NIAC Hearing on Reporting and Collecting Data on MMIP
2023-06-13 - 2023-06-14 | United States
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
June 13-14, 2023
Blue Lake Casino and Hotel
777 Casino Way
Blue Lake, CA 95525
Register here if you plan to attend the hearing in person.
In October 2020, the Not Invisible Act of 2019 was signed into law—to increase coordination in identifying and combating violent crime within Indian lands and against Indians—in response to the longstanding crises of missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).
Pursuant to section 4 of the act, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and I established the Not Invisible Act Commission (Commission), which consists of Federal and non-Federal members. More information on the Commission and its members can be found here. The Commission is required, by October 2023, to submit a final report to Congress, the Attorney General, and me with recommendations on how to improve intergovernmental coordination, bolster resources, and establish best practices for State/Tribal/Federal law enforcement to help combat this epidemic of violence.
To help achieve this requirement of section 4, the Commission is holding national hearings to solicit public testimony at multiple locations to shape its final report recommendations on specific MMIP and HT topics. These hearings will provide a forum for law enforcement, subject-matter experts, organizations, State/Tribal task forces, advocates, survivors/families, and other stakeholders to offer testimony directly to the Commission in order to improve cross-jurisdictional communications, increase access to resources, and address other issues related to the MMIP and HT crises.
Please join the next Commission hearings—details are above. Additional dates and locations are here.
Registration and Hearing Information:
Commission members will lead the public hearings to address topics specified under the act and listed above. Each hearing will include open-press segments, as well as closed-press segments that provide privacy to participants without media being present. Trauma-informed support will be available onsite with optional follow-up support, as needed. The Commission’s facilitation team will be present to document all oral testimony. Please note that any information provided during the hearings—including oral testimony and written comments—is considered public record, so please protect nonpublic or sensitive information accordingly. Register here if you plan to attend the hearing in person.
Written Testimony and Questions:
Submit written testimony, recommendations, or questions to the Commission at NIAC@ios.doi.gov. Include the following in the subject line: “NIAC Testimony” or “NIAC Question.”

Treasury Dept Stakeholder Briefing on new guidance on elective payments
2023-06-15 11:00, 2023-06-29 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Virtual Event
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released guidance on elective payments (better known as “Direct Pay”) and “transfers of certain credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).”
Treasurer of the United States, Chief Marilynn Malerba, announced that the White House and Department of the Treasury will hold two stakeholder briefings on this new guidance:

Thursday, June 15th at 12:00 PM Eastern Time:
Register
Thursday, June 29th at 3:00 PM Eastern Time:
Register

BIA Tribal Consultation on Data Priorities
2023-06-20 14:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Tuesday, June 20 at 3:00 pm Eastern
Register in advance for the meeting
During the consultation, Indian Affairs and Federal partners will provide a brief summary of the proposed shared goals and actions. They are seeking feedback on the following questions:

Do you agree with the proposed priority goals and actions?
Are there any changes you would make?
Are there additional priorities which we should consider?

This consultation is especially important as we see increased use of supplemental funding bills to meet the needs of Indian Country that depend on some of these data points, and to ensure they improve their data across government in a way that respects Tribal sovereignty and priorities.

Treasury Tribal Consultation on Tax Status of Tribally Chartered Corporations
2023-06-21 13:00, 2023-06-22 13:00 | Virtual Event
June 21 & 22, 2023, 2:00 p.m. ET – Treasury is hosting a Tribal consultation on the tax status of Tribally chartered corporations. Register here for the consultations.
Please see the Dear Tribal Leader Letter for more information, registration link and framing questions.
Treasury is accepting written comments until August 18, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Alaska Time. Please submit written comments to tribal.consult@treasury.gov.

Department of Treasury Consultation on Additional Guidance on Low Income Communities Bonus Credit Program
2023-06-26 12:00 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
June 26 at 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
Register
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Department of Treasury Tribal consultation on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (REG-110412-23) “Additional Guidance on Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program” under Section 48(e) of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Please send questions or comments to tribal.consult@treasury.gov.

