— The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) met today during the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) to advance work on their renewed Declaration of Kinship and Cooperation (“the Declaration”), which was renewed and signed in a ceremony on March 24 of this year. The Declaration is a shared commitment to advancing the rights, well-being, and self-determination of First Peoples across the Canada–United States border.


Building on the momentum of the renewed Declaration, NCAI and AFN leaders met to advance collaboration and Indigenous-led solutions across key commitments. The meeting today focused on Indigenous free trade and border mobility, including the removal of tariffs on Indigenous trade, and the international trade of medicines, cultural, and traditional items related to Indigenous health. Today’s meeting reflects a continued focus on practical actions and collective leadership during a time of evolving political landscapes in both countries.

“Today’s meeting reflects the strength of our renewed kinship and our shared responsibility to act together on behalf of our Nations,” said NCAI President Mark Macarro. “Our Peoples have always maintained connections across these borders, and through this work with the Assembly of First Nations, we are advancing practical, Indigenous-led solutions that protect our rights, support our well-being, and strengthen the future for generations to come.”


“The First Peoples have always maintained relationships that exist and extend well beyond imposed borders,” said AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “We are joining together to make tangible progress that supports our economies, ensures our people can move freely, and ensures our rights are upheld and respected. Our unity and momentum send a clear message to all governments and Nations: we can work together in partnership to advance solutions that benefit everyone.”

The theme of the 25th session of the UNPFII is 

“Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.”

 The AFN and NCAI recognize the importance of youth in all their work and were actively involved in today’s meeting, leading a session on Indigenous mental wellness, addictions and health.

“As young First Peoples of Canada, we are carrying both the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the strength of our Nations,” said Hanna Sewell, citizen of Batchewana First Nation and member of the AFN National Youth Council. “Our Nations are tackling mental wellness by grounding preventative solutions in our languages, revitalization of traditions, and connections to our sovereign territories. While the world is trying to adapt to the constantly changing geopolitics, young people across the globe are looking for a positive path forward that can benefit us all. We know the solutions that work. Cooperation across colonial borders allows us to share knowledge and build stronger, healthier futures for youth on both sides of the Medicine Line for seven generations to come.”

During the meeting, NCAI and AFN reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation, strengthening advocacy at the international level, and advancing shared priorities through coordinated action. The NCAI and AFN will continue to meet regularly as affirmed in the Declaration. This work reflects a renewed and focused leadership approach rooted in unity, respect, and the enduring kinship among First Peoples.

###

About the National Congress of American Indians:

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of Tribal governments and communities, promoting strong Tribal-federal government-to-government policies and a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people, and rights. For more information, visit www.ncai.org.

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern.

First Nations Leaders from Canada and the United States Demonstrate Unity and Joint Action at UNPFII

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) honors former National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Vice Chair Jeannie Hovland (Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe) for her longstanding service to Tribal Nations and her broad contributions across Indian Country as she ends her federal service. Hovland has built a career grounded in public service, Tribal leadership, and a deep commitment to strengthening Native communities. At the NIGC — where she served in multiple leadership roles and as Vice Chair since January 17, 2021 — she has helped regulate and protect the integrity of more than 500 Tribal gaming facilities operated by over 245 Tribal Nations across 29 states.

Throughout her time in leadership, Hovland championed Tribal sovereignty, supported the long-term strength of Tribal gaming, and helped ensure that the industry continues to serve as an economic engine for Tribal Nations and their citizens. In recent years, her work has also included elevating awareness around urgent community safety issues, including efforts to combat human trafficking and other threats facing Tribal communities. The NIGC has specifically highlighted her advocacy for protecting Tribal sovereignty, developing the next generation of gaming leaders, and securing federal resources to address these issues.

“Jeannie has been a long-time friend and someone I have respected for many years,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. “Her work has never been limited to one lane. She has shown up for Indian Country across many areas — always with professionalism, heart, and a sincere commitment to Indian Country. She understands the responsibility that comes with leadership, and she has carried that responsibility with grace, strength, and consistency. Beyond her diligence and advocacy, I have always appreciated the way she has remained grounded and active in service to Native communities. Her contributions have made a real difference, and we are grateful for all she has done.”

NCAI recognizes that Hovland’s service reflects the kind of leadership that matters deeply in Indian Country: leadership rooted in relationships, accountability, and a clear understanding that the work must always center on supporting Tribal Nations and future generations.

NCAI extends its appreciation to Vice Chair Hovland for her years of service and wishes her continued success in all that lies ahead.

NCAI Honors Former National Indian Gaming Commission Vice Chair Jeannie Hovland

June 14–17, 2026 | Renasant Convention Center

Join us for NCAI's 2026 Mid Year Convention & Marketplace! Work collaboratively with federal partners and Tribal organizations to defend and enhance Tribal sovereignty. 

Tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth, and partners from across Indian Country will gather for daily thematic programming featuring plenary panels and breakout sessions highlighting Tribal civic engagement, pertinent legislation and advocacy updates, and Tribal governance best practices.

