clean up legacy pollution, and provide cleaner air and water for Tribes. Tribes can also use these grants to

develop orphaned well programs and increase Tribal capacity in locating and characterizing orphaned wells.

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Contaminated Lands Initiative. EPA launched the new

Contaminated ANCSA Lands Grant Program, which provides $18 million in funds over the next few years

to help with the assessment and remediation of contaminated sites. In September 2023, EPA selected three

Alaska Native Corporations to receive over $2.5 million in an initial round of funding. Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat

Corporation received funding to assess lands impacted by a fuel spill and conduct lead and asbestos testing

and abatement at the former Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in Utqiaġvik. Tyonek Native Corporation

received funding to conduct an inventory, characterization, and decommissioning of abandoned drums and

cleanup of remaining petroleum and other surface contaminants on the Iniskin Peninsula. Ounalashka

Corporation was funded to remove soils contaminated with PCBs and conduct an initial round of soil and

groundwater sampling at a WWII-era warehouse in Dutch Harbor. EPA expects to select additional projects

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for funding in late 2023 or in 2024. EPA also launched a Dashboard that provides an inventory of

contaminated ANCSA lands in September 2023. In November 2023, EPA announced it set aside $50

million for Alaska Tribal lands, including cleanup of contaminated ANCSA lands as a part of its

Environmental and Climate Justice Change Grants Program.

Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program. In September 2023, EPA announced two competitions for

$4.6 billion to implement pollution reduction plans, including a $300 million set

aside for Tribes and U.S. territories through the IRA. This grant program supports

the development and deployment of technologies and solutions that will reduce

greenhouse gases and harmful air pollution, and transition America to a clean energy

economy that benefits all Americans. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 25

to 100 grants ranging between $1 million and $25 million under the Tribes and

Territories Competition in December 2024.

Developing Viable and Sustainable Disposal Options for Waste in Navajo Nation. In 2023, EPA

convened with several federal agencies—IHS, DOD, DOE, DOI, USDA, the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission—as well as several states, Tribes, and Tribal communities to address waste disposal issues in

two separate efforts for the Navajo Nation. In June 2023, EPA joined IHS to deploy a mobile app pilot

program that allowed Navajo Nation to verify the location and assess the contents of 55 open dump sites

that meet the IHS open dump clean-up criteria. This helped update Navajo Nations records for the Operation

and Maintenance Data System. This pilot project is the beginning of the long-term development of cleanup

projects for mismanaged waste in open dumps, and serves as a link to plans for additional transfer stations

and other disposal options. In addition to this project, EPA is continuing to address uranium mine waste

issues at the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities to expedite cleanup efforts. EPA is in the process

of hosting multiple meetings to engage federal partners, states, Tribal regulators, and Tribal communities,

including non-governmental organizations to better understand community concerns and identify and

develop options for uranium waste disposal of uranium mine waste on and off the Navajo Nation.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE

National Climate Resilience Framework. In September 2023, the White House released the first-ever

National Climate Resilience Framework, vision for a climate resilient Nation designed to guide and align

climate resilience investments and activities by the Federal Government and its partners. The Framework

identifies multiple opportunities for action to strengthen Tribal resilience and incorporate Indigenous

Knowledge into climate resilience efforts, including by supporting Tribal Nations in pursuing Presidential

emergency or major disaster declarations in response to extreme weather events, reconnecting important

freshwater ecosystems, and working alongside Indigenous scholars and community experts on data,

science, and trainings.

ACHP Policy Statement on Climate Change Includes Indigenous Knowledge. ACHP released a

Climate Change and Historic Preservation Policy Statement, which informs federal agencies on how to

clearly define connections between climate change and historic properties, articulate policy principles

ACHP will integrate into the Section 106 process, and guide public-serving institutions on how they may

acknowledge, plan, mitigate, and adapt to climate change impacts on historic properties. This policy

recognizes Indigenous Knowledge as expert knowledge, highlights the need to consider sacred sites in

planning and response actions, and urges federal agencies to adopt or align with existing practices or

standards of Indian Tribes.

$300

MILLION

Tribal set aside for

pollution reduction

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Environmental and Climate Justice

Community Change Grants

Program. In November 2023, EPA

launched the Environmental and

Climate Justice Community Change

Grants Program, which will award

approximately $2 billion in IRA

funding to community based

organizations and their partners,

including Tribes, for financial

assistance to carry out environmental

and climate justice activities to benefit

disadvantaged communities. EPA set

aside $300 million for Tribes.

Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Cooperative Agreement Program. The

Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Program provides funding at the state, local, territorial,

and Tribal level to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health

impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. Government-to-Government

projects are intended to leverage existing resources to develop processes or tools that integrate

environmental justice considerations into governmental decision-making at all levels. EPA awarded $84.1

million through 88 cooperative agreements nationwide in October 2023.

FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant

Program. In FY 2022, FEMA prioritized 40% of funding of its

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program for

disadvantaged communities, which included a $54 million set-aside for

Tribal Nations—doubling prior funding levels. FEMA is approving the

Tribal applicants for FY 2022 funding, supported by BIL, and recently

released the NOFO for FY 2023. FY 2023 applications are due February

29, 2024. Under the program, FEMA also is providing technical assistance to 28 Tribal Nations that

includes support for climate risk assessments, community engagement, partnership building, hazard

mitigation, and climate adaptation planning.

Supporting Community-Driven Relocation in Indian Country. In 2022, DOI, with support from USDA,

FEMA, the Denali Commission, and other federal agencies, launched three new community-driven

relocation projects. Through BIL and IRA investments, DOI committed $115 million for 11 severely-

impacted Tribes to advance relocation efforts and adaptation planning Additional support for relocation

will be provided by FEMA and the Denali Commission. DOI has completed the planning phase of this

initiative, and is currently working on relocation plans, which includes construction. USDA’s Natural

Resources Conservation Services Office committed to allocate $40 million in BIL funding to assist with

community-driven relocation of Alaska Native Villages due to climate change, erosion, and flooding. This

funding will cover feasibility studies, watershed planning, National Environmental Policy Act compliance,

and move design.

$54

MILLION

Tribal set aside to address

natural disasters and foster

community resilience

EPA Administrator Michael Regan fishing in the Village of Igiugig on the

Journey to Justice Tour in Alaska. (Photo Courtesy of EPA).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Tribal Climate Resilience. In July 2023, DOI announced the availability of

$120 million in funding through BIL and IRA to help Tribal communities plan

for the most severe climate-related environmental threats to their homelands.

Tribal communities can use this funding to proactively plan to adapt to these

threats and safely relocate critical community infrastructure. This was one of the

largest amounts of annual funding made available to Tribes and Tribal

organizations in the history of the BIA’s Tribal Climate Annual Awards

Program.

Environmental Justice Convening. In February 2023, DOJ’s Environment and

Natural Resources Division committed hosted an Environmental Justice

Convening with federal officials and Tribal leaders to develop strategies to

prevent and address harms caused by environmental crimes, pollution, and

climate change in Indian Country. DOJ also held regional convenings in the

Pacific Northwest (July 2023), Minnesota (September 2023), and New Mexico

(October 2023). These convenings focused on opening a dialogue between

Tribal representatives and federal participants on how to improve litigation and

settlement outcomes in DOJ Tribal water rights and treaty rights cases. The

convenings also provided an opportunity to receive input from Tribal

representatives on how DOJ and other federal agencies can best support Tribal

government climate change adaption and resilience plans.

White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations

Workgroup. The President established the first-ever White House Environmental Justice Advisory

Council, which provides independent advice and recommendations to the Chair of CEQ and the Council

on ways to address current and historic environmental injustice. In January 2022, an Indigenous Peoples

and Tribal Nations Workgroup was established to make recommendations to the Council for improving

federal policy regarding environmental justice for Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples as it relates to

addressing disproportionately high and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related, and other

cumulative impacts, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, and

underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater, infrastructure, and health care.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Funding Releases. The Low-Income Energy

Assistance Program helps keep families safe and healthy through reducing costs associated with home

energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, minor energy-related home repairs, and other energy costs. ACF

allocated 99.75% of the total funds across all sources of funding for FY 2023, supported by BIL. To date,

150 Tribes and Tribal organization recipients have received approximately $68 million in FY 2023 awards.

Increasing Outreach and Collaboration with Tribal Communities for the Low-Income Household

Water Assistance Program. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s and ACF’s commitment to

equity, ACF worked with its Tribal advisors to make this program more accessible to Tribal communities.

This includes:

1. Translating the Waterhelp.info website into Cherokee and Yup’ik;

2. Releasing a LIHWAP Tribal Grant Recipients Toolkit responsive to their training and technical

assistance needs; and

3. Conducting a webinar panel with Tribal program administrators.

White House Council on

Environmental Quality

Chair Brenda Mallory and

Mississippi Band of

Choctaw Indians Chief

Cyrus Ben in Mississippi.

(Photo courtesy of CEQ).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Inflation Reduction Act: Elective Pay & IRA Low-Income Bonus Credit Program Guidance. Treasury

issued draft elective pay guidance and conducted Tribal consultation. To increase Tribal access, a Tribal

Elective Pay Fact Sheet was published. For the Low-Income Bonus Credit Program, Treasury conducted

consultation and issued final guidance for the 2023 Program Year that reserves 200 Megawatts for projects

on Indian lands, provides a reservation of available energy for certain applicants like Tribal governments,

and permits single-family housing projects based on Tribal consultation feedback.

Solar for All Program. In June 2023, EPA announced its $7 billion Solar for All Program, which is a part

of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. EPA has committed to award up to five grants to deploy more

rooftop and community solar in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Tribal Electrification Program. On August 15, 2023, DOI announced the launch of a new program and

availability of $72.5 million in initial funding through the IRA to help Tribal communities electrify homes.

This investment is a critical step toward the goal of electrifying all homes in Indian Country with renewable

energy sources and advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to reach a carbon-free electricity

sector by 2035.

Tribal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program. DOE released application guidelines for

Tribal governments to apply for $225 million in funding under IRA’s Home Electrification and Appliance

Rebate program. These funds will provide rebates to low- and moderate-income households installing

efficient electric technologies. This program will provide up to $14,000 per eligible Tribal household for

energy efficiency and electrification home upgrades.

Implementation of the Indian Energy Purchase Preference at Federal Facilities. DOE, in coordination

with WHCNAA, DOD and GSA, launched a new initiative to increase federal agencies’ use of Tribal

energy through purchasing authority established by Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This law

allows federal agencies to preference purchasing electricity and other energy products from Indian Tribes

and Tribal enterprises, though it had been unused for 17 years. In 2023, these agencies held a joint listening

session with Tribes to inform OMB Guidance on Federal Procurement of Tribal Power & Energy Products

at federal facilities. These agencies are in the process of developing a Secretary of Energy memo to initiate

the development of procurement procedures for the Indian Energy Purchase Preference and language to

align the preference with the Buy Indian Act. Additionally, these agencies are in the process of developing

a pilot program focused on Tribal energy production to develop electricity procurement strategies in

early 2024. GSA completed market research on this pilot program. In October 2023, DOE signed a first-

of-its kind solar lease agreement for IHS to buy power from Yakama Power Utility. This procurement

agreement serves as a potential model for other Tribes to follow which will save IHS money in the long

term and build Tribal energy capacity. Training and resources through DOE for Tribes and Tribal

businesses are available to foster technical expertise in the development of further projects of this type.

Renewable Energy Accelerated Deployment Initiative for Indian Country Initiative. At the 2022

Tribal Nations Summit, DOI announced and launched the Renewable Energy Accelerated Deployment

Initiative for Indian Country Initiative with the goal of centralizing Native renewable energy expertise and

expediting renewable energy resource development on Indian lands. To advance these efforts, in June 2023,

BIA formed a READI Technical Workgroup. BIA plans to solicit input from Tribes regarding needed

updates to available resources, policy, and regulatory processes for developing energy on Indian lands, and

will continue engaging with federal partners.

MOUs to Support Tribal Clean Energy Transition at Hopi and Navajo. DOE announced two new

MOUs signed by DOE, DOI, ED, USDA, EPA, DOT, DOL, and the Federal Permitting Improvement

Steering Council to create structured support for the Hopi Tribe and amend the existing Navajo Nation

MOU with federal agencies. These MOUs primarily focus on transitioning from convention to clean energy

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

and identify projects that represent an all-of-Navajo and all-of-Hopi approach to addressing community

issues. In May 2023, DOE completed the Navajo Nation Clean Energy Transition Implementation Plan.

Offshore Wind Transmission Technical Assistance. DOE’s Grid Deployment Office launched this

program in direct response to Tribal input to support engaging with Tribal Nations in activities related to

the planning and development of U.S. offshore wind transmission. This program offers capacity-building

through educational resources, training, and on-call assistance

from technical experts and researchers at DOE’s national labs.

It also provides funding to mitigate the financial burden on

Tribal participation in key offshore wind transmission forums.

This program is supported in part by the IRA.

Additional Federal and Private Funding for Tribes to

Support Permitting Project Review. The Federal Permitting

Improvement Steering Council announced an initial $5

million in IRA funding for Tribes to support their capacity and

enhance Tribal engagement in the environmental review and

authorization process for FAST-41 covered projects. In

February 2023, the Council held multiple Tribal consultations

in order to help design this program. It is likely that private

foundations will match these funds to enable greater and

earlier Tribal review of proposed projects and their potential

impacts, to better inform government to government

consultation.

WATER

Indian Water Rights Settlements. Through DOI, BIL distributed $2.5 billion in funding for Indian Water

Rights Settlements. DOI has allocated over $2.4 billion of the BIL Indian Water

Rights Settlements to date. The settlements that have received funding are: Ak-

Chin Indian Water Rights Settlement Operations, Maintenance &

Replacement, Aamodt Litigation Settlement, Ak-Chin Indian Water Community

Rights Act, Animas-La Plata (Colorado Ute) Operations, Maintenance &

Replacement, Animas-La Plata Project (Colorado Ute), AZ Water Settlements

Act Implementation - San Carlos Irrigation Project Rehabilitation, Blackfeet

Water Rights Settlement, Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes - Montana Water

Rights Protection Act, Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement, Gila River Indian Community - Pima Maricopa

Irrigation Project, Navajo-Gallup O&M, Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Operations, Maintenance &

Replacement, Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, Navajo-Utah Water Settlement, Nez Perce Settlement,

Nez Perce Water Rights Settlement Operations, Maintenance & Replacement, San Carlos Apache Tribe -

Distribution System, San Carlos Irrigation Project Rehab, and the Southern Arizona Water Rights

Settlement - Farm Extension.

Bolstering Tribal Water Infrastructure. In February 2023, DOI provided $26.33 million through BIL

for the Garrison-Diversion Unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program in North Dakota for efforts

associated with construction of water treatment plants, as well as efforts to support service on the Spirit

Lake, Standing Rock and Fort Berthold Reservations; $15 million for the Fort Peck Reservation – Dry

Prairie Rural Water System in Montana to support substantial completion of the project; and $12 million

for the Jicarilla Apache Rural Water System in New Mexico to support progress toward water treatment

Secretary Grandholm with Chairman Jamie

Stuck and Vice Chairman Dorie Rios of the

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

(Photo courtesy of DOE).

$2.5

Billion

to Tribal Nations for

Indian Water Rights

Settlements

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

plant upgrades. Currently, DOI is continuing to implement the $250 million in BIL funding for dam safety,

water sanitation, irrigation and power systems, and other facilities.

EPA Issues Clean Water Act Final Determination for Bristol Bay in Alaska. In January 2023, EPA

issued a Final Determination limiting the use of certain waters within a portion of the Bristol Bay watershed

as disposal sites for certain discharges of dredged or fill material associated with developing Pebble deposit.

Based on extensive scientific and technical research and engagement with the public, stakeholders, and

Tribes, EPA determined that certain discharges associated with developing the Pebble deposit will have

unacceptable adverse effects on salmon fishery areas. This Final Determination is just the fourteenth such

final determination issued in the 50-year history of the Clean Water Act.

New EPA Baseline Water Quality Standards Rule. In May 2023, EPA published a proposed rule to

establish federal water quality standards for Indian reservation water that do not have their own standards

in place under the Clean Water Act. This rule would establish human health and environmental objectives

as the basis for protections and safeguards water quality until Tribes adopt standards themselves. EPA

anticipates the rule will be finalized by Spring 2024.

New EPA Regulations to Protect Tribal Reserved Rights. EPA is in the process of developing a final

rule that revises the federal water quality standards regulation to protect Tribal reserved rights, defined as

“aquatic and/or aquatic-dependent resources reserved or held by Tribes, either expressly or implicitly,

through treaties, statutes, or executive orders.” This rule would require states to evaluate Tribal reserved

rights to aquatic and/or aquatic-dependent resources in or downstream of an area when developing new and

revised water quality standards. If right(s) do exist, the rule would require states to evaluate available data

to inform the level of water quality necessary to protect that Tribal reserved right and if necessary, revise

their standards to ensure protection. The final rule is anticipated to be published in Winter 2024.

USACE Policy and Procedural Guidance on Water Tribal Partnership Program. USACE finalized

comprehensive policy and procedural guidance for its Tribal Partnership Program in November 2023. The

program allows the Secretary of the Army, in cooperation with Indian Tribes and the heads of other federal

agencies, to carry out water-related planning activities, or activities related to the study, design, and

construction of water resource development projects that substantially benefit Indian Tribes and are located

primarily within Indian Country or in the proximity to Alaska Native villages.

FISH RESTORATION

Presidential Memorandum on Salmon Restoration in the Columbia River. In September 2023, as part

of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to honor the United States’ obligations to Tribal Nations

and protect and restore America’s natural wonders for future generations, President Biden signed a

Presidential Memorandum on Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish

Populations in the Columbia River Basin. President Biden directed all relevant federal agencies to utilize

their existing authorities and available resources—as well as assess what additional authorities and

resources they might need—to advance the restoration of salmon, steelhead, and other native fish

populations to healthy and abundant levels, while helping ensure the United States upholds its treaty and

trust responsibilities to the Tribes. In addition, the President directed the Chair of CEQ and the Director of

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

OMB to craft a formal partnership with Tribal Nations and states in the Columbia River Basin to ensure

that federal, Tribal, and state entities are working together to achieve this goal.

In September 2023, the U.S. announced a historic agreement to support Tribally-led efforts to restore

salmon in blocked habitats in the Upper Columbia River Basin. This agreement with the Coeur d’Alene

Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians provides $200 million

over 20 years to advance “Phase 2” of the four-part implementation plan for reintroduction. DOI also

announced it is providing $8 million over two years

through the Bureau of Reclamation to support these

efforts.