BSEE Directors Tribal Roundtable
2023-06-26 13:00 | Virtual Event
Greetings Tribal Leader,
You are invited to participate in a virtual roundtable discussion with Kevin Sligh, the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to discuss our Tribal Engagement Program. Over the past year, BSEE has been working diligently to expand its National Tribal Engagement Program (NTEP). Expansion of the Program includes the hiring of a new Tribal Liaison Officer, a Tribal Coordinator, and additional Regional Tribal Liaisons who will be locally accessible points of contact for the Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Regions, as well as the Eastern Seaboard.
The BSEE has the authority to oversee safety and environmental standards related to offshore energy and mineral exploration, development, and production under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. This authority allows BSEE to regulate energy-related activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, which is seaward of states’ jurisdiction off of the west coast in the Pacific Ocean; off of Alaska in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, the Bering Sea, and Cook Inlet; in the Gulf of Mexico; and off of the East Coast in the Atlantic Ocean.
While the purpose of the Tribal Roundtable is for BSEE to discuss the BSEE National Tribal Engagement Program with interested Tribes, we also intend to use the roundtable to describe some of our key initiatives. We will explain how the BSEE regions and program offices collaborate and plan to work together with Tribes so you will have an expanded voice in Federal actions that may have Tribal implications. BSEE intends to proactively involve Tribes early and often in decisions to ensure meaningful and robust engagements and consultations as we move forward with the expansion of our Tribal Engagement Program nationally.
As part of the discussion, we would like for you to consider these questions:

Does your Tribe have any cultural, historical, and present day needs on or related to the Outer Continental Shelf that you would like to discuss?
Do you have any questions or concerns beyond the topics listed in the proposed agenda that you would like BSEE to include for discussion?
Can you please recommend conferences or meetings that would be appropriate for our Tribal Liaisons to attend that can help us understand your issues or needs?

We are looking forward to hearing from your Tribal Nation regarding any concerns or questions you have about BSEE’s mission and furthering ongoing discussions in the future. If you would like to submit your response to the questions ahead of the Roundtable, please submit them to our Tribal Liaison Officer Jack Lorrigan, jack.lorrigan@bsee.gov.
You are invited to join us for this interactive virtual session on June 26, 2023, beginning at 2:00PM EST.
Please Register in advance for this meeting: https://bseegov.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItcu6vqzstHYOkIPJ9EUSaJiJD3x_4k8I
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Dear Tribal Leader Letter

2023 Annual Regional Tribal Consultations - Region 1
2023-06-27 09:00 - 15:00 | United States
Dear Tribal Leaders:
This year’s HHS Region 1 Tribal Consultation will be held virtually on June 27, 2023 from 10:00am to 4pm EDT. Our session is designed to provide Tribal Leaders with the opportunity to address HHS on how the Department can improve Tribal outreach and coordination and to discuss programmatic and policy issues and concerns.
HHS remains committed to strengthening the government-to-government relationship between the Federal Government and Indian Tribes. Our Tribal Consultation will provide you with opportunities to consult with HHS headquarters leadership on national level issues.
I ask that you RSVP to Paul Jacobsen of your availability as well as any of your staff that you may wish to join. Paul may be reached directly at 617-850-2582 and at paul.jacobsen@hhs.gov. You may also schedule individual one-on-one consultations at this time or in the future.
I look forward to a meaningful discussion, draft agenda soon to follow.
Sincerely,
Everett Handford
USDHHS Region 1
Regional Director
Dear Tribal Leader Letter

NIAC Hearing in Albuquerque
2023-06-29 - 2023-06-30 | United States
The upcoming Not Invisible Act Commission hearing to open to anyone interested in either attending or providing written recommendations to help shape the Commission’s report recommendations on how to resolve the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis to improve intergovernmental coordination, bolster resources, and establish best practices for State/Tribal/Federal law enforcement to help combat this crisis.
The upcoming public hearing information is provided below with contact information for any questions/inquires:

Date: Thursday, June 29 and Friday, June 30, 2023
Time: 9:00 – 5:00 PM MST (both days)
Location: Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Registration Link: https://web.cvent.com/event/4b7d9be5-2646-4c0a-9e72-54cee05fff37/summary
Hearing Topics: Recruitment and retention of Tribal & BIA law enforcement; and Legislative & administrative changes

If you would like to provide written comments to the Commission on any report recommendations or have general questions, please send them to: NIAC@ios.doi.gov

Please contact John_Grandy@ios.doi.gov for any media/press questions.