Register Now for Mid Year 2026

Tribal Leaders Media Training & Communications Fellowship

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University

Open to Tribal Leaders and Tribal communications professionals, the fellowship provides targeted learning and hands-on practice to increase communication skills and expand media presence to meet their community needs.

Build the skills to amplify your Tribal Nation’s priorities in today’s media landscape.

By the end of this training, participants will know how to:

Create strong narratives, tell compelling stories, and deliver effective messages.

Use their voices and digital tools to advocate for policy change at all levels.

Build and maintain relationships with news outlets and media professionals.


I have never been in a room full of people who look like my cousins, studying communications. I was moved. I felt like I was part of something important and I am a vital piece moving forward.

 Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Arizona State University

 includes lunch and snacks for all program days

Transportation to and from the program site, lodging, and additional meals are not included. A room block is available at the U.S. government rate.

 who understand the unique media landscape of Indian Country

 and storytelling techniques to mobilize your communities & advance policy

 reporters, Tribal leaders, and political strategists on the importance of communications.

 and pitch stories that matter while navigating diverse interview environments.

fellows will receive 50% off their registration fee for NCAI's 83rd Annual Convention & Marketplace

 in October 2026 after successful completion of the program.

Register Now for the 2026 Tribal Leaders Media Training & Communications Fellowship

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) celebrates the achievements of Native women leaders of NCAI and across Indian Country. NCAI was established in response to federal termination and assimilation policies with a mission grounded in protecting treaty rights, defending Tribal sovereignty, and uniting Tribal Nations around shared priorities. In 1944, six women attended NCAI’s first convention, contributing to the organization’s formation and representing their Tribal Nations as they adopted resolutions that reflected this purpose.


“NCAI is strong because Native women continue to lead at every level of this organization,” said NCAI President Mark Macarro. “Every day, the Native women of NCAI demonstrate what leadership looks like in service to Indian Country. We proudly recognize the women whose voices are guiding critical conversations on sovereignty, governance, community well-being, and the future of our Nations. Their service reflects the strength, wisdom, and responsibility that Native women have always carried in Tribal leadership.”


From the very beginning of NCAI’s history, women have served critical roles in advancing that work. NCAI’s earliest leadership included Ruth Muskrat Bronson (Cherokee), who served as the organization’s first Executive Director, followed by other influential leaders including: Helen Peterson (Oglala Sioux), Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Muscogee), A. Gay Kingman (Cheyenne River Sioux), Rachel Joseph (Lone Pine Paiute), JoAnn K. Chase (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara), and Jacqueline Johnson Pata (Tlingit). Women have also served across NCAI’s Executive Committee, including in NCAI’s highest elected office: Presidents Veronica L. Homer (Mohave), Susan Masten (Yurok), and Fawn Sharp (Quinault Indian Nation). These women, along with the countless others who have served in leadership positions with NCAI, have helped shape policy advocacy, elevate Tribal priorities on a national stage, strengthen organizational capacity, and move Indian Country forward across generations.


When asked about her experience, former NCAI President Susan Masten said, “It was an honor to be one of only three women to serve as President of NCAI, alongside Veronica Homer and Fawn Sharp. Native women bring strength, wisdom, and compassion to our Nations. Our leadership is rooted in culture and guided by our ancestors. During Women’s History Month, I honor the women who came before us and the young women who will carry our Nations forward.”


Today, the women serving on NCAI’s Executive Committee include Recording Secretary Christie Modlin (Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma), Treasurer Ashley Cornforth (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community), Midwest Regional Vice President Wendy Merrill (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), Pacific Regional Vice President Geneva Mojado (Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians), Southeast Regional Vice President Lora Ann Chaisson (United Houma Nation), and Eastern Oklahoma Alternate Vice President Pamela Shaw (Osage Nation). Their service reflects the enduring strength, vision, and commitment that Native women bring to governance, advocacy, and nation-building.


“When we look across Indian Country, we see the lasting impact of women leaders who have built strong institutions, defended Tribal interests, and created pathways for future generations,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. “From the women who helped shape NCAI’s own history to the many women leading Native-serving organizations and Tribal Nations today, their work has advanced policy, protected families, strengthened communities, and helped ensure that our Native voices are heard and represented in every space where decisions are made.”


As NCAI continues its work to protect Tribal sovereignty and uphold nation-to-nation relationships, we honor the women whose leadership has helped define NCAI’s work for more than eight decades. Their contributions are woven into the history of NCAI, the progress of Tribal Nations, and the future of Indian Country.


Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of Tribal governments and communities, promoting strong Tribal-federal government-to-government policies and a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people, and rights. For more information, visit 

NCAI Honors the Women Who Have Helped Shape Indian Country and Strengthen Tribal Sovereignty

— The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) today renewed their shared commitment to unity, cooperation, and mutual support through a Declaration of Kinship and Cooperation among the Indigenous Peoples and Nations of North America. The declaration was signed during the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s Reservation Economic Summit (RES).

The declaration formalizes collaboration between NCAI and AFN to advance the well-being, rights, and priorities of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and First Nations on issues of shared international concern.

