Department of Defense Listening Session to discuss environmental justice goas and overall implementation approach
2024-06-18 09:00 - 10:30, 2024-06-20 12:00 - 13:30, 2024-06-20 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
DOD EJ Strategy Draft Goals and Approach
The Department of Defense has scheduled three regional virtual listening sessions to discuss DoD’s draft environmental justice (EJ) goals and overall implementation approach, as required under Executive Order (E.O.) 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All. E.O. 14096 requires Federal agencies to engage with the public while developing their EJ Strategic Plans. These listening sessions are designed to gather feedback from federally recognized Tribal Nations on DoD’s draft goals and overall implementation approach.
June 18 at 10:00 am – 11:30 am Eastern (Region East/South/Midwest)
Register
June 20 at 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern (Region Rocky Mountain/Southwest/West)
Register
June 20 at 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern (Region Alask/Pacific Northwest)
Register

HHS Annual Regional Tribal Consultations: Region 1
2024-06-20 | 123 Easy Street, Nashville, TN, 37211, United States
Dear Tribal Leader:
I write to invite you to the 2024 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Annual Regional Tribal Consultations that will be held across the country. The Regional Consultations provide regional forums for Tribes to share their views, concerns, and recommendations with HHS officials on health and human services priorities. We hope the consultations will provide a venue for two-way conversations between Tribal leaders and HHS officials.
As in previous years, Regional Consultations will also include opportunities for Tribes to meet one-on-one with regional leadership. These sessions are intended to provide Tribes with time to discuss their specific health and human service issues with HHS officials. Please contact your Regional Tribal Liaison for further information on signing up for a one-on-one session. The contact information for each of the Regions is listed in an appendix to this letter.
Below are the dates for the 2024 Regional Consultations:
May 1-3: Region 10 (Hybrid)
Silver Reef Hotel Casino Resort
4876 Haxton Way
Ferndale, WA 98248
May 14-15: Region 9 (In-person)
University of Nevada – Las Vegas
4505 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89154
May 30: Region 2 (Primarily in-person, hybrid option)
St. Regis Mohawk
Akwesasne Mohawk Resort
873 NY-37, Hogansburg, NY 13655
June 12-13: Region 5 (In-person)
Pending
June 20: Region 1 (Virtual)
ZoomGov
June 25-26: Region 7 (In-person)
Bolling Federal Office Building
601 East 12th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
July 16-17: Region 3 (In-person)
Chickahominy Indian Tribe
8200 Lott Cary Road
Providence Forge, VA 23140
July 29-30: Region 8 (In-person)
Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave. Pkwy
Denver, CO 80204
August 14-15: Region 4 (Primarily in-person, hybrid option)
Eastern Band of Cherokee
Building location TBD
August 20-22: Region 6 (Hybrid)
MetroTech Conference Center
1900 Springlake Dr.
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Additional details are forthcoming, including registration links and agendas, and will be communicated directly through each Region to their area’s respective Tribes, as well as via the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) Tribal Affairs Bi-Weekly Newsletter (please sign up for our listserv here).
Thank you for your continued support of the consultation process. We look forward to your participation and ongoing partnership. In the interim, please contact the IEA Tribal Affairs team at consultation@hhs.gov with any questions.
Respectfully,
Bertha Alisia Guerrero, Director
Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs
Appendix: Regional Tribal Liaison Contact Information

Region 1: Taylor Bryan Turner taylor.bryanturner@hhs.gov
Region 2: Sean Hightower sean.hightower@hhs.gov
Region 3: Melissa Herd melissa.herd@hhs.gov
Region 4: Natalia Cales natalia.cales@hhs.gov
Region 5: Melissa Watt melissa.watt@hhs.gov
Region 6: Julia Lothrop julia.lothrop@hhs.gov
Region 7: Nick Clasen nickolas.clasen@hhs.gov
Region 8: Elsa Ramirez elsa.ramirez@hhs.gov
Region 9: Schuyler Hall schuyler.hall@hhs.gov
Region 10: Priya Helweg priya.helweg@hhs.gov