Expansion of Fish Hatcheries. DOI announced $10

million in funding from the IRA to support the

construction and expansion of fish hatcheries in the

Pacific Northwest. Additionally, NOAA announced

$300 million in IRA funding to address deferred

maintenance and repairs to hatcheries that produce

Pacific salmon and steelhead. This funding will support

Tribal hatchery programs and fish passage facilities to

mitigate for declining salmon populations across the

Pacific Northwest.

Removal of Enloe Dam. DOI and NOAA have

committed over $3 million to the removal of the Enloe

Dam in Washington. This effort is led by the

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and

will provide access to 1,520 miles of potential spawning

and rearing habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead. This dam removal continues to be a priority for

the Administration as it works with its Tribal partners to restore this habitat and increase the climate

resiliency of the region.

Restoring and Supporting Fish Passages. Since 2022, BIL has invested $73 million in 79 projects through

the DOI U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Passage Program. These funds are investing in our

nation’s infrastructure and natural resources by reconnecting fragmented rivers, improving fish migration,

and enhancing local economies. With implementation underway for some of these projects, 18 barriers have

been removed and 271 stream miles have been reopened as of the end of FY23. When completed, these

projects will address 212 barriers and open over 6,200 stream miles. In addition to these efforts, in April

2023, DOI announced a $35 million investment in FY 2023 funding from the BIL for 39 projects in 22

states that will address outdated or obsolete dams, culverts, levees and other barriers fragmenting our

nation’s rivers and streams. The announcement is part of the Department’s five-year $200 million

commitment to restore free-flowing waters, allowing fish migration and protecting communities from

flooding rivers and streams. It is also part of an over $3 billion investment in fish passage and aquatic

connectivity projects under the Investing in America agenda, which includes funding from the BIL and

IRA. In July 2023 NOAA announced two funding opportunities totaling $260 million to support new fish

passage projects through BIL and IRA. The $175 million Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal

will fund projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish across the

coasts and Great Lakes. The $85 million Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal

will support Tribes and Tribal organizations in implementing fish passage work and building Tribal

capacity to sustain these efforts.

Hosted by the Yakama Nation, White House Senior

Advisor for Clean Energy Innovation and

Implementation, John Podesta, and Deputy Secretary of

Energy, David Turk, visit a fishway at Lyle Falls that

helps salmon and steelhead travel along the Klickitat

River in Washington. (Photo courtesy of EOP IRA

Implementation Team).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Supporting Climate Resilience for Indian Country. To support climate resilience in Indian Country,

NOAA recommended more than $16 million in BIL funding for 13 Tribal priority fish passage projects;

more than $5.6 million in funding to federal-recognized Tribes for coastal habitat restoration and resilience;

and more than $9.4 million for transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience grants.

Additionally, NOAA awarded $1.1 million to three federally-recognized Tribes and one Tribal

organization—the Makah Indian Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Quileute Tribe, and Columbia River

InterTribal Fish Commission—to support Tribal actions related to regional ocean and coastal priorities and

initiated Aquaculture Opportunity Area efforts in Alaska.

Coastal Habitat Restoration Program. In September 2023, NOAA announced the availability of $45

million in funding from the BIL and IRA for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and

climate resilience priorities of Tribes and underserved communities. Of the $45 million in funding

available, $20 million was a Tribal set aside. The remaining $25 million will be available to all eligible

applicants to support opportunities for Tribes and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in

coastal habitat restoration activities.

Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. In August 2023, NOAA announced more than $106 million in

funding from BIL and IRA for sixteen West Coast and Alaska state and Tribal salmon recovery programs

and projects through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. Of the 16 applicants recommended to

receive funding, 11 are individual Tribes or Tribal commission/consortia. During the Tribal Nations

Summit, NOAA released a new NOFO with the next round of funding.

Culvert Removal, Replacement & Restoration. In August 2023, DOT announced over $195 million in

funding for 169 projects that replace, remove, and repair culverts and weirs to meaningfully improve or

restore fish passage for anadromous fish.

CONSERVATION

CEQ Secures Additional Private Funding for Tribal

Conservation. In March 2023, Native Americans in

Philanthropy and Biodiversity, in partnership with 15

leading funders, announced its commitment to invest over

$102 million to support Tribal-led conservation over the next

five years. CEQ expects outside funders to nearly double this

number to more than $200 million to support Tribal

conservation by the end of 2023.

America the Beautiful Challenge Grants. In 2022 and

2023, the Biden-Harris Administration joined the National

Fish and Wildlife Foundation and public-and private-sector

partners in announcing a total of more than $232 million in

grants through the America the Beautiful Challenge. The

$91 million announced in 2022 landscape-scale

conservation projects across states, U.S. Territories and

Tribal nations, including 14 Tribally led projects in 2022 and

21 in 2023. Approximately 40% of 2023 grants and funding

will support projects implemented by Indigenous communities, representing an unprecedented level of

funding dedicated to Tribally led projects for a single grant program at NFWF.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works

Michael Connor with Governor J. Patrick Aguino

of Ohkay Owingeh and Governor J. Michael

Chavarria of Santa Clara Pueblo signing Design

Agreements with each pueblo for the Espanola

Valley Ecosystem Restoration project. (Photo

courtesy of Army Corps. Of Engineers).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Conservation of Tribal and Ancestral Lands Tribal Projects. NOAA provided $2 million in BIL

funding to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians to purchase and begin conservation efforts for the

ecologically and culturally significant “Cape Foulweather” property on the central coastline of Oregon.

Additionally, partners have built a conservation and education program that strengthens community

resilience in an inclusive, informed manner. Additionally, NOAA provided $3 million in BIL funding to

the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe, through the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, to acquire and

conserve 866 acres of historic Tribal lands along the Tribe’s namesake river, the Mattaponi, within the

Chesapeake Bay watershed. This is the Tribe’s first opportunity to acquire ancestral lands for conservation,

which will allow them to pursue future activities to enhance culturally significant fish, wildlife, and plants

through habitat restoration.

FED E RA L FUNDIN G F O R IN D IA N

COUNTRY

PRESIDENT BIDEN’S FY 2024 BUDGET REQUEST

President Biden is continuing to ensure the Federal Government honors its

commitment to Tribal Nations and Native communities. Under his leadership, the

Administration has deployed record investments to Tribal Nations and Native

communities, including through ARP, the largest direct federal investment in

Indian Country in history; BIL, the largest single investment in infrastructure for

Indian Country ever; and the IRA, a historic investment in clean energy and

climate action with specific funding for Tribal Nations.

The President’s 2024 Budget continued to demonstrate the President’s commitment through historic

investments in IHS, Tribal public safety, affordable housing, education, and more.

These historic proposals were developed in dialogue with Tribal Nations and include over $32.6 billion in

funding investments for Indian Country including:

An additional $3 billion for IHS, on top of the historic $5.1 billion of advance appropriations from FY

2023, for a total of $8.1 billion in discretionary funding.

$4.7 billion (+$690 million) for DOI’s Tribal bureaus and reclassifying contract support costs and self-

determination leases (often called “105(l) leases”) at DOI as mandatory funding. Including:

▪ $717 million in Tribal Public Safety and Justice funding.

▪ +$28 million for Native Language Revitalization grants.

▪ +$61 million over the 2023 enacted level for education programs across BIE, including a +$148 million

for education construction and replacement funding.

▪ $12 million for a new BIA program to support Tribal land acquisition for conservation and outdoor

recreation and promote Tribal sovereignty through Tribal co-stewardship.

▪ $2.8 billion in additional mandatory funding to fulfill Indian Water Rights Settlements.

$32.6

Billion

in the President’s FY

2024 Budget for

Indian country

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Over $1 billion to fund Tribal efforts to expand affordable housing, improve housing conditions and

infrastructure, and increase economic opportunities for low-income families. Including, a reduction in

mortgage insurance fees for the Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program.

$35 million for DOJ’s culturally-speciﬁc services program authorized by VAWA.

$15 million (+$4 million) to assist enforcement of Tribal special domestic violence jurisdiction.

$3 million to support Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys.

$519 million (+$260 million) for the Family Violence Prevention and Services program and the National

Domestic Violence Hotline

$32 million to expand USDA’s Rural Partners Network to help Tribal and rural communities access

resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability

on their own terms.

$108 million in dedicated resources for cancer activities at IHS as part of the Cancer Moonshot. Requested

funds would be used to develop a nationwide coordinated public health and clinical cancer prevention

initiative to implement best practices and prevention strategies to address incidence of cancer and mortality

among Native populations.

Increases over FY 2023 enacted noted with a “+”

OMB Crosscut Improvements. OMB’s annual Native American Funding Crosscut is the best picture we

have of federal spending to support Indian Country. To provide further budget transparency to Tribal

Nations and federal policymakers, OMB published a significantly more detailed FY 2024 Crosscut. The

FY 2024 Native American Funding Crosscut contains summary funding tables, detailed funding tables, and

an appendix that provides detailed funding levels by Agency and program, alongside summaries of the

FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024

In Billions of Dollars

President's Proposed and Enacted Funding

for Native American Programs

Trump's Budget Enacted Biden's Budget

Pulled from Native American Crosscut Numbers. FY 2017 – 2021 budgets only include discretionary

funding. FY 2022-2024 budgets include both discretionary and mandatory funding.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

major changes in FY 2024, the methods agencies used for reporting and selecting programs, and how funds

are expended for each program.

ECONO M IC DEV EL OPM E NT

THE BUY INDIAN ACT

The Buy Indian Act allows for federal agencies to prioritize the procurement of supplies, services, and

constructions from Tribal and Native businesses. DOI, GSA, HHS, and SBA are working together to

breathe new life into this Act by setting ambitious goals and coordinating resources to meet those goals.

FY 2023 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUY INDIAN ACT

% Of Total Acquisitions Supporting Buy Indian Act

AGENCY

GOAL

ACTUAL

AMOUNT

HHS

3.8%

Indian Health Service

20%

30.6%

$444 million

DOI

16.9%

$1.4 billion

Indian Affairs:

Indian Economic Enterprise Awards (ASIA, BIA, BIE)

75%

74.6%

$626 million

Non-Indian Affairs:

Small Business and Economic Enterprise Awards

10%

9.10%

$447 million

Buy Indian Act Industry Day and Matchmaking Event. In April 2023, HHS partnered with DOI to host

this event to promote Buy Indian Act connections between government and relevant Native procurement

businesses. HHS plans to make this an annual event.

SBA Technical Assistance. SBA provided technical assistance to Native businesses to participate in Buy

Indian contracting. This included hosting a two-day Tribal, ANC, and NHO Working Group for feedback

on the 8(a) Business Development Program and participating in RES 2023.

OTHER TRIBAL AND NATIVE-OWNED BUSINESSES SUPPORT

GSA Supports Self-Governance Tribes with Procurement. GSA—in coordination with DOI, IHS, and

DOT—is expanding its support for Tribes. GSA is working to reduce administrative burdens and better

support the Tribes in their procurement while utilizing self-governance authority to run previously federal

programs. To support this effort, GSA conducted a comprehensive government analysis of all funding

agencies and authorities to make funding eligibility clear and readily available to Tribes and updated its

Tribal webpages to support procurement from Native businesses. GSA is also working to train staff, build

audience-specific resources, and develop tools to better support Tribes as they use their self-governance

funds. Additionally, GSA is working with DOT, DOI, and IHS to assist Tribal governments in executing

acquisitions, including using the Federal Government’s negotiating power and to realize cost savings for

Tribes. GSA is also working with DOI and SBA to identify Native American-specific procurement policies

to create a consolidated government-wide training for contracting officers and officials to understand the

many unique ways in which the Federal Government can support Native American businesses. GSA

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

released its updated Tribal resource guide with details, authorities, and programs that it uses to support

Tribes, and announced its new Native American Affairs website, which went live in October 2023.

New Search Feature for Native American Businesses in GSA Search E-Tools. GSA announced its new

search feature that enables buyers to search for Native American business categories in the GSA

Advantage!, GSA eBuy, and GSA eLibrary e-tools to find commercial products and services. Federal and

general users now have the ability to identify current 8(a) status for Native businesses, to support both the

Buy Indian Act and interTribal commerce. To supplement these efforts, GSA is also establishing a

partnership with SBA to ensure data is accurate in the SAM.gov system.

Inaugural Native American-owned Business Industry Day. GSA hosted its inaugural Native American-

owned Business Industry Day in November 2023 to further its efforts to enhance Native American

businesses’ access to the federal marketplace. At the convening, GSA agency officials and Native industry

business leaders looked at FY 2024 opportunities and shared GSA’s new market research resources to better

engage both the industry and the government when partnering with Native American-owned businesses.

Tribal College Small Business Achievement Pilot Program. The

Office of Native American Affairs at SBA launched the Tribal College

Small Business Achievement Grant Pilot Program and began accepting

applications in July 2023 to fund proposals housed at TCUs. The Pilot

Program will fund four locations, each receiving $250,00 to provide

funding for entrepreneurial development services to Native American

communities, focusing on supplying services to socially and

economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in areas out of reach of

current SBA resources.

Small Business Credit Initiative Awards, Technical Assistance, and

Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. Treasury made the

first-ever Tribal awards under this program in June of 2023, which

provided $73 million to 39 Tribal Governments. It recently announced

over $150 million in increases in State Small Business Credit Initiative

Tribal capital allocation awards. This is the first ever inclusion of

dedicated, direct support to Tribal governments in SSBCI to support

Tribal enterprises and Native small businesses. Utilizing ARP

investments, Treasury also increased Tribal Technical Assistance Awards under this program by $21

million. Treasury also opened up a second tranche of the $250 million Tribal set-aside in the Local

Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund which can be used for small business support.

New Small Native Businesses Search Tool. In 2023, BIA developed and released SBA’s new Small

Business Search Tool—streamlining SBA’s Dynamic Business Search Tool—which allows enhanced

searchability for government certifications and ownership and self-certifications, including any Native

American-owned business. SBA provided help with outreach and raised awareness of this new tool.

New SBA Training on 8(a). SBA is in the process of establishing a new training for SBA staff who work

with Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations (ANC), and Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHO), including a

new training module for Business Opportunity Specialists who assist these enterprises in the federal 8(a)

Business Development Program. Additionally, SBA—in collaboration with BIA—is in the process of

developing a more streamlined annual certification process for Tribal, ANC, and NHO enterprises in the

SBA 8(a) program.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

visiting a factory located on

Rosebud Indian Reservation that

was funded by Treasury’s recovery

funds to build housing.

(Photo courtesy of Treasury).

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8(a) Multiple Award Schedule Pool Initiative. In May 2023, GSA and SBA released this initiative to help

small disadvantaged businesses participating in the 8(a) program to gain access to more federal contracts

in GSA’s MAS Program by establishing a pool of 8(a) firms to make it easier for procurement officials to

locate and contract with these businesses across industries.

Minority Serving Institutions Industry Day. GSA hosted a virtual Minority Serving Institutions Industry

Day in August 2023, including Tribal College and Universities, and hosted a bigger event which included

HUBZone—historically underutilized business zones—training and a Minority Serving Institutions Vendor

Showcase.

Native Community Development Financial Institutions & Financial Literacy Listening Session.

Treasury hosted a listening session on Native Community Development Financial Institutions and a

Financial Literacy and Education Commission meeting on Native financial literacy.

ACCESS TO CAPITAL IN INDIAN COUNTRY

At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, several federal agencies—SBA, DOC, DOE, DOI, Treasury, USDA,

OMB, and the White House Council of Economic Advisers—announced the Access to Capital Initiative to

increase awareness, access, and utilization of financing opportunities for Tribal Nations. This initiative is

coordinated by WHCNAA’s Economic Development, Energy, and Infrastructure Committee.

Access to Capital Federal Funding Clearinghouse. DOI announced an online beta version of a Federal

Funding Clearinghouse, which will provide a one-stop-shop for Tribes and Native businesses to identify

up-to-date federal funding opportunities, including grants and loans, across all federal agencies.

Treasury Case Study Report on Access to Capital. In addition, Treasury will report on its market study

on Native entity access to New Market Tax Credits, which includes extensive case studies. This market

study was created and published by Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.

List of Tribal Federal Financing Opportunities. Earlier this year, the Initiative published a list online of

all federal financing opportunities available to Tribes, Native entrepreneurs, Tribal enterprises, and Native

financial institutions as well as hosted webinars and outreach at Tribal events to connect Tribal communities

with these resources.

Access to Capital Info Sessions. SBA hosted a series of information sessions with the Native American

Finance Officers Association, National Congress of American Indians, and Reservation Economic Summit

in 2023 to increase awareness of available funding opportunities to Tribes. These sessions had

representatives from SBA, Treasury, DOC, DOI, and WHCNAA to explain the Initiative and provide

updates on deliverables from the work plan.

Ongoing Access to Capital Work. The Initiative is in the process of examining policy, regulatory, and

statutory actions to strengthen Tribal economic sovereignty; establishing public-private partnerships with

philanthropy and the private sector; and considering MOUs with non-federal partners and the use of

Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program to mobilize this Initiative.

IMPROVING FEDERAL FUNDING ACCESSIBILITY

OMB Assesses Improving Tribal Access to Federal Grants in Low-Broadband Areas. While Tribal

Nations have seen historic federal investments as noted above, administrative burdens, the lack of staffing

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resources, reliable broadband, and electricity makes it challenging for some Tribes to access and navigate

grant application and compliance processes that are often online. Executive Order 14058 instructed OMB,

including the U.S. Digital Service, to collaborate with federal agencies to conduct human-centered design

research and document customer experience challenges related to accessing grant programs to which Tribal

governments are entitled. Following the discovery phase, OMB publicly shared findings, and the OMB CX

team convened a cross-government team with representatives from HHS, Treasury, OMB’s Office of

Federal Financial Management, and OSTP to develop, with Tribal customers, a new approach to financial

reporting that can support Tribal compliance efforts in low-broadband areas.

Enhancing Tribal Participation in the 477 Program. At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, 12 federal

agencies announced a Tribal 477 Program MOA, which implements the Indian Employment, Training, and

Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 (Public

Law 102-477, called the “477 Program”). The 477

Program reduces administrative burdens on Tribes by

allowing them to consolidate federal funding for job

training and workforce development into a single plan

with a single reporting requirement. DOI, in

coordination with DOL, also developed and released

guidance and training materials to assist Tribes in

using the 477 Program.