“Though borders were imposed upon our homelands, the relationships among our peoples never ceased,” said NCAI President Mark Macarro. “Trade did not end. Traditions endured. Our kinship has remained strong across generations. By renewing this declaration with the Assembly of First Nations, we reaffirm that our voices are strongest when we stand together in mutual respect, solidarity, and collective purpose.”

The renewed declaration reflects the enduring ties among Indigenous Nations across North America and strengthens collaboration on shared priorities, including international advocacy, sovereignty, and engagement with future generations of Indigenous leaders.

“With this agreement, we look forward to working alongside President Macarro today and the NCAI in unity, solidarity and friendship to realize the full potential our First Nations economy in North America,” said AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “Despite the risks we face with Canada-US trade and the growth of extremism around the world, I am optimistic because First Nations on both sides of the Medicine Line are already making so much positive change. Unlike colonial governments, our leaders are showing it is still possible to tackle difficult cross-border discussions and shine a light on solutions. United, we can do anything we put our minds to.”

Leaders noted that RES provided an important space to publicly advance this renewed commitment. International convenings like RES create opportunities for Indigenous leaders to strengthen relationships, align priorities, and build momentum for cooperative action across Nations and across borders.

NCAI and AFN emphasized a shared belief that Indigenous youth must remain central to this work, ensuring that future generations inherit strong relationships, strong institutions, and strong pathways for collaboration.

“We are grateful to NCAIED and RES for creating the space for this important moment,” said Macarro. “This renewed declaration is a sacred affirmation that we are, and have always been, relatives — yesterday, today, and forever.”

NCAI and Assembly of First Nations Renew Declaration of Kinship and Cooperation at Reservation Economic Summit

 | As tensions rise across the United States, especially in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the number of incidents where Tribal citizens are being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is increasing.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is deeply troubled by these and other incidents and encourages Tribal citizens to ensure they are familiar with their rights both as citizens of their Tribal Nations and as citizens of the United States.

The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has compiled 

Resources for Individuals and Nonprofits Approached by ICE

. This document includes information about Tribal citizen rights if approached at home, work, or in public.

NCAI encourages all Tribal citizens to carry at least one form of legal identification (e.g., non-expired Tribal or state ID, passport, or birth certificate). It is particularly important to note that federal law enforcement may not be familiar with Tribal IDs. If an ICE agent does not accept your Tribal ID as identification, NARF recommends that you request to speak to their supervisor. Native Americans who believe their rights have been violated can call NARF at 303-447-8760.

NCAI stands with Tribal Nations and their citizens across the United States impacted by recent ICE actions and enforcement activity. We will remain unified in supporting Tribes with accurate information, rights-based education, and coordinating resources to protect our communities and Native people.

About the National Congress of American Indians: 

Knowing Your Rights as Citizens of Tribal Nations and the United States

 | Yesterday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released the much-anticipated 

 modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), a regulatory framework that features landmark provisions designed to incentivize increased access to capital and credit for tribal governments, communities, and citizens.

Leading up to the release of the Final Rule, NCAI, the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA), and our partners had closely engaged the OCC and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for more than two years about how best to modernize the CRA so that it serves the unique challenges and needs of Indian Country. The CRA Final Rule – which the OCC explains “makes capital more accessible in Indian Country and rural and distressed areas” – addresses several major priorities outlined in NCAI’s April 2020 

 on the OCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, notably:

specific measures aimed at spurring investments in tribal public safety, housing, education, healthcare, and communications infrastructure, as well as other community and economic development projects on tribal lands;

providing banks with CRA credit for serving tribal communities even when Indian Country falls outside their CRA assessment areas; and

creating CRA scoring incentives for banks that choose to do business in Indian Country.

“We are both relieved and excited to see that the final rule governing the Community Reinvestment Act retains the landmark provisions for Indian Country that NCAI, NAFOA, and its partners fought so hard to get included,” said Kevin J. Allis, Chief Executive Officer of the National Congress of American Indians. “As we turn to implementing this new rule, NCAI plans to work closely with our Indian Country and federal partners to ensure that the CRA fully achieves its intended benefits for tribal nations and communities.”

For more information about the Final Rule, check out 

The CRA was signed into law in 1977 to encourage depository institutions to help serve the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, in particular low- and moderate-income areas and populations. The Act also sought to deter discriminatory credit and lending practices against those populations, a practice commonly known as “redlining.” With many Indian reservations located in the poorest regions of the country, and with a significant portion of the Native population considered to have low or moderate incomes, on paper the CRA should have discernably enhanced the ability of Native people to access capital and credit through CRA-qualifying financial institutions. However, as the CDFI Fund’s landmark 2016 “

Access to Capital and Credit in Native Communities

” report noted, while the CRA “was not intended to exclude Native Communities living on tribal lands...in practice it often does,” and banks under the Act’s current regulations can easily satisfy CRA requirements “without working with a Native Community located on Native lands (communities which otherwise meet CRA criteria)” if they so choose. The modernized regulations feature several measures to address these issues.