FDA All Tribes Call on the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water (Agricultural Water Final Rule)
2024-06-24 14:00 | Virtual Event
June 24 at 3:00 pm Eastern
Register
On May 22, 2024, FDA issued a Dear Tribal Leader Letter inviting all federally recognized Tribes to an All Tribes Call on June 24, 2024, at 3:00pm EST. This call will be to discuss the recently released Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water (Agricultural Water Final Rule) issued under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The rule represents an important step towards enhancing the safety of produce, as agricultural water can be a major conduit for pathogens that can contaminate produce.
During the call, FDA will provide an overview of the final rule and address submitted questions from Tribes and take live comments and questions posed by those in attendance.
The final rule replaces certain pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce (other than sprouts) in the 2015 produce safety rule with requirements for systems-based agricultural water assessments to determine and guide appropriate measures to minimize potential risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water. Specifically, this rule:

Establishes requirements for agricultural water assessments that evaluate a variety of factors that are key determinants of contamination risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water; this includes an evaluation of the water system, water use practices, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, potential impacts on water from adjacent and nearby land, and other relevant factors;
Includes testing pre-harvest agricultural water as part of an assessment in certain circumstances;
Requires farms to implement effective mitigation measures within specific timeframes based on findings from their assessments. Hazards related to certain activities associated with adjacent and nearby land uses are subject to expedited mitigation; and
Adds new options for mitigation measures, providing farms with additional flexibility in responding to findings from their pre-harvest agricultural water assessments.

The rule also finalizes the dates for compliance with the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for non-sprout covered produce as follows:

For very small farms: 2 years, 9 months after the effective date of the final rule
For small farms: 1 year, 9 months after the effective date of the final rule
For all other farms: 9 months after the effective date of the final rule

The call is a virtual event. To participate in the call, you must register here. Registration will remain open until the day of the call.
The call will be recorded and posted to the FDA Tribal Affairs webpage.
Additional Information:

FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water

Please feel free to contact me or FDA’s IGA staff at IGA@fda.hhs.gov if you have any questions.

Office of Hearing and Appeals Tribal Consultation
2024-06-25 11:00, 2024-07-01 15:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
June 25 at 11:00 am Central
Join Zoom link
Meeting ID: 161 603 7373
Passcode: [REDACTED]
July 1 at 3:00 pm Central
Join Zoom link
Meeting ID: 161 558 5067
Passcode: [REDACTED]
The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is revising its procedural regulations located in Title 43 of the
Code of Federal Regulations, Part 4. These regulations govern hearings and appeals proceedings before
the Department of the Interior’s administrative tribunals–the Departmental Cases and Hearings Division
(DCHD), the Probate Hearings Division (PHD), the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA), the Interior
Board of Lands Appeals (IBLA), and the OHA Director’s Office.
Your input is requested on these revisions, through which OHA seeks to:

Promote expeditious and impartial review of administrative decisions;
Reflect changes in the law;
Reorganize and retitle subparts to improve clarity;
Eliminate redundant language and outdated procedures; and
Keep pace with technological and other advancements, including the establishment of a
regulatory framework for an E-filing and case docket management system.

If you have any written input you would like to provide, please send it to doiohacomments@oha.doi.gov
by August 2, 2024, to ensure timely consideration.

a DOJ Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation on Telemedicine Regulations
2024-06-27 14:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Framing Paper

June 13 at 3:00 pm Eastern
June 27 at 3:00 pm Eastern

If you are interested in attending one or both virtual consultations, please respond to OTJ@usdoj.gov by June 11, 2024, and include the name(s) and email addresses of your representatives. If you do not have reliable access to email you are welcome to join by phone; please call (202) 514-8835 if you will need to join by phone and be sure to leave a contact name and phone number in your message. Written comments will be welcome.

In response to the two March 2023 NPRMs, DEA received at least six comments from Alaskan Native and American Indian (AN/AI) organizations expressing concerns about the proposed telemedicine regulations. Among their concerns was DEA’s assertion that there would be no direct impact on Tribal communities, which they argued was inaccurate. They contended that despite the telemedicine exception for certain Indian Health Services and Tribal practitioners there would still be a substantial direct effect on Tribal communities given the limited practical and legal scope of the exception under 21 USC 802(54)(C).
Based on the comments received regarding the two NPRMs and presentations at the September 2023 Telemedicine Listening Sessions, DEA requests interested Tribal communities and persons to share concerns and feedback regarding the practice of Telemedicine and its impact on Tribal communities.
DEA, in coordination with the US Department of Justice Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ), will be hosting two virtual consultations.