Compliance Trainings and Deadline Extensions.

Treasury extended deadlines in over six programs to

increase Tribal access to available funds in ARP

funded programs. Treasury also conducted its first on-

site Tribal Compliance and Grants Management

Training for Tribes that lack access to broadband in

Alaska and hosted over 5 Tribal compliance trainings.

REPORTS, ANALYSIS, OR GUIDANCE

Implementation of the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act. The Tribal General Welfare Exclusion

Act makes sure that certain benefit program payments from Tribal governments do not count as income for

federal tax purposes. Treasury is currently in the process of drafting its guidance on this law and will seek

Tribal consultation for feedback on this guidance.

Offline Compliance Reporting for Tribes without Broadband. Treasury announced its partnership with

OMB-Customer Experience Office and HHS-Grants Quality Service Management Office to foster a

government-wide approach to offline compliance reporting for Tribes who lack access to reliable

broadband.

BIA, BTFA, and IHS Charged with Improving Customer Experience. As part of the Administration’s

ongoing efforts to improve accountability for customer experience and service delivery under Executive

Order 14058, BIA, BTFA and now IHS, are designated as High Impact Service Providers. These entities

are thus charged with improving service quality and experience and receive additional technical assistance

from OMB and the General Services Administration. In 2023, BIA analyzed customer feedback and

operational data to better understand their probate case processing and have begun implementing solutions

aimed at improving processes and reducing the current backlog. BTFA developed and implemented

modernized services for beneficiaries managing trust assets, including launching an updated call center and

Acting Secretary Su with Navajo Nation President Nygren

(Photo courtesy of DOL).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

designing a pilot for an online account management tool. To view the customer trust data reported by both

agencies visit the CX data page.

Inflation Reduction Act Tribal Guidebook. As a part of the President’s Investing in America Agenda,

the White House published an Inflation Reduction Act Tribal Guidebook, which provides an overview of

the clean energy, climate mitigation and resilience, agriculture, and conservation-related funding programs

in the IRA for which Tribes are eligible.

Assessing the Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy. The results of the USTR-requested,

independent investigation on the distributional effects of goods and services trade and trade policy on

U.S. workers was released in November 2022. Among other findings, the investigation revealed the lack

of disaggregated data and research on the impact of past trade policies on Native/ Indigenous, Asian

American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander workers within the United States. USTR is now

partnering with colleagues across the government to close these data gaps and improve access for

researchers. In January 2023, USTR requested that the U.S. International Trade Commission repeat the

distributional effects investigation every three years for the next 15 years. Consequently, policymakers,

researchers, and the public will be able to monitor and ensure progress in closing data and research gaps

and gathering the necessary information to assess improvements of the distributional effects of trade and

trade policy on U.S. workers. Information gathering on the first investigation in the series began in

October 2023.

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Community Economic Development Program Support for Native Communities. This program

administered by ACF invests in community development corporations that create and expand businesses

and job opportunities in low-income

communities. In FY 2023, the program

worked to increase interest in Native

communities by awarding bonus points for

applicants whose projects demonstrate they

will support economic mobility in Native

communities.

Community Service Block Grants. In 2023,

HHS released its Community Service Block

Grant quarterly allocations to all grant

recipients, including Tribes and Tribal

organizations. For FY 2023 Quarter Two, the

total Tribal allocation was $1.5 million.

Eleven of the awardees also consolidated

their awards through the 477 Program

discussed above. For FY 2023 Quarters

Three and Four, Tribes received $2.7 million.

Implementation of the Community Reinvestment Act. In October 2023, the Office of the Comptroller

of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued a final

rule to strengthen and modernize regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act to better

achieve purposes of the law. The Act, originally passed in 1977, encourages banks to help meet the credit

needs of local communities, including communities of color and low-and moderate- income neighborhoods.

First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary Deb Haaland meet with workers

at Menominee Tribal Enterprises’ sawmill on the Menominee

Nation. in Wisconsin.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

This final rule clarifies and expands CRA eligibility to increase access to capital and credit in Native

American communities and on Indian Reservations, which historically had little impact in the past.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND ENTITLEMENT POLICIES

Developing Training for the Native American Precedent and Resource Center. SSA has been working

to create a Native American Precedent and Resource Center in order to address concerns from Tribes about

Tribal income and Supplemental Security Income payments. This includes a repository of information

regarding Tribal income programs, documentation of income, and potential exclusions under Supplemental

Security Income policy. SSA has finished developing its training on relevant policies and exclusions that

can mitigate impact on benefits for people who receive financial support through Tribal benefits.

Treasury Tribal Consultation Policy. Treasury announced the publication of its revised Tribal

Consultation policy, extending consultation obligations to IRS.

Flexible Guidance for COVID Fiscal Recovery Funds and Tribal Housing Stability Report. Treasury

issued guidance implementing the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2022 edits to the $20 billion Tribal

set aside in the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to increase flexibility in the use of funds. Additionally,

Treasury released its Tribal Housing Stability Report featuring housing construction, preservation, and

stability projects and services that Tribes have invested pandemic recovery funding to reduce barriers to

affordable housing at the 2023 Tribal Nations Summit.

FOO D A ND AGRICU LT U RE

BISON RESTORATION INITIATIVE

At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, DOI, in coordination with USDA, announced a plan to restore bison

populations.

Secretarial Order on Bison Restoration. Secretary Haaland issued Secretary Order 3410: Restoration of

American Bison and Prairie Grasslands to enhance DOI’s work to restore wild and healthy populations of

American bison and the prairie grassland ecosystem through collaboration among DOI bureaus and partners

such as other federal agencies, states, Tribes, and landowners using the best available science and

Indigenous Knowledge. The Order formally established a Bison Working Group.

New Branch of Bison Restoration. BIA’s Office of Trust Services is in the process of establishing a

Branch of Bison Restoration that will work toward restoring wild and healthy populations of American

bison and the prairie grassland ecosystem. This Branch will collaborate within and outside the Federal

Government to achieve this goal, and will offer a program for Tribes working on Bison to secure supportive

services from DOI. This program will support Tribes establishing large bison herds, restoring grassland

ecosystems on Tribal lands, and entering into co-stewardship agreements for bison management. BIA is

now recruiting and hiring staff for the office.

Bison Apprenticeship Program. BIA is establishing a Bison Apprenticeship Program to bolster a talented

and large workforce within Tribal communities to help Tribes with bison management. The program will

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

provide apprenticeship opportunities for Tribal youth to work on lands managed by the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.

Partnership with InterTribal Bison Council. DOI has partnered with the InterTribal Bison Council

(ITBC) to work on bison restoration, and USDA entered into a formal MOU with ITBC to support Tribal

bison conservation. In July 2023, funds were provided to the ITBC to support herd development work.

$5 Million for Tribal-Led Bison Restoration. In September 2023, DOI

announced $5 million, including $3.5 million from IRA, to support the restoration

of bison populations and grassland ecosystems in Tribal communities. The

funding will support Tribally-led initiatives to strengthen bison conservation and

expansion, improved management of existing herds, and ecosystem restoration

efforts in native grassland habitats.

Handbook for Humane Handling and Harvesting of Bison and Food Sovereignty and Safety

Curriculum. USDA, in partnership with ITBC developed and released a handbook on best practices for

humane handling and harvesting of bison in the field and created a hands-on curriculum and training

focused on food sovereignty and food safety in September 2023. Additionally, USDA strengthened value-

added bison meat processing through ITBC’s creation of a mobile buffalo processing trailer and developed

the first Indigenous Animals Meat Processing Grant for processing indigenous animals.

Bison Purchasing Pilot Program. USDA strengthened bison markets through a new Bison Purchasing

Pilot Program aimed at offering more localized ground bison meat for Tribal communities through the Food

Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. The pilot changes how USDA purchases bison to better

support buying meat from local, small, and mid-sized bison herd managers and delivering it directly to local

Tribal communities. In October 2023, USDA awarded bison contracts to four Tribal and local producers:

1. Akicita Consulting (owned by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe);

2. Brownotter Buffalo Ranch (operating on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation);

3. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Buffalo Authority Corporation; and

4. Dakota Pure Bison (operating on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation).

Agreements to Promote Native Grasses. USDA entered into Cooperative Agreements with the Tribal

Alliance of Pollinators and the Institute of American Indian Arts to propagate native grasses and forbs that

support bison.

Supporting Public-Private Partnerships for Tribal Bison Expansion and Conservation. USDA and

DOI have joined together to support the InterTribal Buffalo Council and Native Americans and

Philanthropy in their partnership with World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and other buffalo

focused non-profit organizations. This relationship will improve upon the federal investments already being

made by USDA-DOI Buffalo Initiative in grasslands and working lands restoration, Tribal buffalo

conservation and expansion, and opening Tribal buffalo market opportunities.

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Subsistence Management. Subsistence practices are vital to the life ways of Alaska Native communities

and people, who depend heavily on subsistence practices for their nutritional, social, economic, and

traditional cultural needs. In response to Tribal recommendations heard through DOI-led consultations and

listening sessions, the President’s FY 2024 budget proposes to transfer the functions of the Office of

Subsistence Management from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Office of the Assistant Secretary

MILLION

for Tribal-led bison

restoration

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

for Indian Affairs, along with a program increase of $2.5 million for the program. The requested increases

directly respond to comments received on ways to strengthen the program going forward.

FDPIR Tribal Self-Determination Demonstration Project Expanded to 16 Tribes. The 2018 Farm Bill

authorized the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Demonstration Projects. Through these

projects, Tribes have more control over the contents of their food packages,

selecting and purchasing some of the foods themselves. Cherokee Nation,

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Gila River Indian

Community, Quinault Indian Nation, Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Spirit

Lake Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation, and White Mountain Apache Tribe

collectively received $4.4 million dollars in Round 2, bringing the grant total thus

far to over $10 million to 16 Tribal Nations. USDA previously funded eight other

Tribal nations, bringing the total to $10 million across the 16 Tribal nations

participating in this demonstration project. FNS worked with BIA on the negotiation of the final contracts

with the selected Tribes.

Indigenous Food Hubs Pilot Program. At the September 2022 White House Conference on Hunger,

Nutrition, and Health, DOI announced its Indigenous Food Hubs Pilot Program, which aims to provide

traditional Indigenous foods and commit to adopting Indigenous-based land and agricultural management

practices to four BIE-operated schools and four BIA-operated detention centers. Currently, DOI’s eight

selected food hubs—four BIE-operated schools and four BIA-operated detention centers—are fully

operational and, in 2023, hired its first nutritionist to join and lead the Indigenous Food Hub program.

Food Sovereignty and Public Health Center at North Dakota State University. USDA’s Office of

Tribal Relations received an appropriation to develop a Tribal Public Health Resource Center at a land grant

university with existing Indigenous public health expertise to expand current partnerships and collaborative

efforts with Indigenous groups, including Tribal colleges to improve the delivery of culturally appropriate

public health services and functions in American Indian communities focusing on Indigenous food

sovereignty. The office is working with North Dakota State University to develop a center focused on the

intersection of Tribal food sovereignty and public health. The first project will be a summer program for

students to engage with leaders and experts in the food sovereignty field to provide them with the tools to

improve public health in their communities.

Indigenous Foraging and Cooking Videos. USDA partnered with the North American Traditional

Indigenous Food Systems to produce a series of regional-based videos on Indigenous foods foraging and

cooking for the Northeast and Southeast regions to complement USDA’s Food Distribution Program on

Indian Reservations (commonly referred to as “commodities”) food packages. Last year, USDA released

videos for the Midwest, Mountain Plains, and Southwest regions, and next year videos will be produced for

Alaska and Hawaii.

Sovereignty Gardens: Children’s Educational Animated Series to Promote Indigenous Food

Sovereignty and Gardening. This series of short educational shows will help build excitement and pride

in children about using Indigenous Knowledge in gardening, food sovereignty, traditional foods, and

healthy eating habits. “Sovereignty Gardens” uses animation and puppetry to follow Stompy the buffalo

and his friend Bran through a series of learning adventures, which include cameos by Indigenous and

scientific leaders. USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations entered into a cooperative agreement with Dr. Lee

Francis (Pueblo of Laguna) (Indigi-Nerd/Native Realities) to create this animated series.

Produce Prescription Pilot Program. In 2022, Congress authorized IHS $3 million annually to create a

Produce Prescription Pilot Program to increase access to produce and other traditional foods within Native

communities. The pilot will demonstrate and evaluate the impact of Produce Prescription Programs on

$10

Million

to 16 Tribal Nations

through the FDPIR Tribal

Self-Determination

Demonstration Project

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Native people and their families, specifically by reducing food insecurity; improving overall dietary health

by increasing fruits, vegetables, and traditional food consumption; and improving healthcare outcomes. To

date, there are five Tribes/Tribal Organizations that have been awarded funding for this purpose.

HE A LTH CA RE

Hall of Tribal Nations at HHS. In 2023, HHS installed and formally dedicated a Hall of Tribal Nations at

HHS headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Hall displays the flags of the Tribal Nations represented on the

Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee and honors the Nation-to-Nation relationship with all Tribes.

Strategy for Tribes to Access Strategic National Stockpile. At the 2023 Tribal Nations Summit, HHS

announced a forthcoming strategy for best practices on how IHS, Tribal health departments, and Urban

Indian Organizations (UIOs) can access the lifesaving federal repository of drugs and medical supplies to

support Native communities, prevent supply shortages, and reduce health disparities. In March 2023, it

hosted a virtual Tribal consultation to inform its strategy.

MENTAL HEALTH

Implementation of National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SAMHSA awarded funds to five Tribal

grantees, including the Seattle Indian Health Board, to implement the National Strategy for Suicide

Prevention to support community efforts to prevent suicide. This program intends to enhance collaboration

with key community stakeholders; raise awareness of the available resources for suicide prevention; and

implement lethal means safety. Currently, these grantees are receiving technical assistance to implement

the strategy.

Behavioral Health Grant Awards and Agenda. In 2023, 48 Tribes and Tribal

organizations received SAMHSA behavior health grants to prevent and reduce

suicidal behavior and substance use/misuse, reduce the impact of trauma, and

promote mental health among Native youth. In addition, Cherokee Nation and Native

American Health Center, Inc. signed cooperative agreements to address suicide, and

SAMHSA launched a new program to support an American Indian Alaska Native

Behavioral Health Center for Excellence that will develop and disseminate culturally

informed, evidence-based behavioral health information and provide technical

assistance and training on issues related to addressing behavioral health disparities in

Native communities.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Tribal Focus. HHS announced a new $35 million grant opportunity,

enabled by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to better support the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

services in Tribal communities. This program aims to:

1. Ensure Native people have access to culturally competent, trained 988 crisis center support through

existing and/or new 988 Lifeline centers;

2. Improve integration and support between 988 crisis centers, Tribal Nations, and Tribal

organizations to ensure there is navigation and follow-up care; and

3. Facilitate collaborations between Tribal, state, and territory health providers, UIOs, law

enforcement, and other first responders in a manner that respects Tribal sovereignty.

Tribes

received

SAMHSA

behavioral

health grants

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To date, SAMHSA funded a total of 43 Tribes and Tribal organizations through the Support for 988 Tribal

Response Cooperative Agreements and is providing technical assistance to Tribal grantees to assist with

crisis care response in Tribal communities.

Tribal Behavioral Health Initiative and Agenda. HHS released its Roadmap for Behavioral Health

Integration, which leverages President Biden’s bold national strategy to prevent, treat, and provide long

term recovery supports for mental illness and substance use disorders. As a part of this roadmap, SAMSHA

is updating the National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda to reflect the behavioral health climate post-

pandemic and to improve accessibility. SAMHSA is in the process of creating a Tribal landing webpage on

the SAMHSA website and will host a series of ongoing trainings on the Cultural Wisdom Declaration and

the foundational elements of the Trial Behavioral Health Agenda.

Mental Health Awareness Training Grants. Through the Mental Health Awareness Training Grants,

SAMHSA awarded 25 grantees. This grant included a set-aside that allotted up to two awards to be made

to Tribes or Tribal organizations. This program trains individuals (i.e., school personnel, emergency

services personnel, veterans, armed service members, etc.) to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental

disorders and how to safely de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals with a mental illness and;

provides education on resources available in the community for individuals with mental illness and other

relevant resources, including how to establish linkages with school and/or community-based mental health.

Behavioral Health and Wellness Program. Over the past year. BIE successfully grew its Behavioral

Health and Wellness Program. The program provides students and staff at all Bureau-funded schools and

programs with Indigenous focused, evidence-based and trauma-informed behavioral health and wellness

supports. Services are tailored to meet the unique and diverse mental, cultural, spiritual, emotional, and

social needs of Indigenous communities served by BIE. Services include onsite crisis support, tele-

behavioral health counseling focused on providing short-term, solution-focused, and culturally sensitive

virtual counseling, a BIE-specific 24/7 call line, and crisis support. The clinical team is primarily staffed

with Indigenous clinicians who have direct experience serving Native communities. The program also

provides various types suicide prevention and other resiliency-focused topics trainings and technical

assistance. Staff at BIE-funded schools will continue to have access to training and certification for Youth

Mental Health First Aid, virtual talking circles, monthly behavioral health webinars, and professional

development opportunities.

CANCER

Cancer Prevention and Intervention in Native Communities. IHS launched a cancer working group and

established clinical and community demonstration projects that will implement evidence-based

interventions to increase preventive screenings, enhance referrals for follow-up and/or treatment, and

support cancer patients and their families. These demonstration projects include:

1. Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot project launched in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Minnesota;

2. Increased training for Public Health Aides to provide cancer navigation for patients, with the goal

of assisting patients and families with overcoming the medical, financial, and emotional burdens

that cancer brings; and

3. Partnerships with academic cancer centers to establish regional cancer hubs to allow patients and

families to access and receive cancer care near home.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS

Indian Health Service Sanitation Facilities Construction. Over FYs 2022-2023, IHS allocated $1.4

billion of a total $3.5 billion investment from BIL to build projects that will bring critical sanitation services

to Tribal communities across the country.

Ongoing Prioritization and Mission Support for Indian

Health Service Communities. HHS’s Commissioned Corps

Headquarters (CCHQ) is continuing to prioritize officer

assignments, recruitment efforts, and deployment for IHS

communities. As of June 2023, approximately 25% of all

Public Health Service (PHS) Officers serve within IHS to

support the health and wellness of Native American

populations throughout Indian Country. CCHQ also has

established policies and procedures that prioritize recruitment

and assignments of PHS to IHS over other operation divisions.