Final Rule for Community Reinvestment Act Features Landmark Provisions to Increase Access to Capital and Credit for Indian Country

 in 11 additional states (AZ*, CO, IN, IA, LA, NE, NV, NM*, NY*, RI, and WY) and Puerto Rico, including dropping census invitation packets at the front doors of rural households and households that don't normally receive mail at home (known as the Update/Leave operation). As a reminder, on May 6, 2020, the Census Bureau resumed the hand delivery of census packets in AK, AL, AR, ID, ME, MS, MT, ND, OK, TN, UT, VT, and WV. On May 13, the Census Bureau resumed operations in an additional 54 Area Census Offices across FL, GA, KS, KY, MO, NC, OR, PA, and WA.'

Census Bureau Resumes Update/ Leave Operation in Some States

U.S. Departments of Treasury and Interior Release Update on Distribution of Coronavirus Relief Fund Funding and Formula

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of the Interior issued a 

 regarding the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars with updates on set-aside funding for tribal governments as follows:

“The Secretaries will:

Distribute 60 percent of the $8 billion to Tribes based on population data used in the distribution of the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG), subject to a floor of $100,000. This data is based on U.S. Census figures and is already familiar to Tribal governments.

Distribute the remaining 40 percent of the $8 billion based on the total number of persons employed by the Indian Tribe and any tribally-owned entity, and further data to be collected related to the amount of higher expenses faced by the tribe in the fight against COVID-19.

Payment to Tribes will begin today based on the population allocation, and will take place over several banking days. Amounts calculated for Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act regional and village corporations will be held back until pending litigation relating to their eligibility is resolved.

Payments to Tribes based on employment and expenditure data will be made at a later date. Treasury will work with Tribes to confirm employment numbers and seek additional information regarding higher expenses due to the public health emergency.”

“Treasury notes that the pending litigation has introduced additional uncertainty into the process of implementing the allocation and making payments to the Tribes, but Treasury is endeavoring to make payments of the remaining amounts as promptly as possible consistent with the Department’s obligation to ensure that allocations are made in a fair and appropriate manner.”

Also today, the Treasury Department posted a document regarding its Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) methodology titled “Allocations to Tribal Governments.” The document can be found 

.

Further, on May 4, 2020, the Treasury Department updated its Frequently Asked Questions on use of CRF funds 

.

If you have questions about the CRF, please contact Fatima Abbas, NCAI Director of Policy and Legislative Counsel, at 

Collectively our ten organizations are leading conveners for business leaders in championship for diverse communities: Pan-Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, women, LGBTQ, Native Americans, persons with disabilities and employees of all and no faiths. We redouble on our mission of promoting inclusion and stand together in collaboration to address the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While low-wage earners are particularly vulnerable during this public health and economic crisis, the coronavirus outbreak has also claimed disproportionate numbers of lives in communities of color and has given rise to a surge of anti-Asian sentiment. We call on our members, partners and associates to join us along with the growing list of Supporting Companies in affirming the following 5-Point Action Agenda:

Promote Inclusion: Advocate for a diverse and inclusive workplace and society

Raise Awareness: Highlight the unique impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups

Denounce Bias: Encourage individuals to report virus-linked discriminatory acts against Pan-Asians and other targeted groups and communities in the workplace and in public

Support Communities: Contribute time, knowledge and / or other resources to aid frontline workers, COVID-19 victims and families

Give Donations: Provide funds and / or other resources to support vulnerable populations of people and impacted businesses

Finding sustainable solutions to the current public health, social and economic challenges is a global imperative. Discrimination targeted at Pan-Asians in forms of shunning, harassment and assaults impedes our ability to stem the spread of the pandemic. About 20% of U.S. healthcare workers are immigrants; 17% of doctors in the U.S. are of Asian descent, while people of all backgrounds work to save lives on the frontline. Discriminatory threats against any first responders also put at risk the patients they serve and delay finding a cure for the disease. Pan-Asians and our diverse communities are an integral part of the solutions to this global crisis.

Heeding historical precedents for scapegoating marginalized groups for diseases and economic instability, our organizations are working together to combat anti-Asian stigma and all forms of bias based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation and veteran status. We will continue to advance best practices to safeguard protections for Pan-Asians and other marginalized employee segments. These efforts also include working with key coalitions such as CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion to advance awareness and education of bias at the highest levels of the business community.

We recognize the fight against the current pandemic requires a whole-of-society approach. We urge supporters to engage in our programming, share widely our 5-Point Action Agenda and resource materials. Post-COVID-19 recovery will require the collective networks, capacities, knowledge and skills of our organizations. Almost 200 years ago, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that the success of America’s experiment is our exceptional belief in the "common good." We are all in this together; now more than ever, we need to ascend to the challenges before us and rebuild a whole post-crisis world. Together, our organizations and Supporting Companies will act to catalyze progress for our resilient future.

National Association of Black Accountants (NABA, Inc.)

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

100+ Corporations & Partner Organizations Support COVID-19 Action Agenda

 - The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) applaud the decision by the U.S. Census Bureau to request statutory authority from Congress to extend 2020 Census operations by 120 days.