White House Briefing on SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision
2023-06-30 08:30 - 20:30 | Virtual Event
Join on Friday, June 30th at 9:30am ET for a briefing with Steve Benjamin, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE), Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor, and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision. Please see more event details below and be sure to register.
WHAT: White House Briefing on SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision
WHO: Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, OPE Director Steve Benjamin, Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden
WHEN: TOMORROW, Friday, June 30th at 9:30am ET
WHERE: Register on Zoom
Please note that this briefing will be closed press.

Dept of Homeland Security Tribal Consultation on Tribal Equity
2023-07-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter and Framing Paper
On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Partnership and Engagement (OPE) is honored to invite you to participate in a Nation-to-Nation consultation on Tribal Equity, including how DHS can more equitably deliver outcomes for Tribal Nations through its policies, programs, and activities.
This consultation will be held virtually:
Tribal Equity: The 2024 DHS Equity Action Plan
Date: July 6, 2023 Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern Time
Register at the following link: https://hq-dhs.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItdOutqjoiHQw5JxPAHgapRGyudaT8vTs
Written comments are welcome until the close of business August 7, 2023, via email to tribal.affairs@hq.dhs.gov with the subject line “Tribal Equity.”
The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, Miriam Enriquez, will serve as the Department’s Tribal consultation official and lead this effort. If you have any questions, please contact Laurel Iron Cloud, Senior Advisor and Acting Director for Tribal Affairs or Tricia Swartz, Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs at tribal.affairs@hq.dhs.gov with the subject line “Tribal Equity.”

OED Tribal Consultation on the draft Tribal Environmental Review Improvement Fund (ERIF) Application
2023-07-10 13:00 - 15:30 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Draft Tribal ERIF Application
Consultation Framing Paper
Summary Report from the February 2023 Consultation
July 10 at 2:00 pm – 4:30 PM Eastern
Register
Background
This consultation is a follow up to the consultations the Permitting Council OED hosted in February 2023 on the $5 million the agency is making available to Tribes to enhance Tribal engagement in the permitting review and authorization process for FAST-41 covered projects. The purpose of the February 2023 consultation was to scope the needs Tribes have related to enhancing Tribal engagement in the permitting review and authorization process for FAST-41 covered projects.
The Permitting Council OED believes government-to-government consultation is a critical step in creating a funding opportunity that meets the needs of Tribes.The Permitting Council used the feedback during the February 2023 consultations to draft the Tribal ERIF program, and we are excited to announce the availability of the draft Tribal ERIF application for Tribal review and consideration before the application is finalized.

CDC Rape Prevention and Education Program Tribal Consultation
2023-07-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Event
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) announce an upcoming consultation that will convene leaders from tribal nations, CDC, and ATSDR:
CDC Rape Prevention and Education Program Tribal Consultation
July 12, 2023 2:00–3:30 pm (EDT)
The consultation will occur virtually via Zoom. To register, please use this registration link. The agenda will be available on May 12, 2023 at the CDC Tribal Health website www.cdc.gov/tribal.
This Tribal consultation will provide opportunities for leaders from Tribal nations, CDC, and ATSDR to have a government-to-government discussion to ensure that the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for new funding from the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program is sensitive to the needs and concerns of Tribal communities, and that the funding opportunity is as effective as possible in preventing sexual violence. CDC/ATSDR wants to hear how to best support Tribal nations and Tribal communities on RPE efforts and addressing injury prevention-related health inequities.
Elected Tribal officials are encouraged to submit written Tribal testimony by 5:00 pm (EDT) on July 24, 2023, by email to CDC’s Tribal Support mailbox, tribalsupport@cdc.gov, or by mail at the following address:
Office of Tribal Affairs and Strategic Alliances
Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support
1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Mailstop V18-4
Atlanta, GA 30329-4027
Telephone: (404) 498-0300