Health Information Technology Modernization at Indian

Health Service. The IHS awarded a 10-year contract to

General Dynamics Information Technology to build,

configure, and maintain a new enterprise Electronic Health

Record system utilizing Oracle Cerner technology. This

selection was made after a detailed and rigorous federal

acquisition process that was open to all vendors. Throughout

the process, the IHS coordinated with Tribal and urban Indian

organization partners through extensive Tribal engagement

via Tribal consultations, listening sessions, urban confers, advisory committee meetings, an Industry Day,

and the participation of hundreds of Tribal, urban Indian, and IHS system users in vendor product

demonstrations. The Health Information Technology Modernization Program will help improve patient

safety and outcomes, clinical quality measures, agency performance reporting, and disease management.

HEALTH RESEARCH AND DATA SHARING

Tribal Consultation on New Draft HHS Tribal Epidemiology Data Access Policy. HHS announced

Tribal consultation on its new draft Tribal Epidemiology Data Access policy. The Department-wide policy

will include guidance on data available to Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers on the development of

HHS division-specific protocols for responding to Tribal epidemiology data requests.

Newly Expanded Native American Health Research Center and Programs. The Newly Expanded

Native Research Centers for Health Program is a Native health research capacity-building program. NIH

announced the release of an updated NARCH Notice of Funding Opportunity that incorporates

improvements to the program based on feedback from a recent program evaluation and formal Tribal

Consultation. Updates include significantly increasing the portion of the budget in each award that must be

spent at Native organizations; providing clearer instructions for applications and reviewers; adopting

culturally appropriate reviewer guideline language in the review criteria; and extending awards from four

to five years to allow Tribal organizations more time to develop and accomplish their goals. Additionally,

NIH launched the Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness Program: Addressing Overdose,

Substance Use, Mental Health, and Pain to support research driven by Native communities toward

culturally-based interventions that address the overdose crises.

Jerry Carlyle, vice-chairman of the San Xavier

District, performs a traditional blessing to

welcome First Lady Jill Biden at the San Xavier

Health Center in the San Xavier District of the

Tohono O’odham Nation near Tucson, Arizona.

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New Native Health Research Related Grants. NIH also announced several grant programs in

development to build Tribal health research capacity including:

1. Grants to assist Tribes with the application process;

2. Tribal Institutional Review Board Development grants to train key personnel to review and monitor

research involving human subjects and ensure that it is culturally appropriate; and

3. Tribal institutional training grants to support undergraduate and graduate students.

SUBSTANCE USE

National Tribal Recovery Summit. SAMHSA hosted the National Tribal Recovery Summit in Dallas,

Texas. The summit was an opportunity to share best practices and experiences that can help improve

substance use disorder recovery-related outcomes. Attendees discussed strategies for successful service to

the community, emerging innovations, and the importance of sharing information about successful

practices. Approximately 100 people attended in-person and almost 200 attended virtually and speakers

were mostly Tribal citizens serving their communities to promote recovery.

Funding to Support Opioid Epidemic Response

Efforts. In May 2022, SAMHSA announced $55

million in funding for its Tribal Opioid Response grant

program, which addresses the overdose crisis in Tribal

communities by increasing access to FDA-approved

Medications for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

and supporting the continuum of prevention, harm

reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for

Opioid Use Disorder and co-occurring substance use

disorders. To date, SAMHSA has awarded 398 Tribal

grantees, totaling to $310 million in funds.

Additionally, SAMHSA awarded 13 Tribes or Tribal

Organizations funding for the Medication Assisted

Treatment Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction

Program. This program increases access to this

treatment and decreases illicit opioid use and prescription opioid misuse.

Increased Outreach and Training for Tribes in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. The White

House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Drug-Free National Program engaged the leaders of the

33 regional High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, including in Indian Country, to inform them of

resources, such as the Overdose Mapping and Application Program information sharing and training

opportunities.

Tribal Learning Series. SAMHSA’s Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy hosts a bi-monthly internal Tribal

Learning Series. These meetings help educate SAMHSA staff on Tribal sovereignty and working with

Tribes.

PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING

In August 2023, CDC’s National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure

and Workforce launched a new five-year cooperative agreement— CDC-RFA-TO-23-0001: Strengthening

Public Health Systems and Services in Indian Country—to help improve public health outcomes and lessen

health inequities in Indian Country.  This program continues CDC’s commitment to Tribal health. As of

Secretary Becerra tours the Cherokee Health Center.

(Photo courtesy of HHS).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

October 2023, CDC has provided nearly $26 million to 26 federally-recognized Native Tribes and regional

Native Tribally-designated organizations to improve Tribal public health infrastructure and services to

Tribal communities.

NAT I VE CHILDREN A N D FAMILI ES

On June 15, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act in Haaland v. Brackeen, a vital

law for Native families and children. It protects the best interest of Native children, protects the future of

Tribal Nations, and honors Tribal sovereignty. The Biden-Harris Administration celebrates this decision,

and will continue to defend and uplift this law in its programs and policies.

CHILD CARE

Meeting the Child Care Needs in Tribal Nations: Request for Information. HHS published a Meeting

with Child Care Needs in Tribal Nations: Request for Information in July 2023, requesting comment on

ACF’s Child Care and Development Fund program and funding policies for Tribes, which is open until

January 2, 2024. Through this process, ACF will find out whether the current program addresses child care

needs and the unique challenges in Tribal communities.

Increased Facilities and Expansion of Tribal Child Care and Development Fund Construction and

Renovation. ACF has supported a dramatic expansion of Child Care and Development Fund resources

directed toward early childhood facilities projects in Tribal communities over the past six years. Funding

has increased substantially, from $137 million in 2017 to $557 million in 2023, as well as an additional

$1.2 billion in ARP funds in 2021. ACF developed a Tribal Strategic Plan to effectively tailor support and

resources to assist Tribes in maximizing the use of their funding, including through Tribal set aside of

funding for construction and major renovation of Tribal child care facilities. In 2022, ACF approved 49

construction and major renovation funding requests. In May 2023, ACF’s Office of Child Care approved

Tribal CCDF plans for 214 Tribal grantees for three years and allowed Tribes to obtain fiscal waivers to

make these funding awards more flexible, along with support to help Tribes spend these funds by their

extended deadlines. In September 2023, ACF approved another 25 projects for construction and major

renovation for childhood facilities. Additionally, ACF announced a joint application and streamlined

process for Tribal Early Childhood Facilities using both Head Start and CCDF funds that is set to be

completed in Summer 2024.

Tribal Protections in Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Oversight Toolkit. In October 2023, the

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new Medicaid toolkit, the “Tribal Protections

in Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Oversight Toolkit,” for states to provide more detail on what states

can do to maximize the benefits of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed

care for Native enrollees and for Indian Health Care Providers (IHCP), consistent with the statutory and

regulatory Indian managed care protections. Specifically, the toolkit includes resources and strategies on

the following topics for states:

1. Improving state-Tribal relationships in the implementation of the Indian protections in Medicaid

and CHIP Indian managed care, including through Tribal consultation;

2. Showing how maintaining a Tribal liaison position can improve access to care for Natives and

improve claim processing and relationships between states, plans, and IHCPs;

3. Improving contracting between managed care plans and IHCPs by using the model Medicaid and

CHIP-managed care contract addendum;

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

4. Developing internal processes to improve understanding of the managed care delivery system for

Natives and IHCPs; and

5. Showing how states can partner with Tribes or Tribal organizations to develop an Indian Managed

Care Entity.

Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility Training for Early Childhood Researchers

Working with American Indian and Alaska Native Communities. In October 2023, ACF created and

published Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility Facilitator Training Materials that are

designed for training data collectors participating in the American Indian and Alaska Native Family and

Child Experience Survey to ensure that research study staff are rigorously trained on how to work

respectfully within Tribal programs and communities. The Facilitator Training Materials focus on how to

practice respectful and ethical research in Native communities, including increasing cultural awareness and

reflecting on one’s own assumption and biases.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE

Ensuring Access to High-Quality Contraception at IHS. In response to President Biden’s Executive

Order on Strengthening Access to Affordable, High-Quality Contraception and Family Planning Services,

IHS added new over-the-counter contraception options to the IHS National Core Formulary, which will

expand access to high-quality contraception for patients. IHS encouraged Tribally or UIO operated IHS

facilities to make the same options available to patients.

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

Behavioral Grant Awards. In September 2023, SAMHSA awarded nine Tribes and Tribal organizations

funding for the Planning and Developing Infrastructure to Promote the Mental Health of Children, Youth,

and Families in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Program. This program provides Tribes

and Tribal organizations tools and resources to plan and design a family-driven, community-based, and

culturally and linguistically competent system of care.

MATERNAL HEALTH

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Partnership with IHS. In May 2022, HHS’s Health

Resources and Services Administration launched a new National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-

TLC-MAMA), which provides 24/7, free, confidential emotional support, resources, and referrals to any

pregnant and postpartum mothers facing mental health challenges. This hotline features professional

counselors that offer support in English and Spanish through phone and text. Interpreter services are

available in 60 additional languages and, a relay service is offered for people who are deaf or hard-of-

hearing. In July 2023, the hotline partnered with IHS to promote the hotline through IHS clinics;

informational webinars for IHS grantees, providers, and partners; and “starter kits” by mail.

Providing Culturally-Specific Resources on Maternal and Child Health at IHS. IHS launched a

patient-centered maternal and child health website for access to reproductive health information and

resources available through IHS and other divisions. IHS is also working in collaboration with the

Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board to develop a training curriculum on Indian Country Care and

Access for Pregnant People—on topics that include contraception and postpartum care.

IHS Maternal Child Safety Workgroup. IHS established a multidisciplinary workgroup of IHS leaders

from Obstetrics/Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Behavioral Health, Chief

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Medical Officers, and IHS Headquarters to address rising Native maternal and infant mortality rates, and

provide best practices for safe and quality care at IHS sites. In September 2023, the Workgroup completed

its draft of the Obstetric Readiness in the Emergency Department Manual, which provides rural sites in

maternity care deserts with readiness checklists, quick reference protocols, and training curriculum for safe

triage, stabilization, and transfer of pregnant patients and newborns. Currently, the Manual is pending

public release.

Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality Focus on Improving the Health and Safety

of Native Mothers and Infants This Committee advises the HHS Secretary on department activities,

partnerships, policies, and programs directed at reducing infant mortality, maternal mortality, severe

maternal morbidity, and improving the health status of infants and women before, during, and after

pregnancy. In 2021, the Committee decided to focus its attention on developing recommendations to

improve birth outcomes within the Native population and submitted these recommendations to HHS in

December 2022. Work to implement the recommendations with support from HRSA, the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, IHS, and other federal agencies has been ongoing throughout 2023.

Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot Program. ACF

launched this Pilot Program to help address diaper needs and increase

economic security, and in 2022 awarded the South Puget InterTribal Planning

Agency $1.2 million to provide diapers and diapering supplies to children at

the Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation, the Nisqually Tribe, the

Shoalwater Bay Tribe, the Skokomish Tribe, and the Squaxin Island Tribe.

Throughout 2023, the pilot project has been adding diaper distribution to the

established monthly food distribution program for all Tribal members. In 2023,

the second year of the program, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake

Traverse Reservation was selected. Further, the “Birth of a Child” Life

Experience team is piloting a Newborn Supply Kit, which includes basic physical supplies and health

products for baby and mom, crucial to the first few weeks after delivery, in New Mexico with a community

partner that serves Tribal customers as one of three sites nationwide.

Healthy Start Piloting a Benefits Bundle for New Families. To better serve families interacting with the

Health Resources and Services Administration’s Healthy Start program, the “Birth of a Child” Life

Experience team is collaborating with the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, Turtle Mountain

Reservation Healthy Start team on a Benefits Bundle Peer Navigator employment initiative. The Benefits

Bundle project aims to connect families welcoming a new baby to a bundle of supportive services through

personal and community-tailored case management with a mom that successfully completed the Healthy

Start program and can be a trusted and convenient peer navigator.

IHS Piloting Maternity Care Coordinator Program. IHS is piloting a Maternity Care Coordinator

Program to provide telehealth and home visitation to support to the maternal and infant dyad. This program

aims to increase screening, education, and intervention during pregnancy and during the postpartum period.

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.

HHS announced a plan to issue an additional NOFO in 2024 for the Tribal

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. The

program supports pregnant women and parents with young children who

live in communities that face greater risks and barriers to achieving

positive maternal and child health outcomes. In 2023, the program more

than doubled its Tribal set-aside funding from the previous year—from

$12 million to $30 million. This increased funding was able to support 41

grantees, compared to 23 in FY 2022.

$1.2

Million

to South Puget

InterTribal Planning

Agency to provide

diapers and diapering

supplies

Grantees

received awards for the Tribal

Maternal, Infant, and Early

Childhood Home Visiting

Program

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VETE RA NS

NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE

At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, VA and HUD launched an interagency initiative through WHCNAA’s

Health Committee to increase access to care and services for Native veterans at risk or experiencing of

homelessness in urban areas. This initiative involves partnerships with UIOs and focuses on intake and

referral services to ensure that Native American veterans are aware of and have access to available

resources.

The Initiative took the following actions in 2023:

▪ VA and IHS developed an informational brochure for Native American veterans experiencing

homelessness and distributed these brochures to UIOs, IHS facilities, and external partners across

the country.

▪ VA and IHS developed and launched an interagency interactive map of UIOs and VA healthcare

systems with points of contact information in June 2023.

▪ VA developed and implemented training webinars for UIOs to raise awareness of VA homeless

programs among Native American veterans and to build or increase effective, responsive, and

collaborative relationships between UIOs and VA.

▪ VA and various UIOs collaborated on Stand Down events in Seattle, Phoenix, Los Angeles,

Albuquerque, and soon Alaska. These one-to-three-day events bring VA staff and volunteers

together to provide food, clothing, and health screenings to homeless and at-risk veterans and

receive referrals for healthcare, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment, mental

health counseling, and other essential services.

CEMETERIES

Expanded Allowance for Qualifying Burials in Tribal-Owned Cemeteries. In March 2022, President

Biden signed the Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act, which expands the VA’s authority to pay a

plot allowance benefit for qualifying burials in cemeteries owned by a Tribal organization on trust land or

held in trust for a Tribal organization. Previously, only state veteran cemeteries—and not Tribal veterans

cemeteries—were eligible for plot allowances. This Act allows for retroactive payment of this benefit and

began on January 5, 2023.

National Cemetery Administration Meetings for Tribal Veteran Cemeteries. Under Secretary for

Memorial Affairs Matt Quinn and staff from VA’s National Cemetery Administration are in the process of

meeting virtually with leaders of Tribal governments operating grant-funded cemeteries to raise awareness

of VA resources, learn about Tribal burial customs, and ensure that current requirements are not preventing

individuals from using Tribal cemeteries or practicing their customs and traditions.

Metlakatla Veterans Memorial Cemetery. In July 2022, the Metlakatla Veterans Memorial Cemetery—

the first VA grant-funded Tribal veterans cemetery in Alaska and the 14th Tribal cemetery overall through

the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program—was officially dedicated in a ceremony attended by local leaders,

veterans, and U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan. The new Tribal veterans cemetery consists of crypts and gravesites

as well as a memorial wall. It is located in Annette Island, Alaska, which is home to the only remaining

Tribal reserve in the state.

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VETERAN’S HEALTH AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY

Copayment Exemption for American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans. The Veterans Health

Administration amended its medical regulations to implement a statute exempting eligible Indian and urban

Indian veterans from copayment requirements. This change is based on a requirement within the Johnny

Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020. As of

October 2023, 2,674 Native veterans have been approved for the copayment exemption, with copayment

cancellations totaling just over $1.5 million.

Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. In August 2022, President Biden signed the

bipartisan Sergeant First Class Health Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics

(“PACT”) Act. The PACT Act is will substantially increase the numbers of Native veterans receiving VA

compensation benefits and, increase Native veteran eligibility for VA healthcare. Under expanded PACT

Act eligibility, 3,453 Native veterans enrolled in VA healthcare between August 2022 to May 2023—a

21.63% increase from the same time period last year. Additionally, the VA Office of Tribal Government

Relations held 43 Claim Clinics/PACT Act events in FY 2023—over 2,000 Native veterans attended these

events. This year, VA implemented toxic exposure screenings at VA medical centers nationwide. As of

June 2023, more than 3.7 million veterans have received toxic exposure screenings.

Veterans Affairs Utilization of Data for American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans. VA’s Data

Governance Council announced it recently approved

enterprise race and ethnicity collection standards that include

Native veterans. The Council is also working towards

developing and updating standards for data collection more

specific to Tribes, as well as an optimization of IT systems that

store this data.

Tribal Health Strategic Plan and Survey at Veterans

Health Administration Office of Tribal Health. In June

2022, VHA established the Office of Tribal Health to support

Native veterans—engaging with Tribal Nations, Native

veterans, and other partners on priorities that support Native

veterans. This year, it developed and implemented a strategic

plan and will complete a survey to attain a baseline

understanding of work across the VHA healthcare system in

support of Native veterans to identify gaps and best practices

to inform strategic priorities, goals, policies, guidance, and

resource sharing.

Suicide Prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans. In 2022, teams within VA’s

Office of Tribal Government Relations met in Oklahoma to share insights on how the existing Governor’s

Challenge model to prevent suicide prevention needs to be adjusted and reimagined. In addition to this, the

White House Integrated Task Force for Military and Veterans Mental Health, which VA is a part of,

awarded $52.2 million to 80 organizations through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide

Prevention Grant Program to coordinate a range of suicide prevention, education, and resource services for

veterans and their families. Organizations awarded include: Choctaw Nation Warrior Wellness Program,

the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, and the Televeda Project Hózhó.

Veterans Affairs Tribal Representation Expansion Project. The VA Tribal Representation Expansion

Project aims to collaborate with Tribal governments to promote access to culturally competent

representation to Native veterans. Generally, individuals may represent veterans in their VA claims if they

VA Secretary Denis McDonough with Navajo

Nation President Buu Nygren. (Photo courtesy

of VA).

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are authorized as an accredited representative of a VA-recognized organization, agent, attorney, or specially

authorized by VA’s General Counsel. The project seeks to expand the number of VA-recognized Tribal

organizations and individuals providing representation in Indian Country through outreach, training, and

innovative process. Both the Navajo Nation and the Gila River Indian Community have been accredited.