The U.S. Census Bureau has requested that field data collection and self-response for the 2020 Census be extended until October 31, 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has already resulted in a suspension of all census field operations. The Bureau further requested that apportionment counts be delivered to the President by April 30, 2021 and redistricting data be delivered to the states by July 31, 2021.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s in-person field operations are critical to getting a complete count of rural Indian Country and urban American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Although millions of Americans can respond to the census questionnaire through the Internet, by phone, or by mail, those options are largely unavailable to AIANs. Most AI/AN tribal areas and reservations are located in geographically isolated areas that lack access to broadband and reliable cellular coverage. AIANs living on reservations or in rural areas typically lack street addresses which prevents them from receiving census materials by mail. These barriers and others, such as language and illiteracy, are why the U.S. Census Bureau has designated many households in tribal areas to receive their 2020 Census questionnaire directly from Bureau staff visting their communities.

The impact of the U.S. Census Bureau’s suspension of field operations on Indian Country is profound. While the national response self-response rate is over 48 percent, the self-response rates in many tribal areas that depend on in-person enumeration are in the low single-digits

Fort Apache Reservation (Arizona) - self-response rate of 1.7 percent;

Crow Reservation (Montana) - self-response rate of 2.3 percent;

Pine Ridge Reservation (South Dakota) - self-response rate of 2.9 percent;

Acoma Pueblo (New Mexico) - self-response rate of 3.7 percent;

Pala Reservation (California) - self-response rate of 4.4 percent; and

Turtle Mountain Reservation (North Dakota) - self-response rate of 4.9 percent.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on efforts to get a complete count in Indian Country,” said Natalie Landreth, Senior Staff Attorney at NARF. “Native Americans living on tribal lands had an undercount of at least 4.9 percent in 2010, the highest of any population group. If Bureau staff and their national and tribal partners do not have sufficient time to complete the count of urban Natives and those living on reservations, entire tribal nations could virtually disappear. That will cost tribes and the State and local communities where they are located billions of dollars in lost federal funding, and deprive AI/ANs of their constitutional right to vote.”

“Following safety guidelines in the wake of COVID-19 and having a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census should not be mutually exclusive. We call on Congress to ensure tribal nations are not forgotten nor left behind,” said NCAI CEO Kevin Allis. “The data collected from the 2020 Census will inform the formulas used to determine funding and political representation that will be crucial to tribal communities moving forward as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. For too long, Indian Country has been undercounted, underfunded, and underrepresented. We hope that this extension will allow enough time for field operations to resume and safely provide the in-person enumeration that is essential to a full and accurate count of AI/ANs in this country.”

NCAI and NARF encourage Members of Congress to work with the U.S. Census Bureau and provide the Bureau with the legal authority to extend 2020 Census Operations by 120 days. In a time of crisis, we must all unite to ensure that all Americans, including AIANs, are counted.

Founded in 1970, NARF is the oldest and largest non-profit dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and individual Indians nationwide. For the past 48 years, NARF has represented over 275 Tribes in 31 states in such areas as tribal jurisdiction, federal recognition, land claims, hunting and fishing rights, religious liberties, and voting rights. For more information, visit 

NCAI and NARF Joint Statement on Recent Census Announcement and Call for Congress to Extend Census Operations

 As national civil rights organizations, we know that everyone must be equitably included in the protections and support provided by the CARES Act if we are to slow the spread of coronavirus in our communities and revive our economy. Now more than ever, our fates are tied together. Unfortunately, the CARES Act passed one week ago fails to meet a simple moral test - that we protect the most vulnerable among us. In the United States, the most vulnerable disproportionately includes communities of color, yet this legislation fails to adequately safeguard communities of color. We are deeply disappointed and urge Congress and states to remedy this mistake in the next rounds of COVID-19 legislation.

The CARES Act passed by Congress fails to meet this test in part because it largely excludes immigrant and mixed-status families, including their U.S. citizen children, from Unemployment Insurance and direct stimulus payments. We believe that all workers must be eligible for rebates, including those who pay federal taxes with ITIN numbers provided by the IRS. We all have a stake in making sure immigrant workers who are on the front lines of producing and distributing food and caring for the sick, elderly, and disabled are able to stay safe.

We applaud the progress that was made last week to refocus the CARES Act on hospitals and working people, but our work is not finished until everyone is included. So we ask Congress to do the right and wise thing by enacting additional legislation to include all families, including those that happen to include an immigrant.

####

Advancement Project, National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith in Action, NAACP, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, Race Forward, and Unidos US are a collaborative of nine leading national Racial Equity Anchor Organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families and communities have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

Civil Rights and Racial Justice Organizations Lament Absence of Full Inclusion of All People in CARES Act Coverage

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) announced the passage and signing of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This bill includes $10 billion in funding set-asides for tribal nations. Advocates from across Indian Country worked tirelessly to ensure that the bill included these and other resources to enable tribal nations and communities to respond to and recover from the effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

NCAI expresses its sincere gratitude for the tireless efforts of our tribal partners and our Congressional champions on both sides of the aisle for ensuring Indian Country was included in the CARES Act. We look forward to our continued work with the Administration and both chambers of Congress to ensure tribal nations have the resources they need to protect their communities in the face of this pandemic. We would also like to thank all of the healthcare and service workers who are on the frontlines in response to COVID-19, especially those working in tribal clinics and Native communities.