USDA Tribal Consultation on Proposed Rule to the Rural Business Development Grant Program
2023-07-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Event
USDA Tribal Consultation on Proposed Rule to the Rural Business Development Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a Tribal consultation and listening session on a proposal to expand eligibility for Tribal Nations under the Rural Business Development Grant Program (RBDG) on July 12, 2023. The proposed USDA changes will expand eligibility definitions under the program to enable more Tribal government-owned entities to qualify for funding. Prior to the consultation, USDA will hold a Tribal caucus and interested participants may register here. The official consultation will be held from 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET, and interested participants may register here.

FEMA Tribal Consultation on Implementation of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act
2023-07-13 08:00 - 17:00
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
August 2 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
via Zoom
Register
Zoom Meeting ID: 161 498 1301
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-254-5252
FEMA will host a virtual Tribal consultation on the implementation of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act enacted on December 20, 2022. Senior leadership from FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) will lead the consultation. GPD provides grants to prepare state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and first responders, as well as non-profit organizations and port and transit system owners/operators, to measurably improve capability and reduce the risks from manmade and natural disasters. Topics of discussion include:

How best to include Tribal Lands in zone designations.
How best to use census data at the census tract level, as required by the law, to include Tribal lands within a state.
Best strategies to communicate designation of Zones.

All consultation materials will eventually be posted on: www.fema.gov/about/tribes/consultations.
Written Comments:
To submit questions in advance of the consultation, please email GPD at FEMA-CDRZ-RFI@fema.dhs.gov or contact a FEMA Regional Tribal Liaison.
To submit comments in response to the August 2nd consultation, please email GPD at FEMA-CDRZ-RFI@fema.dhs.gov or contact a FEMA Regional Tribal Liaison on or before Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Contact information for FEMA Tribal Liaisons is available at www.fema.gov/about/contact.

Treasury Tribal Consultation on Elective Payment of Applicable Credits under the IRA
2023-07-17 12:00 | Virtual Event
July 17, 2023, 1:00 p.m. ET – Treasury is hosting a Tribal consultation on the Elective Payment of Applicable Credits under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, codified as Section 6417 of the Internal Revenue Code (Section 6417). Register here for the consultation.
Please see the Dear Tribal Leader Letter for more information and framing questions.
Treasury is accepting written or electronic comments received by August 18, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Alaska Time. Submit written comments at tribal.consult@treasury.gov

2023 Annual Regional Tribal Consultations - Region 3
2023-07-19 | Virtual Event
Save the Date: July 19
Virtual
Dear Tribal Leader Letter

Small Business Administration Tribal Listening Session on Small Business Development Centers
2023-07-20 14:30 - 15:30
In coordination with the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development Center (NCAIED), the Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced that it will host a Tribal Listening Session on Small Business Development Centers Program regulations. This session will be hosted in-person and virtually by NCAIED on Thursday, July 20, 2023 from 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET. To register for the Listening Session, please click here. For more information regarding the Listening Session, please view SBA’s Federal Register Notice by clicking here.