TR ANSPORT ATION

ELECTRIC VEHICLE INITIATIVE FOR TRIBAL NATIONS

At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, ten federal agencies—DOT, DOE, DOI, DOL, ED, EPA, HHS, HUD,

GSA, and USDA—announced their commitment to ensure Tribal Nations and Native communities are a

part of the Electric Vehicle (EV) future of the country. These agencies have made the following strides

within this initiative over the past year:

Tribal Content in Rural EV Infrastructure Toolkit. In May 2023, DOT published a revised version of

the Rural EV Infrastructure Toolkit which includes information on the EV provisions in BIL and expanded

content on Tribal planning and engagement, transit, micro mobility, and accessible design. The toolkit is

available on the ROUTES website.

In November 2023, USDA, with DOT and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, led participating

agencies in the development of an updated Tribal EV website hosted by the Joint Office of Energy and

Transportation. The website highlights federal funding opportunities that are particularly relevant to Tribes,

lists current technical assistance resources that are available to Tribes, and it features examples of Tribal

EV and charging station projects and collaborations across Indian Country and Native communities. This

resource was initially planned to be a Tribal companion to the Rural EV toolkit. It was published as part of

the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation’s Tribal Resource Page (mentioned below) to create a central

on-line resource where Tribes can find relevant and timely EV information from across federal agencies.

The participating agencies will continue to collaboratively update and cross-market the website.

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. DOT prioritized projects that will

serve rural and underserved areas, including Tribal lands and Native communities in their selection of

awards under this program. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation also provided technical

assistance to Tribes who were interested in applying for Charging and Fueling Infrastructure funds.

EV Secretarial Symposium. In July 2023, DOT hosted an EV Symposium at DOT Headquarters to bring

together state, local, and Tribal governments along with EV industry companies to provide opportunities

and solutions to provide and develop EV and EV infrastructure in Indian Country.

Clean Cities Coalition “Tribes and Transportation” Training. DOE worked with over 75 Clean Cities

coalitions through the Clean Cities Energy and Environmental Initiative to develop local partnerships with

Tribal communities, facilitate community engagement, and provide technical assistance related to EVs and

EV infrastructure deployment. As a part of this project, DOE—in partnership with the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory—launched a “Tribes and Transportation” educational training series for Clean Cities

coalitions to learn best practices for building relationships with Tribal communities to promote EVs and

EV infrastructure.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Updated Tribal Resource Page on driveelectric.gov. In May 2023, the Joint Office of Energy and

Transportation updated a Tribal resource webpage on driveelectric.gov to provide education, technical

assistance, and information on funding opportunities for Tribes to deploy EV infrastructure.

National Electric Vehicle Initiative for Tribal Nations Map and Dashboard. In March 2023, BIA

completed an online dashboard that houses 12 EV corridor maps—one for each BIA region—along with a

national map. Additionally, BIA developed an online dashboard that maps the distance between BIA,

BIE, and HHS facilities and existing EV charging stations and Alternative Fuel Corridors.

EV Coordination

Meetings. In July

2023, WHCNAA

began coordinating

monthly EV

coordination

meetings that

include staff from

DOT, DOE, USDA,

and BIA to continue

efforts to bring EV

infrastructure,

resources, and

funding to Indian

Country.

Building Pathways to Infrastructure Careers Grant Program. In September 2023, DOL conducted

direct outreach to Tribes, TCUs, and other Tribal organization applicants for the Building Pathways to

Infrastructure Careers Grant Program which will competitively award funds for sector-based training

programs across infrastructure-related sectors including training for professional, scientific, and technical

occupations that support renewable energy.

Outreach for USDA EV Programs. In December 2022 and January 2023, USDA consulted with Tribal

governments regarding USDA’s Rural Development programs funded by the IRA and how this program

can be used to support the development of EV charging infrastructure on Tribal lands and in Native

communities. USDA is in the process of conducting outreach to Tribes through panels and other virtual

engagements about programs under the Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and

the Rural Utilities Service-Electric Program that supports EV charging station infrastructure, related

businesses, EV buses, and agricultural vehicles.

Tribal Education on Zero-Emission Vehicles and Electric Supply Equipment Procurement. To

improve its relationship with Tribes in regards to purchasing or leasing electric or other alternative fuel

vehicles, GSA conducted a Tribal consultation at the 2023 Reservation Economic Summit on EV

procurements. GSA also hosted two nationwide, virtual Tribal-specific EV procurement trainings in March

and May. In addition, GSA partnered with DOE and WHCNAA for a Joint Agency webinar on Zero-

Emission Vehicle funding and resources in March 2023 and published new FAQs on the GSA Fleet website

to support Tribes in ordering vehicles. These efforts led to an increase of zero emission vehicle leasing

procurements by Tribes—from only 3 procurements in FY 2022 to 73 procurements for FY 2023, as of

July 2023.

Secretary Buttigieg and Assistant Secretary Teller in Alaska with Kotzebue Village leaders. (Photos

courtesy of DOT).

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HIGHWAY SAFETY

Improving Highway Safety in Indian Country. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

in partnership with BIA, is leading a multi-agency effort to address highway safety in Indian Country. This

campaign will bring awareness to the higher rates of fatal crashes in Indian country and will include safety

strategies for Tribes. As a part of this campaign, DOT is working together on a Native Language Initiative

to help translate and record safety messages in the languages of Tribes who wish to participate.

Additionally, in November 2023, DOT held a symposium for Tribes on highway safety in Indian Country.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

DOT’s Thriving Communities Program. This program provides its recipients technical assistance to

ensure its communities have the technical tools and organizational capacity to comprehensively plan for

and deliver quality infrastructure projects and community development projects that enable communities

and neighborhoods to thrive. The first round of selected communities included five Tribal Nations—Bois

Forte Band of Chippewa, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay

Indian Reservation, Nisqually Tribe, and Forest County Potawatomi Community.

Tribal Transportation Program. BIL includes nearly $3 billion in funding for the Tribal Transportation

Program. Funding is deployed through a number of vehicles toward transportation projects that increase

safety, mobility, and access for Tribal communities. Federally-recognized Tribal governments are eligible

to apply. Funds will be administered over five years and additional guidance on eligible uses of funds will

be announced in the coming months.

Tribal Transportation Facility Bridges. BIL sets aside a

proportion of funds under the Bridge Formula Program for Tribal

bridges. Over four years, DOT will invest $825 million in planning,

designing, engineering, replacing, improving, or constructing

bridges on Tribal lands. In addition, Tribal governments are eligible

for a $200 million set-aside from the Bridge Investment Program to

improve the condition, safety, efficiency, and reliability of bridges

on the National Bridge Inventory.

Tribal Transit Program. BIL includes approximately $230 million to the Public Transportation on Indian

Reservations program. This includes over $180 million to a formula grant issued to federally-recognized

Tribes and Alaska Native Village for public transportation on Tribal lands, as well as more than $45 million

in competitive funding for the same purpose.

Tribal Transit Symposium, Tribal Aviation Symposium, and Tribal Maritime Roundtable. In May

2023, DOT and the Federal Transit Administration held its first-ever Tribal Transit Symposium. The event

provided Tribes the opportunity to meet agency leadership; receive technical assistance; learn about funding

opportunities through BIL; and learn about the Tribal Transit Program which funds planning, capital, and

operating assistance for Tribal public transit services. In June 2023, DOT and the Federal Aviation

Administration hosted its 2

Annual Tribal Aviation Symposium, which featured information and

resources regarding grant applications, Tribal access to airports and commercial sea-plans, drone usage,

and youth engagement and education. In September 2023, DOT and the Maritime Administration held its

first-ever Tribal Maritime Roundtable to update Tribes on the federal funding available and workforce

development opportunities in the maritime sector.

$825

Million

will be invested in replacing,

improving, or constructing bridges

on Tribal lands

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HO U S IN G

Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program Updates. HUD announced its plan to publish a

final rule to strengthen the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program in 2024. This final rule will

modernize the program and provide more homeownership opportunities in Indian Country by: (1) codifying

program requirements governing underwriting, loan origination, and claims; (2) introducing much needed

certainty into the program to attract more participating lenders; (3) authorizing HUD to establish a minimum

level of lending on trust land.

New HUD Housing

for Skilled

Workers. Earlier

this year, HUD

implemented a new

Section 184

Demonstration

Program that

provides financing

to Tribes to

construct rental

housing for skilled

workers in Tribal

communities. This new program aims to attract skilled workers within these communities, with the goal of

providing overall wellbeing and sustainable economic growth for Tribes. Currently, HUD has issued

guidance outlining programmatic requirements and has made this loan product available to Tribes.

Reducing Homebuyer Fees Under Section 184. HUD made homeownership more accessible and

affordable by Native American families by reducing the fees charged to homebuyers who obtain a Section

184 loan. A Section 184 borrower purchasing a $194,000 home will save approximately $500 in the first

year and up to $6,800 over the term of the loan thanks to this change in the fee structure. In addition to the

savings to borrowers, the lower fees help more people qualify for a mortgage.

Reducing Reporting Requirements for all Native American Programs. To address burdensome

reporting requirements for Tribal grantees, HUD published a Notice that reduced the frequency of federal

financial reports required from most Tribal grantees from quarterly to annually for all of its Native

American Programs. This has and will continue to provide significant administrative relief to Tribal

grantees.

Streamlined Indian Housing Block Grant Applications. HUD announced its plan to publish its FY 2023

Indian Housing Block Grant Competitive NOFO, which incorporates feedback from Tribes. This grant

competition will equitably compete $150 million in funding that will primarily be used to construct much

needed affordable housing in Tribal communities, streamline the process, and reduce burdens.

Tribal Interagency Streamlining Toolkit. In May 2023, the Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure

Interagency Task Force, led by HUD, developed and published a toolkit, which is a hub for Tribes and

agencies to find environmental requirements for Tribal housing and related infrastructure from eight

different agencies—HUD, USDA, DOI, DOE, DOT, EPA, USACE, and DOC. It also provides guidance

and best practices for coordination, including coordinating endangered species and historic preservation

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge’s trip to Kenai, Alaska in August 2021. (Photos courtesy of HUD).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

reviews. HUD is currently conducting further Tribal consultation on the Toolkit and will make further

improvements based on Tribal consultation.

National Tribal Housing Summit. In October 2023, HUD hosted a three-day National Tribal Housing

Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota. The event was attended by approximately 500 attendees and provided

numerous learning and networking opportunities including 60 breakout sessions, a tradeshow, and

community activities. Additionally, HUD collaborated with various federal partners to highlight other

federal resources to support housing in Tribal communities.

USDA Expands Local Partnerships to Increase Homeownership Opportunities for Native

Americans. USDA Rural Development provided $9 million through long term, low interest rate loans, to

eight Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) to expand homeownership

opportunities for Native Americans living on Tribal lands through the Native CDFI

Relending Demonstration Program.

PU B LIC SAFETY AND JU S TI C E

MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE & VIOLENCE

AGAINST NATIVE WOMEN

In November 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Improving Public Safety and Criminal

Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (E.O.

14053). DOI, HHS, and DOJ have continued efforts to implement E.O. 14053 throughout 2023.

Not Invisible Act Commission: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

Crisis Report. In November 2023, the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC)—a 40-member cross

jurisdictional advisory committee composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service

providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors—announced and publicly

released its recommendations titled, “Not One More” to confront the crisis of MMIP and Human

Trafficking. NIAC submitted its recommendations to Congress, DOI, and DOJ in November 2023. From

April to August 2023, NIAC held seven in-person hearings and testimony across the country to gather

public comments from survivors, and families and relatives of victims to include in its report. DOI and DOJ

will provide a response to the NIAC report no later than January 30, 2024.

MMIP Regional Outreach Program. In June 2023, DOJ established the MMIP Regional Outreach

Program to support and coordinate outreach and resolve MMIP cases. The program places MMIP Assistant

U.S. Attorneys and MMIP Coordinators in five designated regions within Indian Country who will work

on prosecuting MMIP-related violations of federal law across the regions and jurisdictions. This program

complements and coordinates with DOJ’s Native American Outreach Services Liaison.

HHS’s Comprehensive MMIP Prevention, Early Intervention, and Victim and Survivor Services

Plan. HHS—in consultation with DOI, Tribal Nations, research and community-based organizations, and

UIOs—developed a comprehensive plan to support prevention efforts that reduce risk factors for

victimization of Native Americans and increase protective factors, including by enhancing the delivery of

services for Native American victims and survivors as well as their families and advocates. The Plan was

submitted to the White House Domestic Policy Council in January 2023 and was submitted to the President.

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U.S. Attorneys in Indian Country

during the Biden-Harris Administration

Child Abuse and Neglect Report. HHS and DOI completed a report that audited existing procedures

within their respective agencies for reporting child abuse and neglect. This report addressed barriers to

reporting and appropriate actions to make reporting of child abuse and neglect by IHS more streamlined.

Building Capacity to Develop and/or Expand Forensic Services Initiative Funding. In March 2023, the

IHS Division of Nursing Services’ Building Capacity to Develop and/or Expand Forensic Services

Initiative awarded grants to support building local community capacity by developing and expanding their

forensic nursing program. Funding is being used to ensure services such as medical forensic services and

resources are available to all individuals across the lifespan affected by violence (i.e., sexual assault, child

sexual abuse, intimate and domestic violence, etc.) in Native communities. In August 2023, IHS awarded

a contract that allocates $10 million over a five-year cycle.

Implementation of BIA-FBI MOU on MMIP. At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, the FBI and BIA

signed an agreement to establish guidelines to provide for the effective and efficient administration of

criminal investigations in Indian Country. This is the first update to an MOU between both agencies since

the early 1990s. As a part of the MOU, BIA announced it will embed a criminal investigator and program

analysts from the DOI Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU) into the FBI headquarters-level unit in charge

of Indian Country to facilitate MMIP case intake. The goal of this initiative is to expedite and enhance law

enforcement’s approach to MMIP cases from the outset. An MMU program analyst was onboarded by the

FBI to begin interagency coordination on Indian Country cases. Additionally, BIA and FBI are in regular

discussions about placing a criminal investigator into the FBI Indian Country Unit.

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Multi-Disciplinary Teams to Confront

MMIP. Complementing the MOU, the

BIA MMU and the FBI have begun

creating a system for all federal partners to

assist, or investigate missing and

murdered cases in Indian Country,

including establishing multi-disciplinary

missing and murdered case review teams.

The MMU is currently working with U.S.

Attorneys Offices across the country to

develop pilot programs to support Multi-

Disciplinary Teams of federal, Tribal, and

state law enforcement to review missing

and murdered case referrals.

Research on MMIP. The National Institute of Justice at the DOJ is funding a research team comprised

from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Urban Institute that are tasked with studying MMIP

cases in New Mexico. The goal of this research project is to provide essential baseline data for the New

Mexico Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Task Force for context regarding missing

person cases in the state—baseline data includes developing partnerships and policy priorities; extending

prior research by identifying gaps in current data collection; and developing recommendations for

improving long-term data collection and sustainable data reporting for MMIP cases in the state. South

Dakota and Washington pilot programs are expected to launch in the near future.

National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. In May 2023, the White House released the first-ever U.S.

National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence: Strategies for Action. Through this National Plan, the Biden-

Harris Administration is advancing a comprehensive, government-wide approach to preventing and

addressing gender-based violence in the United States. Building upon existing federal initiatives, the

National Plan provides an important framework for strengthening ongoing federal action and interagency

collaboration, and for informing new research, policy development, program planning, and service delivery.

The National Plan also recognizes the disproportionate rates of gender-based violence impacting

Indigenous women and girls, and it outlines goals, objectives, and strategies for action that support efforts

to prevent and address gender-based violence in Tribal communities.

Report on Crime and Victimization and Extractive Industries. DOJ National Institute of Justice is in

the process of developing a report that will feature extant literature on extractive industries and their

relationship to crime and victimization experienced by Indigenous populations in the United States, and

other dissemination products, such as webinars and infographics to support this report.

Expanding Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction with Support to Native Communities Following the

Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022). VAWA 2022 expanded

special Tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) beyond domestic violence-related crimes to cover non-Native

perpetrators of sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and assaults on

Tribal law enforcement officers on Tribal lands. It also supported the development of a pilot program to

enhance access to safety for survivors in Alaska Native villages. With this expansion:

• DOJ moved quickly to identify and deploy resources to support Tribal implementation;

• DOJ Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) issued an award to the Tribal Law and Policy

Institute for new technical assistance to support Tribes exploring or implementing STCJ;

• OVW made an award to the Alaska Native Justice Center and four Alaska-based partners to

establish an Alaska-specific InterTribal Technical Assistance Working Group and provide

Indian Country has been gripped by an epidemic of missing

or murdered Indigenous people, whose cases far too often go

unsolved. Families have been left investigating

disappearances on their own, demanding justice for their

loved ones, and grieving pieces of their souls. Generations of

activists and organizers have pushed for accountability,

safety, and change. We need to respond with urgency and the

resources needed to stop the violence and reverse the legacy

of inequity and neglect that often drives it.

–President Biden

A Proclamation on Missing or Murdered Indigenous

Persons Awareness Day, 2023

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technical assistance to Alaska Tribes interested in exercising STCJ through the VAWA 2022

Alaska Pilot; and

• DOJ launched the Alaska Pilot Program.

DOJ Launched New Tribal VAWA Reimbursement Program. In April 2023, OVW issued an interim

final rule for the new Tribal Reimbursement Program authorized under VAWA 2022, to reimburse Tribal

governments for expenses incurred in exercising STCJ. The rule provides details on how the

reimbursements will be administered, including Tribal eligibility, reimbursement frequency, eligible costs,

the annual maximum per Tribe, and conditions for waiving of that annual maximum. OVW plans to release

the first Notice of Reimbursement Opportunity for the program in December 2023, which allows Tribes to

request reimbursement up to the annual maximum under VAWA 2022.

Strengthening Sovereign Responses to Sex

Trafficking in Indian County and Alaska

National Conference. OVW will be hosting this

conference on January 23-25, 2024 in San

Francisco, California. It will focus on victim safety,

offender accountability, and service provider and

justice system responses to sex trafficking.