Indian Country has long been greatly underfunded and during this current pandemic our tribal nations are feeling the impact. The resources in the CARES Act are welcome relief, but our work is not done. Now, more than ever, we call on all of our champions in the House, Senate, and Administration to uphold the federal treaty and trust obligations to tribal nations by ensuring legislation and federal policy provides ample resources and flexibility to Indian Country as soon as possible so that all can work to provide for the health, safety, and well-being of our communities.

To learn more about NCAI’s current efforts and the latest news and information around the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit 

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better

understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information, visit 

The National Congress of American Indians Message of Gratitude and Call to Action

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Threatened with Land Disestablishment, Tribal Leaders Step in to Address Ongoing Land Issues and Threats to Sovereignty

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the Secretary of the Interior notified the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe that he has ordered the disestablishment of the Tribe’s reservation, an act that would take Mashpee’s tribal homelands out of trust status. This action is being taken despite Interior’s prior commitment that no such action would be taken until litigation defending the status of the Tribe’s reservation is resolved. This surprise action is a devastating blow to not only the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe but all of Indian Country, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and violates the federal government’s solemn trust responsibility to safeguard tribal nations and their lands.

“The steps being taken right now – in the middle of a nationwide pandemic – to disestablish our reservation and take our land out of trust has created a crisis on top of a crisis. Our land is sacred. It’s where our people receive health services. It’s where our children attend our language immersion school. It’s where we are building houses for our citizens. Taking our land is a direct attack on our culture and our way of living,” said Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell. “We now have no choice but to divert precious resources from COVID-19 to address this unwarranted attack on our sovereignty. This is an unconscionable act that’s ushered in a new termination era, and it is the latest evidence of the erosion of the Department’s willingness to act consistent with its trust duties to protect tribal lands.”

The land within the Mashpee Reservation has been Mashpee Wampanoag land since time immemorial, and was set aside in trust to serve as a permanent homeland for present and future generations of Mashpee citizens. Last week’s misguided decision undermines the Tribe’s ability to continue to self-govern, provide vital programs and services to its citizens, and protect its traditional lands and cultural resources.

Last year, through a strong bipartisan vote, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 375 (companion bill, S. 2808), commonly referred to as the “Clean 

 Fix,” which would have protected Mashpee’s and other tribal nations’ rights to permanent homelands by resolving the damage caused to Indian Country by the Supreme Court’s baseless 2009 opinion in 

 Unfortunately, the Senate has so far failed to consider or take any action on this legislation, which is intended to restore certainty and fairness to all tribal nations in the land-into-trust process. For a decade, Indian Country has advocated that Congress address the 

 problem and that this should be achieved by (1) restoring the Secretary of the Interior’s authority under the Indian Reorganization Act to take land into trust for all federally recognized tribal nations; and (2) reaffirming existing Indian trust lands, which NCAI noted in its 

“Removing the homelands of established communities and villages endangers the very existence of an entire nation of people. This is unacceptable, and such an action during this pandemic is an outrage,” said Kevin J. Allis, CEO of the National Congress of American Indians.

“At a time when tribal governments and their leaders are desperately working to protect the health of their citizens and the economic security of their communities in the face of the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic, they shouldn’t also have to contend with attacks on their tribal homelands from the very trustee that is legally obligated to protect those homelands,” continued Allis. “Just like with the destruction of the sacred sites of the Tohono O’odham along the southern border, that of the Apache and Yavapai peoples at Oak Flat in Arizona, the endangerment of Bears Ears and Chaco Canyon, and the inability of our Native brothers and sisters in Alaska to take land into trust, this latest action illuminates a disturbing pattern: the federal government and this Administration’s brazen assault on the right and ability of all tribal nations to sustain their cultures, identities, and ways of life through deep and abiding connections to their time-honored places.”

“The action by this Administration in rendering such a decision is dishonorable and reprehensible on its face, but to do so when we are fighting a national pandemic is shameful. If there was any question before, it is clear that we are experiencing a crisis in Indian Country at this moment,” said President Kirk Francis of USET’s Sovereignty Protection Fund. “We must all come together, stand up, and fight to protect our inherent sovereign rights to and authorities on our own lands. Congress has had more than a decade to do the right thing. Baseless and nefarious challenges to our sovereign right to restore and rebuild our tribal nations, after decades and centuries of unjust actions that robbed of us of our lands and natural resources as the United States pursued its growth and expansion through a rationalization of manifest destiny, must come to an end. It is time that the United States Congress finally does the honorable thing and pass a clean 