USDA APHIS Tribal Listening Session: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Biosecurity Compliance Audit Program
2023-07-24 12:00 | Virtual Event
July 24 at 1:00 pm Eastern
Registration link
Web Join link
The Office of National Tribal Liaison (ONTL) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) greatly values its partnerships with Tribal Nations and communities. To keep you abreast of some major APHIS activities, they have hosted several Tribal webinars over the last several months. These webinars are designed to give you a better insight in how APHIS is helping to protect U.S. and Tribal agricultural and natural resources—and citizens—from animal and plant disease and pest threats.
They would like to invite you and members of your staff to attend a listening session:
“Highly Pathogenetic Avian Influenza Biosecurity Compliance Audit Program” – Listening Session, on July 24, 2023, at 1:00 pm EDT.
USDA APHIS is contemplating a rule change to the regulations dealing with highly pathogenic avian influenza (or HPAI) indemnity and compensation and changing the definition of “poultry.” During this listening session, they will be discussing:

The current regulation for HPAI indemnity and compensation
The background and rationale for HPAI biosecurity audits new rule
The current definition of “poultry” according to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The background and rationale for the change in the definition of “poultry”

During this listening session, they would like to encourage feedback on how these changes may directly affect Native American Tribal governments or their members.
They appreciate your ongoing partnership in safeguarding our agriculture and hope you will join them for this event. If you have questions about the webinar, please contact ONTL Program Analyst Denise Salvetti at denise.salvetti@usda.gov or the ONTL Director Terry Clark at terry.w.clark@usda.gov.

NIAC Hearing on Reporting and Collecting Data on MMIP
2023-07-25 - 2023-07-26 | United States
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
July 25-26, 2023
Billings Hotel and Convention Center
1223 Mullowney Lane
Billings, MT 59101
Register here if you plan to attend the hearing in person.
In October 2020, the Not Invisible Act of 2019 was signed into law—to increase coordination in identifying and combating violent crime within Indian lands and against Indians—in response to the longstanding crises of missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).
Pursuant to section 4 of the act, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and I established the Not Invisible Act Commission (Commission), which consists of Federal and non-Federal members. More information on the Commission and its members can be found here. The Commission is required, by October 2023, to submit a final report to Congress, the Attorney General, and me with recommendations on how to improve intergovernmental coordination, bolster resources, and establish best practices for State/Tribal/Federal law enforcement to help combat this epidemic of violence.
To help achieve this requirement of section 4, the Commission is holding national hearings to solicit public testimony at multiple locations to shape its final report recommendations on specific MMIP and HT topics. These hearings will provide a forum for law enforcement, subject-matter experts, organizations, State/Tribal task forces, advocates, survivors/families, and other stakeholders to offer testimony directly to the Commission in order to improve cross-jurisdictional communications, increase access to resources, and address other issues related to the MMIP and HT crises.
Please join the next Commission hearings—details are above. Additional dates and locations are here.
Registration and Hearing Information:
Commission members will lead the public hearings to address topics specified under the act and listed above. Each hearing will include open-press segments, as well as closed-press segments that provide privacy to participants without media being present. Trauma-informed support will be available onsite with optional follow-up support, as needed. The Commission’s facilitation team will be present to document all oral testimony. Please note that any information provided during the hearings—including oral testimony and written comments—is considered public record, so please protect nonpublic or sensitive information accordingly. Register here if you plan to attend the hearing in person.
Written Testimony and Questions:
Submit written testimony, recommendations, or questions to the Commission at NIAC@ios.doi.gov. Include the following in the subject line: “NIAC Testimony” or “NIAC Question.”

White House Initiatives Briefing to Prepare for Student Loan Return to Repayment
2023-07-25 11:00 - 23:00 | Virtual Event
July 25, 2023 12:00 pm Eastern
Register
As student loan borrowers prepare to return to repayment the White House Initiatives will host a briefing with Federal Student Aid to provide information as the payment pause comes to a close.