Alaska Native Tribal Resource Center on

Domestic Violence. The ACF Office of Family

Violence Prevention and Services awarded

$1,000,000 in Family Violence Prevention and

Services Act funding to support an Alaska Native

Tribal Resource Center on Domestic Violence. The

Resource Center will focus on the intervention and

prevention of family violence, domestic violence,

and dating violence by offering statewide

information, training, and technical assistance

specifically designed to reduce Tribal disparities within Alaska Native villages and communities.

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) Native

Cases Added and Resolved. DOJ announced that 204 cases—from October

1, 2022 to June 23, 2022—involving missing Native people were added to the

NamUS database and that this database was directly involved in resolving 121

missing Native person cases.

NamUS Tribal Program Specialists Positions Filled. Additionally, DOJ

announced it has created and filled its Tribal Program Specialist and Associate

Tribal Program Specialist positions. Both specialists are registered members

of the Navajo Nation and are committed to ensuring the integrity of American Indian and Alaska Native

cases in the database.

Annual Violence Against Women Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation. In August

2023, OVW hosted the 18

annual Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation with Tribal leaders on

behalf of the U.S. Attorney General. During the Tribal consultation, DOJ, HHS, and DOI solicited

recommendations from Tribal leaders on administering Tribal funds and programs; enhancing the safety of

American Indian and Alaska Native women from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault,

Million

awarded to support an

Alaska Native Tribal

Resources Center on

Domestic Violence

Attorney General Garland with the Louden Tribal Council

in Alaska. (Photo courtesy of DOJ).

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homicide, stalking, and sex trafficking; strengthening the federal response to such crimes; and improving

access to crime information databases and criminal justice information systems.

Meeting of Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group on Special Tribal Criminal

Jurisdiction. On December 5-6, 2023, DOJ is convening the Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working

Group in-person to discuss topics and issues regarding implementation of special Tribal criminal

jurisdiction and its impact on reducing violence against Native women. This group of Tribal representatives

exchange views, information, and recommendations on how Tribes can best exercise the expanded

jurisdiction recognized in VAWA 2022.

OVW’s Annual Alaska Tribal Governments Program Grant Project Implementation Workshop. On

December 13-14, 2023, OVW will host its annual workshop to build the capacity of Tribal governments,

Tribal justice system professionals, and Tribal victim services organizations to respond effectively to

domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking. This workshop has

significantly increased successful grant applications from Alaska Tribes—from seven active awards in 2017

to 41 active awards in 2022. OVW plans to replicate this workshop regionally for Tribes in California and

Midwest regions.

Inaugural Veterans Affairs Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Roundtable. In March 2023,

the Veterans Health Administration hosted the VA’s first in-person roundtable, Building Trusted

Partnerships and Addressing Social Determinants of Health: A Roundtable on Addressing the Crisis of

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, in Helena, Montana. The roundtable was attended by

representatives from VA, representatives from Montana state legislature and law enforcement, Tribal honor

guards, and Tribal leaders.

DHS’s Blue Campaign to Support MMIP Crisis. The DHS Blue Campaign is a national public awareness

campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize human

trafficking indicators and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. In June 2023, DHS released a

new human trafficking awareness toolkit, tailored to Tribal gaming and hospitality professionals. From July

to September 2023, DHS partnered with the StrongHearts Native Help Line—a Native domestic violence

hotline developed by and run by Native advocates to support Tribal communities across the United States—

to execute a two-month, geographically targeted digital, audio, and/or out-of-home advertising campaign

to reach Native American adolescents and adults in Washington and Alaska. Currently, DHS is developing

culturally sensitive human trafficking awareness materials for Tribal communities in line with the goal of

ensuring safety and justice in Indian Country.

Prioritization of the National Human Trafficking Hotline to address the Missing and Murdered

Indigenous People Crisis. HHS prioritized its hotline to ensure it can refer to mental health organizations

and health care providers enrolled in its National Human Trafficking Referral Directory, including

organizations and providers who are culturally competent in working with Indigenous Peoples. HHS

consulted with the ACF Office on Trafficking in Persons on the status of referrals and expanded outreach

to providers with trauma training as well as culturally and linguistically appropriate competencies to ensure

inclusion in the hotline referral directory. Currently, there are 29 providers within the National Human

Trafficking Hotline’s Referral Directory who are culturally competent in working with Indigenous Peoples

in North America and the Pacific. The referral recruitment form allows providers to indicate if they offer

trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically-appropriate services.

OVW’s Tribal Government Summit. In September 2023, DOJ hosted its Tribal Governments Summit in

Jacksonville, Florida. The Summit focused on key issues, promising practices, and emerging trends for

Tribes in addressing dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking,

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including methods and strategies to improve victim safety, offender accountability, and effective

collaboration between Tribal, federal, service providers, and state governments.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

BIA Law Enforcement Pay Parity. BIA is focused on improving the recruitment and retention of BIA

law enforcement. BIA’s foremost strategy on staffing is a pay parity initiative to bring BIA law enforcement

pay levels in line with other federal law enforcement, resulting in up to an additional $30,000 annually for

BIA law enforcement officers.

Tribal Access Program Expansion. In June 2023, DOJ announced an open application period for

federally-recognized Tribes and interTribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program for

National Crime Information, which improves public safety by providing federally-recognized Tribes the

ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal

justice and non-criminal justice purposes (i.e., NICS). DOJ selected an additional 14 federally recognized

Tribes to participate in the continued expansion of the Tribal Access Program. With these additional Tribes,

there are now 132 federally recognized Tribes participating in the Tribal Access Program.

Tribal Memorandum of Understanding/Memorandum of Agreement Sample Resource Library. In

May 2023, DOJ released its sample resource library designed to provide users resources they need to

research and successfully draft MOUs and MOAs between Tribal, state, and federal law enforcement. The

purpose of this library is to help agencies develop and solidify partnerships to address MMIP cases and

provide a wide range of other related opportunities for collaboration. This resource library includes

MOU/MOA templates, training, and samples in relevant subject areas. This resource is available online at

the COPS Tribal Community Policing Resource webpage.

Funding to Support Oklahoma-based Tribal Governments.

Consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma,

BIA received an additional $62 million in FY 2023 to support law

enforcement in Indian Country. In February 2023, BIA distributed $61

million in base funding with $1 million reserved until an FY 2024

appropriation is passed. The FY 2024 President’s Budget Request

maintains the FY 2023 enacted level of $62 million for Tribes affected

by the Supreme Court decision.

HOLISTIC PUBLIC SAFETY WORK

Healing to Wellness Court Event. In September 2023, DOI, DOJ, USDA, and WHCNAA, in

collaboration with the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Nations, hosted an in-person three-day training on

healing to wellness court practices and federal funding to support these courts.

Mentoring Behavioral Health Students in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

SAMHSA and IHS Behavioral Health Consultants are leading a Partnerships for Equity with American

Indian and Alaska Native Communities Group. This group supports Native behavioral health students and

practitioners by developing mentorship programs with experienced Native behavioral health practitioners;

building a support network among cohorts of students and practitioners; and creating quality career

exposure opportunities with IHS partners.

$62

Million

in additional funds provided to

BIA to support law enforcement

in Indian Country

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Tiwahe Initiative. DOI’s Tiwahe Initiative is an extensive and bold approach to furthering Indian self-

determination and self-governance in human services, public safety, and justice programs. In 2023, the

initiative received $4

million in additional

appropriations to

expand the program to

new Tribes. BIA,

through consultation

and with input from six

Tiwahe demonstration

sites, developed an

application process that

was easy, equitable,

and transparent. Two

Tribes were invited to

become Tiwahe

demonstration sites and

BIA was able to award

$100,000 of one-time

funding for

programming or

planning to 10

additional Tribes.

Department of Justice Funding and Grants. DOJ grantmaking components—Office of Justice Programs,

Office on Violence Against Women, and Community Oriented Policing Services Office—announced FY

2023 awards in support of a broad range of public safety and capacity building goals. DOJ announced more

than $69 million through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, DOJ’s Office on Violence Against

Women awarded more than $68 million, and DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime announced $103 million

in awards to support Tribal Victim Services programs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Native Worker Safety and Health. In March 2023, CDC’s

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published the American Indian and Alaska Native

Worker Safety and Health Strategic Plan, which serves as a guide for the nation to develop research and

outreach activities to prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities for American Indian and Alaska Native

workers. The plan is to be viewed as a starting point to stimulate collaboration and activities to improve

American Indian and Alaska Native worker safety and health.

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Tribal Work. The DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training

Centers support Tribal law enforcement communities by providing low-cost and no-cost training

opportunities conducted on its campuses as well as Tribal host locations across the United States. These

training programs support the development of specialized law enforcement knowledge and skills, and most

have no tuition for sworn Tribal law enforcement officers.

Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland meets with Tribal Youth. (Photo courtesy of DOI).

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DRUG TRAFFICKING

Shadow Wolves Enhancement. The Shadow Wolves are an ICE Homeland Security Investigation’s

tactical patrol unit comprised of Native American Special Agents, specializing in the interdiction of human

and drug smugglers. The Shadow Wolves are currently operating in Sells, Arizona within the Tohono

O’odham Nation that runs along the Mexico-United States border. ICE is currently seeking amendments to

the Schedule A hiring authority that established the Shadow Wolves program to allow for the conversion

of Shadow Wolves Special Agents from excepted to

competitive service upon completion of three years of

satisfactory service with the purpose of implementing

key provisions of the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act

signed into law in April 2022.

YOUTH AND JUVENILE JUSTICE

Tribal Legal Code Resource: Guide for Drafting or

Revising Tribal Juvenile Delinquency and Status

Offense Laws. In December 2022, the Tribal Law and

Policy Institute updated the DOJ funded, Tribal Legal

Code Resource: Guide for Drafting or Revising Tribal

Juvenile Delinquency and Status Offense Laws. This

resource is designed to assist Tribal communities with

creating, re-evaluating, and strengthening their juvenile

codes. Additionally, it serves as a starting point for

drafting and revising Tribal juvenile justice laws as it

highlights federal and state law considerations and

includes provisions from model codes and existing Tribal

juvenile codes.

Tribal Consultations for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In October 2023, DOJ’s Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention held a virtual Tribal consultation with Tribal leaders and

representatives across the country, which focused on how to increase Tribes’ access to juvenile justice

funding and improve federal and state coordination with Tribal communities. Additionally, DOJ held an

in-person Tribal consultation with Alaska Tribes to establish a framework for regular communication

between DOJ and Tribes to better serve Alaska Native youth and their families.

DOJ Tribal Youth National Conference. In December 2022, DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention’s Tribal Youth Resource Center hosted its Tribal Youth National Conference in

San Diego, California. The conference provides opportunities for young people to reinforce connections to

Indigenous traditions and strengthen their identities as Native people. The conference included nearly 40

sessions and activities for organizations serving Tribal youth, including DOJ-funded Tribal youth programs

and juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts.

DOJ Session at United National Indian Tribal Youth Conference. In July 2023, DOJ’s Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention held an interactive listening session at the United National

Indian Tribal Youth Conference with youth and adults from across the country to discuss issues impacting

Native youth, including involvement in or with child welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice systems.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas meeting with

Chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe March 20, 2023.

The meeting was held at Tohono O’odham Nation.

(Photo courtesy of DHS).

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DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Center for Domestic Preparedness 9

Annual Tribal Nations Training Week. FEMA’s Center for

Domestic Preparedness will host its 9

Annual Tribal Nations Training Week: Developing Generational

Resiliency Through Training March 9-16, 2024. Training courses offered will include topics such as

emergency response and preparedness, and health. Registration is now open and free to any Tribal Nation.

FEMA Proposal for Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program Reform. After Tribal consultation,

FEMA proposed changes to Congress that would improve the Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program,

which supports Tribal Nations and Tribal first responders in reducing risks from manmade and natural

disasters. The proposed changes better meet the needs of Tribal Nations and acknowledge Tribal

sovereignty.

Increasing Bio-Defense Preparedness in Bio Watch Covered Regions. DHS’s Countering Weapons of

Mass Destruction Office operates aerosol bio-detection equipment in partnership with state and local

entities across the nation. The Bio Watch program has strengthened preparedness as it pertains to Tribal

Nations by partnering with the BIA Office of Emergency Management. This partnership ensures any bio-

incident detected by the Bio Watch program across the U.S. will include necessary notification and response

support to any affected Tribal Nations through the BIA’s Tribal Assistance Coordination Group. The

Coordination Group is now present in all federal post-incident situational awareness calls managed by the

Bio Watch program and is invited to participate in all exercises as a federal partner to Bio Watch.

Federal Emergency Management Agency 2022-

2026 National Tribal Strategy and Tribal

Declarations Guidance. FEMA is in the process of

implementing its 2022-2026 National Tribal Strategy,

which commits to transform its service to Tribal

Nations to acknowledge Tribal sovereignty and

respond to the needs of each Tribal Nation. As a part

of this Strategy, FEMA, in 2023, hosted nine Tribal

consultations and listening sessions on the Tribal

Declarations Guidance. FEMA will release updated

guidance for public comment in early 2024 to solicit

additional feedback from Tribal Nations. The final

version of guidance is set to be completed in 2024.

This guidance serves as a primary vehicle for Tribal

Nations to request a federal disaster declaration from

the President and access Disaster Relief Fund

resources.

FEMA Equity Guide. FEMA created an equity guide, Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster

Guide for Local Officials in January 2023 to help communities focus their efforts on building relationships,

holding conversations about equity, and prioritizing post-disaster recovery projects and resources. FEMA

hosted a virtual consultation with Tribal Nations to solicit feedback and recommendations on the drafted

Equity Guide and is seeking public feedback from Tribal Nations, partners, stakeholders, and the general

public for the guide’s implementation.

Supporting Tribal Communities with Long Term Planning for Disaster Preparedness. HUD

facilitated an MOU between a HUD-funded Technical Assistance Provider and the Mississippi Band of

Choctaw Indians to help the Tribe develop a comprehensive long-term plan to enhance community

resilience and disaster preparedness and recovery.

FEMA National Tribal Affairs Advocate Kelbie Kennedy

meets with Miccosukee Tribe of Indians lawmaker Pete

Osceola Jr. at the Nation’s HQ regarding Tribal

emergency management. (Photo courtesy of FEMA).

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EDU CAT ION AND WO RKF O R CE

DEV E LO PME NT

TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

USDA Support for Tribal Colleges and Universities. USDA took the following actions to increase

support and partnership with TCUs:

▪ Moved its TCUs Program to the Office of Tribal Relations, as requested and supported by Tribal

leaders and TCU presidents, and renewed its congressionally-mandated MOA between the

Secretary of Agriculture and TCUs with land grant status (also known as “1994 Institutions”) to

ensure equitable access to USDA’s employment programs, services, and resources.

▪ Re-established its Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Fellowship for faculty and staff which is designed to

increase collaborations between TCUs and USDA.

▪ Formed a leadership group with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium to ensure TCUs

have equitable access to USDA’s employment, programs, services, and resources.

▪ USDA’s Agriculture Research Service is also continuing its research collaborations with United

Tribes Technical University, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, and North Great Plains Research

Laboratory in Mandan, North Dakota to promote Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge

and Food Systems.

▪ Is increasing the number of USDA TCU liaisons from one to six and made scholarship and

internship opportunities more accessible for TCU students by providing a living stipend within

offered scholarships; reducing scholarship application length; allowing all TCUs to participate in

scholarships; and partnering with third-parties to recruit TCU and Native students for internships.

NEH Support for Tribal Colleges and Universities. NEH took the following actions to increase support

and partnerships with TCUs:

▪ Included TCUs in a new program that financially supports institutions whose faculty are awarded

NEH Awards for TCU Faculty Fellowships. These new grants provide funds to allow TCUs to fill

teaching positions while TCU faculty are on research leave associated with their NEH grant. Grants

are for up to $2,500/month of the fellowship.

EPA Support for Tribal Colleges and Universities. EPA took the following actions to increase support

and partnership with TCUs:

▪ Launched a webpage for TCUs and hosted three webinars for TCU students.

▪ Is increasing efforts to recruit TCU students through internships and career development

opportunities, including providing new TCUs grant opportunities, and supporting Tribal capacity

building with TCU students in EPA-funded internships.

INTERNSHIP, APPRENTICESHIP, AND SERVICE PROGRAMS

American Climate Corps and Indian Youth Service Corps. In September 2023, President Biden

launched the American Climate Corps (ACC), a workforce training and service initiative that will ensure

more young people have access to the skill-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean

energy and climate resilience economy. ACC draws on existing programs from USDA, NOAA,

AmeriCorps, and DOI, including the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) program. USDA established the

USDA Forest Service Indian Service Youth Corps in partnership the Office of Tribal Relations and the

Forest Service reforestation team. Since February 2023 USDA has allocated more than $5 million and

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

signed six multi-year agreements, which have supported over 200 indigenous students. Two of the

agreements were entered directly with Tribes in the amount of $1.48 million for FY 2023. DOI committed

$15 million in IRA funding to expand IYSC and youth programs with underserved communities. In remarks

at the Clinton Global Initiative, Secretary Haaland issued a call to action for philanthropy to support IYSC

programs with Tribes. Additionally, DOI signed an MOU with the Aspen Institute to develop and support

public-private partnerships to leverage resources, and assist communities in developing community-led

projects. DOI and AmeriCorps are also collaborating to expand post-secondary education opportunities for

Native youth participating in the IYSC.

AmeriCorps Native Nations Convening. AmeriCorps hosted a three-day convening and training for

Tribal Nations and Indigenous grantees and partners in Las Vegas, Nevada which included remarks and a

listening session with AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith. The convening featured resources, trainings,

collaboration, and networking activities, with meaningful conversations amongst Tribal partners leading

programs in areas such as natural resources; developing pathways to college and the workforce for Tribal

youth; and fighting the devastating consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and opioid epidemics. The

convening focused on building stronger partnerships, addressing barriers, and Indigenizing service. In

FY23, the AmeriCorps State and National Native Nations Grant and AmeriCorps Native Nation Seniors

Demonstration Program awarded more than $8.5M to Tribal Nations and Native-led organizations.

Additionally, AmeriCorps invested $927,378 in education awards for those completing their term of

service.

Federal Railroad Administration Virtual Job Fair for Tribal Colleges and Universities. DOT’s

Federal Railroad Administration announced it will host a virtual job fair with TCUs in May 2024. This

event will provide recent graduates from TCUs an opportunity to engage with leadership and learn how to

apply to work at the Federal Railroad Administration.