National Space Council Tribal Consultation
2024-07-08 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-07-08 12:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
July 8 at 10:00 am – 12:00 am Eastern
Register
July 8 at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
Register

White House Virtual Consultation on E.O. 14112 Section 4(a) on Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination
2024-07-08 14:30 - 16:30 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the White House Domestic Policy Council, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) invite you to a virtual consultation with Biden-Harris Administration leadership on Monday, July 8, 2024, from 3:30pm – 5:30pm ET, on Section 4(a) of Executive Order 14112 on Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination.
(a) Within 240 days of the date of this order, the Director of OMB and the Domestic Policy Advisor shall, in consultation with the head of each agency that is a member of WHCNAA, and in consultation with Tribal leaders or their designees, develop guidance for assessing the additional funding each agency needs for its existing Federal funding and support programs for Tribal Nations to better live up to the Federal Government’s trust responsibilities and help address the needs of all Tribal Nations.
The Executive Order (EO) demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s respect for Tribal sovereignty and its commitment to ushering in the next era of Tribal self-determination and embracing our trust responsibility by directing agencies to:

identify chronic shortfalls in Federal funding and support programs for Tribal Nations and;
submit recommendations to the President describing the additional funding and programming necessary to better live up to the Federal Government’s trust responsibilities and help address the needs of all Tribal Nations.

Date: Monday, July 8, 2024
Time: 3:30pm – 5:30pm ET
Registration link
During this consultation, Biden-Harris Administration leadership will seek Tribal leader feedback on important considerations to include as part of the guidance to federal agencies on how to assess funding needs for Tribal Nations. Tribal leaders are invited to provide comments and recommendations during this session and/or provide written comments and recommendations by Friday, August 9, 2024. Please submit written comments via email at whcnaa@bia.gov.
Tribal leaders are welcome to send any questions regarding the consultation to whcnaa@bia.gov.

Department of Homeland Security Tribal Consultation on the Draft DHS Environmental Justice Strategic Plan
2024-07-08 15:00 - 16:30, 2024-07-10 09:30 - 11:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Draft Strategic Plan

July 8, 2024, 4:00 pm-5:30 pm, Eastern Standard Time
Join the meeting now via Teams
Meeting ID: 215 004 995 667
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Phone (audio only): +1 202-516-6093, 725254450#
July 10, 2024, 10:30 am-12:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time
Join the meeting now via Teams
Meeting ID: 283 976 750 330
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Phone (audio only): +1 202-516-6093 ,292227657#

DHS invites you to consult on the draft DHS Environmental Justice Strategy. Two virtual Tribal consultations will be held in July. The purpose of this government-to-government consultation is to gather Tribal Nations’ feedback prior to finalizing the Environmental Justice Strategic Plan.
Please consider the following questions during your review and our virtual consultations:

How can DHS ensure that the final DHS EJ Strategic Plan adequately addresses the specific
environmental justice concerns and priorities of Tribal Nations?
Are there any key elements or strategies missing from the attached draft Plan that should be
included to better support environmental justice initiatives with Tribal Nations?
What steps can we take to enhance the tribal consultation process with Tribal Nations to
continue to garner input on the DHS EJ Program and address Tribal environmental justice
concerns?

If you require a reasonable modification or a disability-related aid or service to participate in the
virtual consultation meetings, please contact the DHS Environmental Justice Program at
DHSEnvironmentalJustice@hq.dhs.gov no later than Monday, July 1, 2024. For free language
services, including written translation or oral interpretation of this document or the draft EJ
Strategic Plan, or to request this document or the draft EJ Strategic Plan in alternate formats such
as Braille or large print, please contact us at crcl@hq.dhs.gov.
For the agenda, draft EJ Strategic Plan, and more information on the DHS Environmental Justice
Program, please visit www.dhs.gov/dhs-and-environmental-justice.
They request that written comments on the draft DHS EJ Strategic Plan be provided via email by
Monday, July 22, 2024, to DHSEnvironmentalJustice@hq.dhs.gov.