Ocean Justice Strategy Tribal Consultation
2023-07-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Central
Register

Department of State Tribal Consultation on Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
2023-07-27 13:30 - 15:30 | United States
The Department of State will participate in Tribal consultations on the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act of 2021, Pub. L. 117-258. The STOP Act aims to prevent the international export of cultural items prohibited from trafficking under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).
On April 26, 2023, the Department of the Interior sent a letter to Tribal leaders announcing a Tribal consultation schedule on implementation of the STOP Act. This letter announces that the Department of State will participate in the following STOP Act Tribal consultation sessions organized by the Department of the Interior:

Thursday, July 27 at 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern
Virtual on Zoom
Register
Tuesday, August 9 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Virtual on Zoom
Register
Friday, August 18 at 9:00 am – 12:0 pm Mountain
BLM New Mexico State Office
Amarillo Creek/Canadian Rms.
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508

The Department of State seeks Tribal input on the following questions specifically related to the development of draft regulations for, and implementation of, the STOP Act.
What should the Department of State consider when:

determining the type of engagement to pursue with a foreign government regarding Native American tangible cultural heritage,
determining which foreign governments and institutions to prioritize for engagement on the return of Native American tangible cultural heritage, and
engaging with Tribes, foreign governments, and foreign institutions on the voluntary return of Native American tangible cultural heritage?

The Department of State welcomes your written comments on the above consultation questions by email to tribalconsultation@state.gov by 11:59pm ET on Friday, August 25, 2023.
If you have any questions regarding the Department of State’s Tribal consultation participation, please contact Ashley Fry, Indigenous Affairs Officer with the Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center, via email at FryAD@state.gov.

Department of State Tribal Consultation on Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
2023-07-27 13:30 - 15:30 | United States
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
The Department of Interior will participate in Tribal consultations on the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act of 2021, Pub. L. 117-258. The STOP Act aims to prevent the international export of cultural items prohibited from trafficking under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).
On April 26, 2023, the Department of the Interior sent a letter to Tribal leaders announcing a Tribal consultation schedule on implementation of the STOP Act. This letter announces that the Department of State will participate in the following STOP Act Tribal consultation sessions organized by the Department of the Interior:

Thursday, July 27 at 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern
Virtual on Zoom
Register
Tuesday, August 8 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Virtual on Zoom
Register
Friday, August 18 at 9:00 am – 12:0 pm Mountain
BLM New Mexico State Office
Amarillo Creek/Canadian Rms.
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508

FEMA Consultation on Tribal Mitigation Planning Policy
2023-07-27 14:00 | Virtual Event
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a Dear Tribal Leader Letter announcing a Tribal consultation to update its Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide. This Guide was last updated in 2017 and is also known as the Trial Mitigation Planning Policy. FEMA’s official mitigation policy regulations are found at 44 CFR Part 201 and outline the rules for creating and updating Tribal mitigation plans. This policy assists FEMA officials in reviewing Tribal mitigation plans as well as informs Tribal Nations what the plan must include to receive FEMA approval.
Details regarding this Tribal consultation are as follows—

Date/Time: Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 3:00pm ET
Click Here to Register

To view a Framing Paper for this consultation, please click here. For view FEMA’s Advisory for additional background information on this consultation, please click here. Comments are due by November 30, 2023 and can be sent to fema-tribal@fema.dhs.gov with the email subject title, “Tribal Mitigation Planning Guidance – Written Comments.” Questions should be directed to FEMA Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444, or by email to fema-tribal@fema.dhs.gov.
For more information, please contact Brian Howard, USET SPF Senior Policy Analyst, at bhoward@usetinc.org.

IHS Tribal Consultation on Health IT Modernization
2023-08-02 12:30 - 14:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
As part of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Health Information Technology (IT) Modernization Program, you are invited to join a series of four Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer(TC/UC) sessions in calendar year 2023 on Health IT Modernization.
These are important and timely meetings for IHS to ask questions and get your feedback. During the first event, Preparing for Change, scheduled for March 8, the IHS will provide an overview of milestones and accomplishments of the Health IT Modernization Program and seek your feedback on change readiness, what the IHS could be doing to support organizations and individuals, and what facilities can be doing to prepare for an electronic health record modernization.
Attendees can register for the sessions in advance through the links below. After registering, attendees will receive an e-mail with a link to the web conference and audio call-in numbers. Please register and join these sessions.
For added convenience, the registration links below will be posted on the IHS Event Calendar. In addition, timely reminders for upcoming TC/UC events will be sent out by e-mail from IHS Area Offices and posted on the new IHS Updates web page.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
Registration link
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
Registration link
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
Registration link
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
Registration link

WRITTEN COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Please send your comments and
recommendations on Health IT Modernization within 30 days following each session.
By E-MAIL to consultation@ihs.gov or urbanconfer@ihs.gov — SUBJECT LINE: Health IT
Modernization.
If you have questions, please contact Mr. Mitchell Thornbrugh, Chief Information Officer, IHS,
by telephone at (240) 620-3117, or by e-mail at mitchell.thornbrugh@ihs.gov.