Multi-Agency Partnership with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. In 2023, OPM,

NOAA, and USDA continued their support for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society

(AISES), a national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of

Indigenous people of North American and the Pacific Islands in Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Math (STEM) studies and careers. OPM reestablished its partnerships with AISES by hosting AISES’s

Annual Government Relations Council meeting at OPM Headquarters. This event was the first in OPM’s

efforts to build a longer partnership with AISES. NOAA’s division in Boulder, Colorado was featured in

AISES spring publication, Winds of Change Edition Cover where NOAA was honored as one of the top 50

places for Indigenous STEM professionals. USDA, in partnership with AISES, funded and is in the process

of helping to develop an Indigenous Knowledge research track to use for the annual AISES National

Conference, and developed program materials to support students and teachers designing Indigenous

Knowledge research products. Utilizing USDA funding, AISES provided project support funds for up to

10 Indigenous Knowledge projects.

Supporting the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science.

For the past several years, NOAA has supported, presented, and attended the Society for the Advancement

of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science STEM conferences.

Good Jobs in Tribal Communities Convening. DOL hosted a convening in Washington, DC with Tribal

leaders, employers, labor unions, and workers to engage in discussions with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie

Su on how Tribal communities are creating good jobs with equitable workforce development pathways

such as Registered Apprenticeship programs, and how those strategies can be used with Investing in

America funds across the Biden-Harris Administration.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

SUPPORTING SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS

National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education. Last year, DOI renewed this

congressionally chartered, but long unused, non-profit organization to support education opportunities for

American Indian students attending BIE schools. DOI is working to reinvigorate the organization to support

Tribally-led education initiatives, including DOI’s work

on Native language revitalization. In March 2023, the

fund held its first board meeting, and in June 2023, DOI

counsel completed a full legal review of existing funds.

BIE has announced a $300,000 commitment to support

the National Fund’s work on initial projects.

Trust for Public Lands’ Tribal Community

Schoolyards Pilot Program. BIE announced its

partnership and identified nine pilot schools for this Pilot

Program which aims to create outdoor educational spaces

to support healthy Tribal communities. In 2023, BIE held

Tribal consultation and nine Tribes have signed onto an

MOU to pilot this program.

Native American Teacher Retention Initiative. ED awarded over $2.75 million to support the first of its

kind grant. The funding will help address the shortage of Native American educators and promote retention

by creating opportunities for Native teachers to serve in leadership roles in their schools. This initiative will

also fund projects that help educators of Native American students provide culturally appropriate and

effective instruction and support for Native American students.

HE A L IN G FRO M DESTRU CTIVE PA S T

PO L I CI ES

INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS

In June 2021, Secretary Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to shed light on

the troubled history of federal Indian boarding school policies and their legacy for Indigenous Peoples.

Volume II of Investigative Report. After the release of Volume I of the investigative report called by

Secretary Haaland in May 2022, DOI is continuing its investigation and will complete and release Volume

II of the report in 2024. DOI’s current work is focused on identifying marked and unmarked burial sites as

well as names and Tribal identities of attendees, and the top-line amount of federal support for the system.

The Road to Healing. In response to recommendations from the report, Secretary Haaland launched The

Road to Healing in July 2022. As part of the nationwide tour, Secretary Haaland, Assistant Secretary for

Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and other DOI leaders traveled across Indian Country to allow Native and

Native Hawaiian survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system to share their experiences through

oral and written testimony. The 12 stops will help inform Volume II of DOI’s report. Transcripts from each

visit are now available on DOI’s website.

Secretary Miguel Cardona visits the Standing Rock Sioux

Boys and Girls Club in McLaughlin, South Dakota. The

Secretary learned about the medicine wheel and sage

bundles. (Photo courtesy of ED).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Boarding School Oral History Project. In 2023, with $4 million in support

from NEH, Secretary Haaland established the Oral History Project for the

Federal Government to—for the first time—document experiences of federal

Indian boarding school survivors as part of the public record and for public

memorialization. NEH’s funds will go towards supporting digitization efforts

and making these stories publicly accessible as well as federal and Tribal

partnerships for future research efforts. The Department and Smithsonian

National Museum of American History are in ongoing discussions about how

to support this work.

Digitizing Boarding School Records. In 2023, NEH entered into a $500,000 cooperative agreement with

the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition to digitize and describe 120,000 pages

of records from federal Indian boarding schools. This project is set to be completed by the end of 2025.

Grants for Boarding School Research. In August

2023, NEH announced a Special Call for Chair’s

Grants that is geared towards supporting Indian

boarding school-related projects. Eligible projects

are to help address the impacts of federal Indian

boarding schools and uplift the stories and

experiences of survivors, descendants, and

communities where applicants can receive up to

$30,000.

Project on DOD’s Role in Boarding Schools. In

FY 2023, the DOD commissioned a report on its role

during the Federal Indian Boarding School Era. The

project’s goals are to improve knowledge and

understanding of DOD’s involvement in the policy and operations of Indian boarding schools to lead greater

accountability and more meaningful consultations with American Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian

Organizations. Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management and Military Lands was

selected to support this research. The study was funded by the DOD Legacy Resource Management

Program and is set to be completed in 2024.

PROTECTING NATIVE CHILDREN

Adoption and Foster Care Collection Rules. HHS announced a proposed rule updating data collection

for the Adoption and Foster care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) to ensure equitable treatment

of all children and youth in child welfare, including Native American children and youth. Today, AFCARs

data is used for planning, technical assistance, discretionary service grants, and research and evaluation, all

with the goal of reducing entry into and improving outcomes of children in foster care. This additional data

can be relevant for understanding implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act at the state level.

Defending the Indian Child Welfare Act in the Supreme Court. In Haaland v. Brackeen, the U.S.

Supreme Court rejected a constitutional challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act in June 2023. DOJ

successfully argued the case before the Supreme Court and collaborated with Tribal Nations in litigation

strategy. ICWA protects Tribal children from being unnecessarily separated from their parents, extended

family, and Tribal communities.

Million

provided by NEH to

support the Federal

Indian Boarding School

Oral History Project

First Lady Jill Biden greeting Ayaprun Elitnaurvik students

at Bethel Regional High School in Bethel, Alaska.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

Re-Launching the Interagency ICWA Taskforce and Consulting on Next Steps. To support the

objectives of ICWA, federal agencies—including the DOJ—are conducting a series of consultations

seeking input on ICWA and what steps they can take to promote federal protections for Indian children and

their parents and caregivers.

VOTING RIGHTS

Making BIE Tribal Schools Voter

Registration Sites. In 2022, New Mexico

and Kansas became the first-ever states to

designate DOI’s two post-secondary

schools: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic

Institute and Haskell Indian Nations

University, respectively, under the 30-

year-old National Voter Registration Act.

The states’ designations will ensure that

Haskell and Southwestern Indian

Polytechnic Institute students and

community members have access to voting

information and opportunities to register to

vote. In September 2023, the Southwestern

Indian Polytechnic Institute announced the

establishment of its first-ever on-campus

Voter Registration Office to start the new

school year and, to complete the full

implementation of the President’s Executive Order 14019, “Promoting Access to Voting.”

Championing Voter Registration at Indian Health Service. In 2023, the Indian Health Service

announced that for the first time in history, an IHS facility in Phoenix received state approval to be a voter

registration site. Shortly thereafter, IHS announced its second voter registration site in Santa Fe. Several

more sites are expected to be announced in late 2023 or 2024.

IN DIGENOU S LAN G UAGE S ,

KNO WLE DGE , A ND CU LTU RE

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Assistant Director for Indigenous

Engagement and Native American Affairs. In November 2023, OSTP staffed its first-ever Assistant

Director for Indigenous Engagement and Native American Affairs. The creation of this position branches

from OSTP and CEQ’s Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge

released at the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit. This position will lead OSTP’s engagement with Indian Tribes,

Native Hawaiians, and other Indigenous Peoples and will provide a whole-of-government approach to

elevate and incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into federal decision-making.

Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a meeting on Native

American Voting Rights Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in the Vice President’s

Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the

White House. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

New ACHP Policy Statement on Indigenous Knowledge and Historic Preservation. ACHP announced

it is in the process of developing a new policy statement that establishes a set of standards, guidelines, and

recommendations to improve its historic preservation practices and programs for Indigenous sacred sites

and artifacts as well as ensure that Indigenous Knowledge is accounted for in all steps of historic

preservation decision-making. This policy statement will support federal agency and department actions

subject to the National Historic Preservation Act and Executive Order 13007: Indian Sacred Sites and was

developed in collaboration with Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiians. This policy statement will be

completed and released in March 2024.

Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021 and Implementing

Regulations. In December 2022, President Biden signed the Safeguard Tribal

Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act of 2021 into law. The STOP Act prohibits

the exportation of Native American cultural items and archaeological

resources that were illegally obtained; provides for the return of such items,

including voluntary returns; and establishes and increases related criminal

penalties. DOI convened eight consultation sessions with Indian Tribes and

Native Hawaiian Organizations between May and August 2023 to discuss what

should be included in the STOP Act regulations. Since then, the Departments

of the Interior, State, Justice, and Homeland Security are in the process of

drafting new regulations to implement the STOP Act, including a process to

obtain an export certification and standing up working groups. The four agencies anticipate meeting the

statutory deadline of late December 2023 to release these regulations.

National Park Service Theme Study on Indian Reorganization Act Period. Secretary Haaland

announced that the National Park Service is initiating a new Theme Study that, when completed, will help

tell the story of the Indian Reorganization Period (1934 -1950). A theme study provides a national historic

context for specific topics in American history or prehistory, as well as evaluation guidance and a list of

properties for study as possible future National Historic Landmarks. This particular theme study will help

the NPS broaden its interpretation and representation of this time period in which greater appreciation for

American Indian culture developed, more concern was given

to self-determination and self-government, and movement

began on developing more economic opportunity on Tribal

lands.

Interagency Work to Integrate Indigenous Knowledge

into Federal Research, Policy, and Decision-Making. At

the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, OSTP and CEQ announced

and published the Memorandum and Guidance for Federal

Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge

(guidance) to recognize and include Indigenous Knowledge in

federal research, policy, and decision-making. In March 2023,

a Subcommittee on Indigenous Knowledge was chartered

under the North Shore Tribal Council’s Committee on

Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability and has

been meeting monthly to ensure implementation of the

Indigenous Knowledge guidance. In July 2023, federal

agencies submitted a 180-day progress report to track progress

related to the implementation of the guidance. In late 2023 or

early 2024, OSTP and CEQ intend to issue a fact sheet that

summarizes agency submittals and highlights implementation

progress and cross-agency challenges.

Tribal

Consultations

were convened with

Indian Tribes and Native

Hawaiian Organizations

to discuss what should be

included in STOP Act

regulations

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff plays

Choctaw stickball at the First Americans

Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

The North Shore Tribal Council also launched the Environmental Justice Subcommittee pursuant to

Executive Order 14096, which is charged with developing a Research Plan that will identify opportunities

for agencies to coordinate with the research efforts of State, Tribal, territorial, and local governments,

among others, to accelerate the development of data, research, and techniques—including consideration of

Indigenous Knowledge—to address gaps and inadequacies in data collection and scientific research that

may affect agencies' ability to advance environmental justice. OSTP issued a Request for Information to

Support the Development of a Federal Environmental Justice Science, Data and Research Plan that

specifically asks for examples of Indigenous Knowledge and for ways the Federal Government can improve

its collaboration with non-Federal entities, including Tribal governments.

Indigenous Knowledge Chapter in DOI’s Departmental Manual. DOI announced that it is instituting

departmental guidance for DOI bureaus on inclusion and protection of Indigenous Knowledge in federal

decision making and scientific research. DOI is also developing an Indigenous Knowledge handbook and

training to support implementation of the Departmental Manual chapter.

NOAA Indigenous Knowledge Guidance. In July 2023, NOAA announced the release of this updated

guidance which facilitates the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge into NOAA’s environmental science,

policy, and decision-making process and, builds partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.

USACE Policy Statement on Indigenous Knowledge. USACE announced it is working on a policy

statement to further the use of Indigenous Knowledge in USACE decision-making processes to

operationalize OSTP and CEQ’s Indigenous Knowledge Guidance throughout the Civil Works program.

This policy statement is set to be completed and published in 2024.

Clearinghouse for Indigenous Knowledge Governmental and Non-Governmental Trainings and

Resources. In June 2023, the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Indigenous

Knowledge compiled and published a spreadsheet of known existing governmental and non-governmental

trainings and other resources pertinent to the use of Indigenous Knowledge in federal research, policy, and

decision-making and made it available to all federal employees.

Native American Cultural Competency Training at AmeriCorps. As a part of AmeriCorps’

commitment to honoring their obligation to federal trust responsibility and strengthening Nation-to-Nation

relationships, 150+ AmeriCorps staff attended a Native American Cultural Competency Training in 2023

to provide awareness and better inform staff on the importance of acknowledging Indigenous Knowledge

and culture and sovereignty, within their programs and workstreams.

GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION

Final Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Rule. DOI announced final revisions

to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act’s regulations. These regulations provide a

systematic process for returning human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural

patrimony to AI/AN Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations. These changes streamline the requirements

for museums and federal agencies to inventory and identify human remains and cultural items in their

collections.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

ACHP Guidance Document on Burial Sites,

Human Remains, and Funerary Objects. ACHP

released a Burial Sites, Human Remains, and

Funerary Objects Discussion and Guidance

Document. This guidance document addresses the

role that Indigenous Knowledge, climate change

impacts, the United Nations Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and sacred sites have

in the ongoing consideration of, and care for, burial

sites, human remains, and funerary objects. This

document also explicitly supports DOI’s Federal

Indian Boarding School Initiative.

NATIVE LANGUAGES

At the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, several agencies

and offices—DOI, USDA, HHS, ED, Institute for

Museum and Library Sciences, NEA, NEH, DOT,

and White House CEQ—signed a Memorandum of

Agreement on Native Languages, kickstarting a new

interagency initiative to preserve, protect, and

promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native languages. Since

2021, several other agencies have signed on to the MOA including, ACHP, OPM, SSA, SBA, OMB, DHS,

DOC, DOL, DOS, VA, AmeriCorps, and EPA.

First Ever Federal Survey to Measure Native Language Vitality. HHS announced the development of

the first-ever federal survey to measure Native language vitality nationally, authorized by the Durbin

Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2023. The Survey will be informed by a Community Working

Group consisting of Tribal leaders and Native language experts, and Tribal consultation on survey

questions, data parameters, and data collection. HHS will complete the initial survey design by January

2024, with the goal of updating Congress with content of the survey and dissemination options no later than

January 5, 2024. ANA will publish a draft of the Native Language Vitality Survey by September 2024.

Native Language Community Coordination Demonstration Pilot Project Report. HHS released this

Report in October 2023 to document the Native Language Community Coordination’s cohort model, which

gave Tribal language programs and federal staff the opportunity to collaborate around best practices across

their programs. The pilot also resulted in improved partnerships within Tribal communities to work towards

language revitalization.

Annual Native Language Summit. HHS—in partnership with BIE, ED, and USDA—hosted this

Summit in October 2023 and centered programming around the four pillars of the draft 10-Year Native

Language Plan: Awareness, Recognition/Affirmation, Integration, and Support.

Grants to Support Native Language Resource Centers. ED awarded over $2.2 million to four

universities—Little Priest Tribal College, University of Oregon, University of Arizona, and University of

Hawaii—to support the development of Native Language Centers that will work to preserve Native

American languages and integrate them into their classrooms. This funding is dedicated to developing

centers across three geographic regions—Central, Northwest, and West—as well as one national.

Nancy Vickery (Smithsonian National Museum of the

American Indian), Bronia Ashford (Bureau of Safety and

Environmental Enforcement), and Jeremy Baker

(DHS/CBP), on a tour of the Museum’s collections in

Suitland Maryland, in furtherance of successful

repatriations. (Photo courtesy of DHS).

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

NEH to Establish a New Program to Support

the Revitalization and Reclamation of Native

Languages and Culture. NEH is currently

developing a $1.5 million program that will

support the development of Native language

programming and humanities-based cultural

activities. The creation of this new program

will leverage the expertise of Tribal Nations

and provide partnership opportunities within

NEH and across Federal Government. This

effort is in response to the Biden-Harris

Administration’s Framework on Native

Language Revitalization for supporting,

preserving, and revitalizing Native American

languages.

Living Languages Grants Program

Revisions to Encourage Native Languages. ED, in collaboration with DOI, also reviewed the Living

Languages Grant Program solicitation language and suggested mechanisms to award additional grant points

for applications that integrate, support, and promote Native language revitalization and address grant

accessibility concerns raised in Tribal consultations. These mechanisms align with the broader stated policy

frameworks and goals of the 10-Year Plan.

SSA Native Languages Accessibility Improvements. SSA is enhancing interpreter services and seeking

opportunities to translate relevant SSA publications into Native Languages. In 2023, SSA developed

strategies to translate targeted publications and market interpreter services in Tribal communities,

implemented new Tribal outreach to Urban Indian Centers in Limited English Proficient communities, and

worked on hiring bilingual employees.

Updated Resources Guide on Federal Funding for Native Languages. NEA released an updated and

comprehensive overview of federal funding sources to support Native arts and cultural activities, including

Native language revitalization.

INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS

Indian Arts and Crafts Act Updated Regulations. DOI is

revising the regulations implementing the Indian Arts and

Crafts Act. This proposed rule would modernize the Indian

Arts and Crafts Board regulations to better meet the objectives

of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act to promote the economic

welfare of the Indian Tribes and Indian individuals through the

development of Indian arts and crafts and the expansion of the

market for the products of Indian art and craftsmanship.

Developing Resource Materials for Native American

Constituents. NEA developed a resource for Native

American Constituents related to NEA grant opportunities and

fellowships. This resource guide is a consolidation of

opportunities offered by federal agencies for organizations

Crosby Kemper, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library

Services, Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), Chair of the National

Endowment for the Humanities, and Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD,

Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, during the

conference’s Opening Ceremony in a keynote session entitled,

“Sustaining and Advancing Indigenous Cultures: The Role of

Federal Agencies.” (Photo courtesy of NEH).

First Lady Jill Biden greets Tohono O’odham

Nation citizens in the San Xavier District of the

Tohono O’odham Nation near Tucson, Arizona.

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

looking for funding and other resources to support Native arts and culture activities.