U.S. DOJ Tribal EJ Consultation
2024-07-11 13:00 - 15:00 | Hybrid Event, TN
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
June 5 at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
During the NCAI Mid-Year 2024 Annual Conference
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
777 Casino Drive
Cherokee, NC 28719
July 11 at 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
Virtual
Register
Submit your written comments either by email to OTJ@usdoj.gov or by mail to Office of Tribal Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530-0001 by August 16, 2024.

FEMA National Disaster Recovery Framework Tribal Consultations
2024-07-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Framing Paper
NDRF slide deck
July 15 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Register
July 18 at 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern
Register
FEMA will host virtual tribal consultations with Tribal Nations to discuss the update of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (2016), which explains how the federal government supports disaster impacted Tribal Nations as they recover from disasters and provides a framework to support Tribal Nations planning for and leading their own recovery operations. FEMA’s Interagency Coordination Division (ICD) originally began the NDRF version 3 update in 2021 before strategically pausing at the end of 2022 to align with other ongoing recovery priorities. In February 2024, the effort began again, specifically focused on improving the following five issue areas that partners have identified as important areas for updating – recovery scope, roles and responsibilities, capacity and resources, planning, and data metrics.
Tribal Nations can submit their comments and any questions via email with the subject line “NDRF – Written Comments” to fema-tribal@fema.dhs.gov. Feedback and comments are due by August 9, 2024.

DOI Tribal Consultation on the Progress Act
2024-07-15 15:00 - 18:00, 2024-07-17 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-19 14:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-22 12:00 - 15:00
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
The Department of the Interior released its DTLL announcing its proposed rule amending regulations governing implementation of subchapter IV of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) and the Department’s Tribal Self-Governance Program. The PROGRESS Act called for these updates. The Department has submitted the Proposed Rule to the Federal Register. Once the proposed rule is published it can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/indian-affairs-bureau#documents.
The attached letter identifies the Consultation dates and locations as follows:
July 15 at 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm PT – Seattle, WA – In person meeting
Henry M. Jackson Federal Building
North Auditorium
915 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98174
July 17 at 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm CT – Bloomington, MN – In person meeting
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Auditorium
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
3815 American Blvd E, Bloomington, MN 55425
July 19 – Phoenix, AZ – In person meeting
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
National Training Center Classroom
9828 N 31st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051
July 22 – Virtual Zoom Meeting
Register
Written comments must be submitted by August 22, 2024.
****************************************************************
Here is a link to view a plenary discussion that took place during the 2024 Tribal Self-Governance Conference on the PROGRESS Act rulemaking process and the proposed regulations: https://vimeo.com/948087505?share=copy

HHS Annual Regional Tribal Consultations: Region 3
2024-07-16 - 2024-07-17 | 123 Easy Street, Nashville, TN, 37211, United States

UN Consultation on Enhancing the Participation of Indigenous Peoples in Relevant United Nations Meetings on Issues Affecting Them
2024-07-22 14:00 - 17:00
UN Consultation on Enhancing the Participation of Indigenous Peoples in Relevant United Nations Meetings on Issues Affecting Them
The President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, H. E. Dennis Francis, has appointed Co-facilitators and Advisers to conduct consultations on possible further measures necessary to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and institutions in relevant United Nations meetings on issues affecting them, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 78/189. The next consultation is scheduled for July 22, 2024 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm ET. Registration for the in-person consultation will be open in the INDICO system until July 17, 2024. For more information please view the Letter from Co-Facilitators and Advisers to Indigenous Peoples, or view the UN’s website by clicking here.

Department of Education Tribal Consultation on FY25 grantmaking priorities
2024-07-23 13:30 - 16:30 | Virtual Event
July 23 at 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm Eastern
Register
On July 23, 2024, from 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will conduct Tribal Consultation on developing FY 2025 grantmaking priorities for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, the Office of English Language Acquisition, the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the Office of Education Technology. This consultation will advance the Department’s commitment to upholding the federal trust responsibility described in Executive Orders 13175 and 14112.
The consultation will be conducted by the Office of Indian Education and facilitated by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities and other Department of Education officials.