NCAI and the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund exist to strengthen and support tribal sovereignty for tribal nations such as the Mashpee Wampanoag and the 574 federally recognized tribal nations in the United States. We call upon our champions in the United States Senate to advance the passage of H.R. 375/S. 2808 with all due haste. Its passage would represent a monumental victory for Indian Country, as tribal land bases are integral to tribal sovereignty and economic opportunity.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, also known as the People of the First Light, has inhabited present day Massachusetts for more than 12,000 years. After an arduous process lasting more than three decades, the Mashpee Wampanoag were re-acknowledged as a federally recognized tribe in 2007. In 2015, the federal government declared 150 acres of land in Mashpee and 170 acres of land in Taunton as the Tribe’s initial reservation, on which the Tribe can exercise its full tribal sovereignty rights. The Mashpee tribe currently has approximately 2,700 enrolled citizens.

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information, visit

About the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF):

Established in 2014, the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization advocating on behalf of thirty (30) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET SPF is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and advancing the inherent sovereign rights and authorities of Tribal Nations and in assisting its membership in dealing effectively with public policy issues.

This afternoon, President Trump issued an emergency declaration in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. NCAI is currently engaging key Administration officials to ensure that vital federal programs and funding continue to support the needs of Indian Country.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is receiving a lot of questions from tribal nations and others about the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and requests for help with finding credible, factual information. NCAI has created a webpage featuring links to resources on COVID-19 from known and reliable sources.

http://www.ncai.org/initiatives/partnerships-initiatives/resources-for-indian-country-coronavirus

NCAI also recommends caution when viewing information on social media unless it comes from trusted sources. Most of the resources on our webpage use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) webpage to develop their information.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Thank you for all you are doing for our communities during this difficult time. We plan to send regular updates on this topic to ensure you have the latest information.

NCAI Update and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Webpage

The Protect ICWA Campaign Urges Federal Appeals Court to Affirm ICWA’s Constitutionality Following Oral Arguments in Brackeen v. Bernhardt

(NEW ORLEANS, January 22, 2020)—Following today’s United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals oral arguments in the 

 case, the Protect ICWA Campaign, consisting of the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the National Congress of American Indians, the Association on American Indian Affairs, and the Native American Rights Fund, issued the following statements:

“We look forward to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision,” said Sarah Kastelic, Executive Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. “We are confident the Fifth Circuit will affirm ICWA’s strong constitutional grounding. ICWA protects children in state child welfare systems and helps them remain connected to their families, cultures, and communities.”

“NCAI applauds the strong advocacy of the intervening tribes and the federal government, as Indian Country’s trustee, in defending the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act before the entire Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals this morning,” said Kevin Allis, NCAI Chief Executive Officer. “We pray for relief that upholds ICWA in its entirety and continues to protect the best interests of Indian children and families.”

"There has been an overwhelming amount of resources coming forward to support the Indian Child Welfare Act. We should be spending our resources protecting Indian children and not fighting interest groups that seek to dismantle the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Tribes. The Fifth Circuit will be on the right side of history protecting Indian children, and by doing so strengthening the child welfare system for all children," said Shannon Keller O’Loughlin, Executive Director and Attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs.

“We are confident the full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will again confirm the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act,” said John Echohawk, Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund. “We will always stand with our children, families, and Tribes against any and all efforts to diminish our communities, well-being, and sovereignty.”

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a 41-year-old federal law protecting the well-being and best interests of Indian children and families by upholding family integrity and stability and keeping Indian children connected to their community and culture. ICWA also reaffirms the inherent rights of tribal nations to be involved in child welfare matters involving their citizens.

The law protects the best interests of American Indian and Alaska Native children by requiring agencies and courts take into account not just the immediate needs of Indian children, but also their long-term interests as they grow and move into adulthood.

A nationwide coalition of 495 tribal nations, more than 60 Native organizations, 26 states and the District of Columbia, 77 members of Congress, 31 leading child welfare organizations, and Indian and constitutional law professors agree ICWA is vital to the well-being of Indian children and the stability and integrity of Indian families today.

full text of the Indian Child Welfare Act

The following briefs were filed at the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Fifth Circuit in 

486 Tribes and 59 Indian Organizations Brief

Casey Family Programs and Child Welfare Organizations Brief

Administrative Law and Constitution Law Professors Brief

Native American Women, Indian Tribes, and Organizations Brief

The Protect ICWA Campaign (the Campaign) was established by four national Native organizations: the 

National Indian Child Welfare Association

. Together, the Campaign works to serve and support Native children, youth, and families through upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Campaign works to inform policy, legal, and communications strategies with the mission to uphold and protect ICWA.

The Protect ICWA Campaign Urges Federal Appeals Court to Affirm ICWA’s Constitutionality Following Oral Arguments in Brackeen v. Bernhardt

(NEW ORLEANS, January 21, 2020) — On Wednesday, January 22, the full United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (Fifth Circuit) will rehear Brackeen v. Bernhardt, a case challenging the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and the Protect ICWA Campaign and its coalition partners will be there, on behalf of Indian Country, to show support for the 41-year-old law that protects the best interests of Indian children and families.

