Dear Tribal Leader:

Indian Affairs (IA) is committed to meaningful government-to-government consultation with Tribal Nations. The Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) plays a critical role in ensuring that Tribal priorities inform the budget formulation process.

We have heard from many TIBC participants in previous sessions indicating a desire for greater improvement in the overall TIBC process, including time spent on budget discussions and individual breakout sessions. The Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs is committed to working to enhance TIBC to ensure these sessions are meaningful, outcome-driven, and responsive to priorities across the 575 federally recognized Tribes.

To better achieve this goal, IA invites you to the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C., on May 19-20, 2026, to participate in a focused TIBC session. One day will be designated to discuss relevant budget, strategy, and planning of the FY2028 budget and one day will be designated to discuss the future of TIBC.

As we plan for this meeting, we would like to solicit your written feedback on strengthening TIBC so that we will be better prepared to have robust conversations in May.

Please share your feedback through the following options:

• Follow-up questions: https://forms.office.com/g/0aiW3ZNTkX
  Please allocate approximately 10 minutes to complete the follow-up questions. No personally identifiable information will be captured.
• Written Comments: Please email your comments by Friday, April 17, 2026, to TIBCimprovement@BIA.GOV.

We value your input on how to strengthen TIBC budget discussions. Your input will inform improvements and guide requirements for future cooperative agreements to support TIBC coordination.

Thank you for your leadership and partnership. We look forward to continuing this important dialogue and meeting with you soon.