NPS Consultation on Draft Tribal Consultation Policy
2024-07-23 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
July 23 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
July 24 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Register
The NPS is looking forward to receiving feedback from Tribal representatives as to proposed edits/recommendations on how the NPS Tribal Consultation policy will best serve the needs of Indian Country. The draft policy includes the requirements within President Biden’s Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation released at the 2022 Tribal Summit. The draft also covers various divisions within NPS that work closely with Tribal Nations. Our draft policy directs regions to engage in the biennial Tribal meetings with the intention of advancing relationships with Tribal Nations, as well as many other agency requirements.
NPS Draft Tribal Consultation Policy (DOCX, 94KB)

BIA Tribal Listening Session on BIA BIA Data Governance, BIA Open Data, and the BIA Tract Viewer
2024-07-23 15:00, 2024-07-25 13:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
July 23 at 4:00 pm Eastern
Register
July 24 at 2:00 pm Eastern
Register
If you have any written input you would like to provide, please send to consultation@bia.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT, July 30, 2024, to ensure timely consideration.
You are invited to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Listening Session on July 23 and 25, 2024. The Listening Sessions will encompass BIA Data Governance, BIA Open Data, and the BIA Tract Viewer. The BIA Data Governance Team is working to inform policy making, resource distributions, and effective program management in advancing the support of Indian Country data needs. Recently, the BIA developed the BIA Open Data page that contains public Geographic Information System (GIS), GIS data applications, and provides Tribal Open Data in support of the Evidence Act/Open Data Act. The BIA OPEN DATA web page is the primary collaborative data resource offering a level of transparency into the BIA’s data initiatives. The BIA Tract Viewer will provide a publicly accessible view of the most requested data.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)Consultation on Operating the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) in the Territories and Tribal Organizations
2024-07-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
July 29 at 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
The USDA is conducting a tribal consultation and listening session to collect data for a research study about WIC operated by territories and tribal organizations to examine how operations are uniquely different from other WIC state agencies, and to determine how this impacts the program experience. Findings from this research study could inform program or policy adjustments to ensure equitable operations and services for all WIC participants. For more information, view the framing paper and USDA’s website. The registration deadline is this Sunday, July 28.

FEMA Tribal Consultation on the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program
2024-07-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-08-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
Framing Paper
Registration:
The first consultation will be held on July 30 from 2:00-4:00 PM (EST). To register for this tribal consultation please visit this link.
The second consultation will be held on August 1 from 2:00-4:00 PM (EST). To register for this tribal consultation please visit this link.
Registrants will be sent the meeting information with a Zoom link.

Written Comments:
To submit written comments in advance of the meeting, please contact the Technological Hazards Division, Policy Section by email at femathdpolicy@fema.dhs.gov or through the FEMA Regional Tribal Liaisons on or before July 26, 2024 .

Background

The REP Program coordinates the national effort to provide state, local, and tribal governments with relevant and executable planning, training, and exercise guidance and policies necessary to ensure that adequate capabilities exist to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from incidents involving commercial nuclear power facilities. Information on the REP Program is currently found in regulation at 44 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) parts 350-354 and in FEMA’s REP Program Manual.

FEMA is interested in gathering additional feedback from Tribal Nations on:

Improving the program’s regulations, policies, and/or procedures to better address Tribal Nation needs;
Partnering with Tribal Nationals located within the plume exposure pathway (~0-10 miles) and ingestion exposure pathway (~0-50 miles) emergency planning zones;
Specific considerations for tribal lands;
Significant barriers that potential Tribal Nation REP Program participants face in accessing and leveraging Federal resources and how FEMA and other Federal agencies can assist in overcoming those barriers to make the Program more equitable; and
Any REP Program training and/or technical assistance that Tribal Nations are interested in receiving from FEMA.

Attached is the Tribal Leader notification letter and framing paper. An agenda will be available closer to the session at: www.fema.gov/about/tribes/consultations.

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Tribal Consultation on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research
2024-07-31 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
Dear Tribal Leader Letter
July 31 at 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
Register in advance
In addition to or instead of joining the Tribal Consultation above, you may provide written input by August 14, 2024. Please send your written submissions to Tricia Light, Ocean Policy Fellow at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, at Tricia.M.Light@ostp.eop.gov, and identify your submission as “Marine CDR Tribal and Indigenous Input.” If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Light by email or at (202) 881-7242.