DOI Tribal Consultation on Indian Arts and Crafts Board
2023-08-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
August 2 at 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
virtual – Register
The Department of the Interior seeks Tribal and Indian artist input on draft revisions to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. The draft revisions seek to modernize the Indian Arts and Crafts Act’s regulations, which are implemented by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (Board). Please consider joining one of the consultation opportunities below.
Feedback can be sent via email to consultation@bia.gov until September 1, 2023.

FEMA Virtual Tribal Consultation on Community Disaster Resilience Zones
2023-08-02 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
August 2 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
FEMA Advisory CDRZ
FEMA will host a virtual tribal consultation on the implementation of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act enacted on December 20, 2022. Senior leadership from FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) will lead the consultation. GPD provides grants to prepare state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and first responders, as well as non-profit organizations and port and transit system owners/operators, to measurably improve capability and reduce the risks from manmade and natural disasters. Topics of discussion include:

How best to include Tribal Lands in zone designations.
How best to use census data at the census tract level, as required by the law, to include tribal lands within a state.
Best strategies to communicate designation of Zones.

Participation:
The virtual tribal consultation will be hosted on the Zoom for Government platform.

Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Time: 3 – 5 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
Register to attend
Zoom Meeting ID: 161 498 1301
Passcode: [REDACTED]

All consultation materials will eventually be posted on: www.fema.gov/about/tribes/consultations.
Written Comments:
To submit questions in advance of the consultation, please email GPD at FEMA-CDRZ-RFI@fema.dhs.gov or contact a FEMA Regional Tribal Liaison.
To submit comments in response to the August 2nd consultation, please email GPD at FEMA-CDRZ-RFI@fema.dhs.gov or contact a FEMA Regional Tribal Liaison on or before Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Contact information for FEMA Tribal Liaisons is available at www.fema.gov/about/contact.

DOI, HHS, DOJ Tribal Consultation on ICWA
2023-08-07 14:00 - 16:00
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
August 7 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Virtual
Register
August 11 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Alaska
Hybrid
HHS Region 10 Consultation
Southcentral Foundation
Nuka Learning Center
4085 Tudor Centre Drive
Anchorage, Alaska
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The Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are committed to partnering on a nation-to-nation basis with Tribal Nations to ensure the wellbeing of Tribal children and preservation of Tribal families. In response to requests by Tribal leaders for updates on their collective efforts, they invite you to provide input on the Indian Child Welfare Act and what steps the agencies can take to promote federal protections for Indian children and their parents and caregivers.
The DOI, HHS, and DOJ will conduct two Tribal consultations as listed below and will accept oral and written comments. Additional consultations will be scheduled at a later date.
They are seeking input on the following:

What additional supports would Tribal leaders find helpful to build their Tribal Nation’s capacity to exercise their rights and responsibilities under ICWA?
Are there specific supports you believe the Federal government could provide to help state courts and child welfare agencies meet their obligations under ICWA? In your experience, are there specific aspects or requirements of ICWA where state courts and agencies need to build greater understanding or capacity?
Are there existing State-Tribe collaborative partnerships or processes that you believe have helped support effective implementation of ICWA?

They also welcome your written comments, which should be submitted by email to consultation@bia.gov by 11:59pm ET on Friday, September 15, 2023.
If you have any questions regarding this effort, please contact Meghan Bishop, Policy Specialist to the Assistant Secretary -Indian Affairs, via email at meghan.bishop@bia.gov or 202-208-7163.