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Traditional Medicine Summit. The WHCNAA Health Committee—comprised of several federal

agencies—will convene its 2

annual Traditional Medicine Summit in the spring of 2024. The Summit will

focus on traditional Indigenous healing practices to address behavioral health and related health challenges

in Indigenous communities within the United States. The Summit will highlight successful models of

integrated healthcare with traditional healing in prevention, intervention, and treatment methods for

behavioral health and related conditions. The Summit will be attended by Indigenous healers, Indigenous

and non-Indigenous scholars, policy makers, and members of the public.

Position Paper on Traditional Medicine Efficacy. In addition to the Summit, the WHCNAA Health

Committee, in partnership with a group of scholars, are in the process of developing a position paper on the

efficacy of traditional Indigenous medicine in treating behavioral and other health challenges in Indigenous

communities.

TE C HNO LOGY , BRO A DB AND , SPECT RU M

AN D CYB ERS E CU R ITY

INTERNET AND BROADBAND

Tribal Spectrum MOU. In November 2022, DOI, DOC, and FCC announced a new Tribal Spectrum MOU

to advance consistent interagency coordination to promote electromagnetic spectrum access and the

deployment of broadband and other wireless services on Tribal lands. The MOU provides a framework for

exploring new opportunities for Tribal policy development for wireless services, including spectrum access

and data exchange, in support of Tribal political and economic self-determination. DOI established a bi-

weekly workgroup among staff of OSTP, DOI, FCC and NTIA to form improved and effective

communication and information exchange to coordinate policies and outreach, including on national

broadband and spectrum policy development and agency updates related to Tribal lands.

Presidential Memorandum: Modernizing U.S. Spectrum Policy & National Spectrum Strategy. The

new Presidential Memorandum Modernizing U.S. Spectrum Policy and National Spectrum Strategy

includes language honoring the trust relationship with Tribal Nations, significance of Tribal equities, and

the DOI-FCC-DOC Tribal Spectrum MOU announced during the 2022 White House Tribal Nations

Summit to enhance interagency coordination on spectrum and broadband access on Tribal lands. The

Memorandum and Strategy promote efficient and modern electromagnetic spectrum use for wireless

communications and spectrum-based technologies.

Affordable Connectivity Program Discounts for Tribal Internet Service. The Affordable Connectivity

Program provides an enhanced benefit of up to $75/month for eligible households on qualifying Tribal

lands. Households are eligible if they earn 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or less or if they already

participate in certain federal programs, including a wide range of Tribal assistance programs. To ensure

that Tribal communities are aware of this benefit and to encourage participation, the FCC created an

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E T R I B A L N A T I O N S S U M M I T P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

outreach program directed at Tribes—the Tribal Competitive Outreach Program – and awarded more than

$7 million across two competitive funding rounds.

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Awards. DOC’s National

Telecommunications and Information Administration has, to date, awarded over

$1.86 billion to 226 Tribal entities under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity

Program. Tribes can use these funds to connect Tribal households and

businesses to high-speed Internet service, plan for future Internet infrastructure

investments, and upgrade network equipment. In July, NTIA opened a second

round of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. This round makes another

$980 million available for the deployment of Internet infrastructure,

affordability programs, telehealth, and distance learning initiatives.

CYBERSECURITY

Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program. In September 2023, DHS released a BIL-funded $18.2 million

Tribes grant program to build cybersecurity resilience across Indian Country. In August 2022, FEMA and

the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency hosted a joint Tribal consultation on how to adjust

the Tribal set-aside portion grant requirements of this program to better reflect the challenges across Indian

Country. As a result of the consultation, both DHS and DOI waived the non-federal cost share for Tribal

Nations, adjusted the planning committee requirements that Tribal Nations will need to meet for this NOFO.

IN T E RN A TI ONA L AND BO RDER IS S U ES

REPATRIATION

Implementation of the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act. In December 2022,

President Biden signed the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, which increases penalties

for violations of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; imposes regulations to stop

the export of Tribal objects of patrimony; establishes a federal framework to return items of cultural

heritage; and establishes a Tribal and interagency working group. The Act directs DOI, in conjunction with

DOJ, State, and DHS, to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the Act. DOI announced that its draft

of regulations to implement the STOP Act will be completed at the end of 2023 for Tribal consultation.

International Museum Guidance for Native American Repatriations. The WHCNAA International

Indigenous Issues Committee is in the process of developing guidance for international institutions to

encourage and facilitate repatriations of Native American ancestors and sensitive and significant cultural

property currently held in international collections. Draft guidance was completed and sent out for Tribal

consultation in November 2023. The final guidance is set to be completed by Spring 2024.

$1.86

Billion

awarded to 226 Tribal

entities under the

Tribal Broadband

Connectivity Program

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Reciprocal International Repatriation Museum Exchange. State and DOI launched the International

Repatriation Museum Exchange, which provides Tribes and international museums the opportunity to

foster mutual understanding, explore collaborative relationships, and open

further dialogue on the subject of repatriation. In Summer 2023, five Tribal

Nations—Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs

Reservation, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara

Nation, and the Pawnee Nation were selected for the Exchange. These five

Exchanges will begin Spring 2024 and be completed by Summer 2024.

BORDER ISSUES

Continuing Efforts to Produce Enhanced Tribal Cards. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is

continuing its efforts to enter into agreements with federally-recognized Tribes to permit the production

and use of Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs). These ETCs would provide Tribal members with secure,

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant travel documents that can be used to denote identity and

citizenship in lieu of a passport at land and sea ports of entry when arriving from contiguous territory or

adjacent islands in the Western Hemisphere. The agency is currently in MOA discussions and negotiations

with 18 Tribes, and signed three MOAs with Tribes in 2023. These three Tribes are now in the production

phase of the process.

Reciprocal Indigenous Mobility. DHS is spearheading an initiative that identifies and removes barriers

that impede the access of Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Villages to border-crossing and immigration

benefits. DHS announced progress towards completing an arrangement with Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of

Texas that intends to better implement the statute regarding the Tribe’s unique pass/repass privileges. DHS

also announced progress towards addressing Indigenous mobility at the southern border of the United

States. DHS submitted a 180-day report to the President in September 2023 with progress on the initiative

and, recommendations for any new operational procedures or legal authorities necessary to support these

efforts. As a part of the initiative, DHS is in the process of engaging with TSA leadership and frontline

personnel to understand TSA’s perspectives on best ways to improve screening experiences for Tribal

Nations citizens and improve indigenous mobility; and educate frontline personnel on TSA’s obligations

as a federal agency and its implications on ID verification procedures. In October 2023, DHS visited airports

in Alaska and Washington. In 2024, DHS plans to visit airports in 22 states (Alaska, Arizona, California,

Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New England, New

Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas,

Washington, and Wyoming).

INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls. In September 2023, the

Government of Canada hosted the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against

Indigenous Women and Girls, in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from

Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This Working Group was first established as an outcome of the

2016 North American Leaders’ Summit, and this particular Convening was a 2022 Summit commitment.

Secretary Haaland represented the United States at this Convening. Participants at the Convening

exchanged information about policies, programs, and promising practices to prevent and respond to human

trafficking and reduce the barriers that Indigenous Peoples—especially women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+

individuals—face when seeking justice. The three countries reaffirmed our commitment to continue

working together, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and particularly with Indigenous women, to

Tribes

selected for the Reciprocal

International Repatriation

Museum Exchange

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advance prevention efforts, increase support for survivors, and enhance regional coordination to better

address root causes that increase vulnerability to all forms of gender-based violence.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of

Indigenous Peoples Study. The WHCNAA

International Indigenous Committee, led by DOI in

partnership with State, are collaborating with a group

of Harvard students to produce a cross comparative

analysis of several nations’ progress in pursing the

goals of the United Nations Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The full analysis is set

to be completed and presented to the Committee in

November 2023.

Supporting Global Progress on Promoting the

Rights of Indigenous People. In 2023, USAID

invested $84 million to support development efforts

that align with USAID’s Policy on Promoting the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples in several countries.

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous

Issues. ACHP co-sponsored and presented at a side

event, Advancing the UN Declaration on the Rights

of Indigenous Peoples, during the 22

session of the

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at

United Nations Headquarters in New York City. During the event, ACHP provided examples on how it has

incorporated articles of the Declaration in the recently adopted Policy Statement on Burial Sites, Human

Remains, and Funerary Objects.

Convening on Indigenous Leaders for the Pacific. DOI and USAID are in the process of supporting a

pilot project to convene Indigenous leaders from the Pacific, Native Hawaiian community leaders, and

Tribal leaders to discuss issues facing Indigenous communities in the region. Issues to be discussed include

economic development, climate resilience, adaptation strategies, and climate relocation. This pilot project

is set to convene in 2024.

Inaugural International EV Corridor. In September 2023, DOT announced its International EV

Corridor—a national network of plug-in EV charging and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling

infrastructure—in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Quebec, Ontario. To complement this announcement, DOT

hosted an inaugural EV Corridor Workshop near the Corridor that covered topics including grant

applications, technical assistance, the DOT EV toolkit, and the use of EV from both the individual and

Tribal perspective. Both U.S. Tribes near the Corridor and First Nation Tribes in Canada were present.

International Indigenous Tourism Workshop. In August 2023, DOI and USAID hosted an in-person

workshop of U.S. Tribes and Indigenous Peoples focused on Indigenous-led tourism and economic

development in Cherokee, North Carolina. The workshop brought together Native Act grantees with

Indigenous Peoples representatives to share lessons learned, exchange best practices, and co-create a pilot

program that will support continued engagement between U.S. Tribes and Indigenous Peoples communities

to foster Indigenous-led tourism growth and economic development.

Enabling Global Engagements for Indigenous Leaders. In August 2023, USAID—in collaboration with

BIA—hosted a “Indigenous Tourism—A conversation with Panama and Guatemala leaders” at BIA’s

Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary Newland

represent the United States at the United Nations. (Photo

courtesy of DOI).

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Office of Indian Economic Development’s first annual, “Building Connections: Strengthening Indigenous

Communities Toward Economic Self Sufficiency” grantee meeting. This event engaged Tribal

representatives with global Indigenous communities who are seeking joint efforts to promote tourism.

Additionally, a delegation of Brazilian Indigenous leaders was invited by the Native American & Wildlife

Society to attend the 2023 Great Lakes Regional Conference and, visit Pueblo of Santa Ana in New Mexico.

This invitation builds on USAID and DOI’s collaborations in learning exchanges of land management

between Tribes and Indigenous Peoples in Brazil.

Strengthening International Collaboration. Secretary Haaland traveled to Brazil, Australia and New

Zealand to highlight the kinship between Indigenous communities across the globe. She committed to

ongoing U.S. support as global partners work to honor Native communities; preserve their languages and

cultures; invest in resiliency efforts; and bring Native leaders to the table for critical policy-related

discussions.

Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement and Contributions at COP 28. USAID, in partnership

with the Forest Stewardship Council Indigenous Foundation and the U.S. Center, will host a side event at

COP 28 featuring Indigenous leaders speaking on Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives on Just Transition and

Green Energy initiatives. Additionally, USAID contributed to the Indigenous Peoples and Local

Communities Forest Tenure Pledge second annual report. This pledge supports the advancement of

Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ forest tenure rights.

Inter-American Foundation Inaugural Cities Summit. In April 2023, the Inter-American Foundation

brought a delegation to the inaugural Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver, Colorado. The Foundation’s

Indigenous Exchange hosted the only plenary panel focused on Native American and Indigenous Issues,

“Strengthening Native American and Indigenous Collaborative Partnerships and Municipalities.” The panel

featured leaders from Native American and Indigenous organizations—Nez Perce Tourism, Fundación

TIERRA, Wakan Tipi Awanyakapi and Guambia. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Colorado

Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera provided remarks prefacing the IAF’s panel. The Foundation’s

Indigenous Exchange also held the only Summit side event focused on the leadership of Native American

and Indigenous people as well as actors committed to uplifting Indigenous community-led work. The

Indigenous Exchange provides a forum for Indigenous communities in Latin America, the Caribbean, and

Tribal Nations in the United States to exchange ideas, experiences, and ultimately foster sustainable

collaborations.

USAID Grant Award to Support the United Nations’ Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. USAID

is in the process of working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

to develop a $1 million, five-year grant to support the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. The grant

aims to increase the Fund’s capacity to deliver training and support the participation of Indigenous women,

youth, persons with disabilities, and other populations in global mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples’ rights

including the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of

Indigenous Peoples.

Inter-American Foundation Program on Native Women Entrepreneurship. In March 2023, the Inter-

American Foundation hosted its first hybrid program with 15 in-person and many virtual participants who

were all leaders or members of Indigenous or Native women’s enterprises. Topics included Native

American and Indigenous women cultural arts, entrepreneurship, and networking.

The United States Department of State: International Youth Leadership Coalition. State’s first Special

Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, in collaboration with DOI and the White House, created a

catalyst coalition of young international Indigenous leaders to elevate the voices of Indigenous youth in

global civic and political participation. The six members of the Indigenous Youth Leadership Coalition

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from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, and Guatemala participated in the annual White House

Tribal Youth Forum and met with an array of senior U.S. government officials and members of civil society.

The inaugural cohort shared their unique perspectives with Native American youth and policy makers on

critical issues that impact Native American and Indigenous communities across the Western Hemisphere,

such as climate change, community health challenges, gender-based violence, and Indigenous Knowledge

preservation. The goal of the coalition is to cultivate lasting relationships and solution-driven knowledge

exchanges between international Indigenous youth and Native American youth on shared borderless issues

affecting their communities.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT POLICY

President’s Trade Agenda and Annual Report. Released

every March, the President’s Trade Agenda and Annual

Report now include unprecedented objectives and updates

on engaging with Tribal Nations, Native and Indigenous

community-based organizations, academia, entrepreneurs,

and enterprises. In response to recommendations during

USTR’s Tribal Consultation meetings, USTR appointed

Indigenous experts to serve as cleared advisors on trade

advisory committees and sought public comment to inform

inclusive, worker-centered trade objectives and positions in

all trade and investment policy areas for both enhanced

engagement and subsequent negotiations. In addition,

USTR is working with colleagues across the government to

explore how trade tools and rules may better address issues

like misappropriation of Indigenous goods and capacity

building for Native entrepreneurs and workers.

Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation Indigenous Peoples

Dialogue. At the 2023 Asian-Pacific Economic Corporation

(APEC), the United States hosted the first APEC Ministers’

Meeting Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples in San Francisco, California. The dialogue brought together

Indigenous panelists from across the Asia-Pacific to further learn how policymakers can make trade and

investment more inclusive for Indigenous Peoples, including more support, transparency, and agency for

Indigenous Peoples in developing future policies. The Dialogue was hosted by Ambassador Katherine Tai,

United States Trade Representative and moderated by Chief Lynn Malerba, Treasurer. The panel consisted

of Chairman Greg Sarris from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (CA), Chief Chuck Hoskins Jr.

from the Cherokee Nation (OK), Ambassador Justin Mohammed representing the First Nations People of

Australia, Marc LeClair representing Metis Nation in Canada, and Pita Tipene, Chairman of the Waitangi

National Trust Board in New Zealand.

Chairman Greg Sarris, Federated Indians of the

Graton Rancheria; Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin

Jr., Cherokee Nation; Ambassador Katherine Tai,

the U.S. Trade Representative; Chief Lynn

Malerba, Treasurer of the United States. (Photo

courtesy of USTR).

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APP EN D IX A. - LIS T OF ACRONYMS

Acronym

Term

ACF……...……….

Administration for Children and Families (part of HHS)

ACHP……...…......

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Native…………….

American Indian / Alaska Native

ARP………...…….

American Rescue Plan

BIA……………….

Bureau of Indian Affairs (part of DOI)

BIE……………….

Bureau of Indian Education (part of DOI)

BIL…...…………...

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

BTFA…………….

Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (part of DOI)

CEQ…………...….

White House Council on Environmental Quality (part of EOP)

CBP………………

United States Customs and Border Protection (part of DHS)

CX………….…….

Customer Experience

Denali…..………...

Denali Commission

DHS……...……….

Department of Homeland Security

DOC…………...….

Department of Commerce

DOE………...…….

Department of Energy

DOI…………….....

Department of the Interior

DOJ…………..…...

Department of Justice

DOL…………...….

Department of Labor

DOT…………...….

Department of Transportation

DPC…………...….

White House Domestic Policy Council (part of EOP)

EOP…………...….

Executive Office of the President of the United States

ED…………….….

Department of Education

EPA…………...….

Environmental Protection Agency

EV……………..….

Electric Vehicle

FBI……………..…

Federal Bureau of Investigation (part of DOJ)

FCC……………....

Federal Communications Commission

FDA………………

Food and Drug Administration (part of HHS)

FEMA.…………....

Federal Emergency Management Agency (part of DHS)

FPISC………….....

Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council

GAO………….......

Government Accountability Office

GSA………………

General Services Administration

HHS…………........

Department of Health and Human Services

HRSA………….....

Health Resources and Services Administration (part of HHS)

HUD……………...

Department of Housing and Urban Development

ICE………….........

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (part of DHS)

IHS………………..

Indian Health Service (part of HHS)

IMLS………….…..

Institute of Museum and Library Services

IRA…………….....

Inflation Reduction Act

IRS………………..

Internal Revenue Service (part of Treasury)

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ITBC……………...

InterTribal Buffalo Council (non-governmental)

NASA………….....

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEA……………...

National Endowment for the Arts

NEH……………....

National Endowment for the Humanities

NIH……………….

National Institutes of Health (part of HHS)

NOAA……………

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (part of DOC)

NOFO…………….

Notice of Funding Opportunity

NTIA……………..

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (part of DOC)

OMB……………...

Office of Management and Budget (part of EOP)

OPM……………...

Office of Personnel Management

OTR………………

Office of Tribal Relations (part of USDA)

OSTP……………..

Office of Science and Technology Policy (part of EOP)

SAMHSA………...

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (part of HHS)

SBA………………

Small Business Administration

SSA………………

Social Security Administration

State/DOS………...

Department of State

TCU………………

Tribal Colleges and Universities

Treasury………….

Department of the Treasury

TSA………………

Transportation Security Administration (part of DHS)

UIO……………….

Urban Indian Organization (non-governmental)

USACE…………...

United States Army Corps of Engineers (part of DOD)

USAID……………

United States Agency for International Development

USDA…………….

United States Department of Agriculture

USFS……………..

United States Forest Service (part of USDA)

USITC……………

United States International Trade Commission

USTR……...……..

United States Trade Representative (part of EOP)

VA………………..

Department of Veterans Affairs

WHCNAA………..

White House Council on Native American Affairs