In 2018, a federal district court in Texas, in a widely criticized decision, held that ICWA violates the U.S. Constitution. Last year, in response to appeals brought by the federal government and the intervening tribal nations at that time (the Cherokee Nation, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Oneida Nation, Quinault Indian Nation, and the Navajo Nation), a three-judge panel from the Fifth Circuit reversed that decision, reaffirming the constitutionality of ICWA. In an en banc review, complex cases of broad legal significance are reconsidered by the entire court, and not just a three-judge panel. For the Brackeen v. Bernhardt case, the decision reached by the en banc review panel will replace the three-judge panel decision from August 2019.

“We are proud to be part of a broad bipartisan coalition supporting the Indian Child Welfare Act,” said the Protect ICWA Campaign, noting that the pro-ICWA coalition has helped garner support from 495 federally recognized tribes, 26 states and the District of Columbia, 77 members of Congress, more than 60 Native organizations, and the nation’s leading experts in child welfare, constitutional law, administrative law, and Indian law. “We are confident that the hearing before the full panel of judges signifies the Court’s recognition of how careful Congress was to craft ICWA as a model of cooperative federalism, and how important ICWA is every day in helping achieve the best interests of Indian children and families.”

Principals from the Protect ICWA Campaign will be available for interviews following the hearing, including leadership and representatives from the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA), and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). To schedule interviews, please contact NICWA Strategic Communications Manager Amory Zschach at 

Sarah Kastelic, NICWA executive director
Kevin Allis, NCAI chief executive officer
Derrick Beetso, NCAI general counsel
Shannon Keller O’Loughlin, AAIA executive director and attorney
Erin C. Dougherty Lynch, NARF senior staff attorney
Dan Lewerenz, NARF staff attorney

Wednesday, January 22. Court convenes at 9:00 a.m. Central Time.

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
John Minor Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals Building
600 Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130

amicus brief submitted by the leading child welfare experts



Protect ICWA Campaign
The Protect ICWA Campaign (the Campaign) was established by four national Native organizations: the 

Protect ICWA Campaign Partners to Attend Fifth Circuit Court’s Brackeen v. Bernhardt Rehearing

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) applauds President Trump’s signing of the recent bills that help advance the preservation of culture, rights, and sovereignty for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Most notable of the three bills is the passage and signing of the National Defense Authorization Act that granted federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, making the Tribe the 574th federally recognized tribal nation in the United States. “Signing these bills into law, the President affirmatively acknowledges the existing government-to-government relationship between the United States and tribal nations, and the responsibility Congress and the Administration both have in ensuring the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the county are improved,” said NCAI’s CEO Kevin Allis. “We only ask for what has been promised to us in Indian Country, through treaties and past legislation, and the President’s actions recognize the debt owed to the first peoples of this country,” Allis states.

It is important to understand that the term “Indian Country” is leveraged broadly as a general description of Native spaces and places within the United States, and it is inclusive of the hundreds of tribal nations that occupy these spaces. The term is used with positive sentiment within Native communities, by Native-focused organizations such as NCAI, and news organizations such as Indian Country Today. In law, the term Indian country (lower case “c”) is found in several areas of the United States Code, and is also an official legal term referenced in many Supreme Court opinions, collectively articulating the meaning as it pertains to federal law relating to American Indian land and people.

When used appropriately, Indian Country takes on a powerful meaning, legally and symbolically, for all tribal nations. Indian Country is wherever American Indian spirit, pride, and community are found. It resides not only in law books, legislation, and historical treatises, but also on ancestral homelands, within our homes, and in the hearts of American Indian and Alaska Native people everywhere.

NCAI Response to Usage of the Term, "Indian Country"

(PORTLAND, Ore. December 13, 2019) — Today, 486 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and 59 Native organizations 

 to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals defending the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) as part of the Court’s en banc proceedings.

The Protect ICWA Campaign strongly supports this effort to defend ICWA, which was joined by 26 States and 77 members of Congress, and other partners who know how critical ICWA is in achieving the best interest of Indian children and families in state child welfare proceedings.

The briefs were filed in Brackeen v. Bernhardt, the federal lawsuit in which three states and a handful of individual plaintiffs have challenged the constitutionality of ICWA. Earlier this year, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit affirmed that ICWA is constitutional. However, following a recent order by the Fifth Circuit, the full en banc court is currently considering this case with oral arguments scheduled in late January 2020.

"We're pleased, once again, at the overwhelming expression of support for the Indian Child Welfare Act," said Sarah Kastelic, Executive Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. "It's no surprise that tribal governments, states, members of Congress, and child welfare experts alike support important protections of ICWA that ensure considerations necessary to determine the best interest of each Indian child."

“The National Congress of American Indians, the oldest and largest organization made up of tribal nations, stands alongside Native children and families today, to educate the Fifth Circuit about the critical protections the Indian Child Welfare Act provides to our communities and the importance of honoring tribal authority to make determinations concerning our Indian children and our Indian families,” said Kevin J. Allis, Chief Executive Officer of the National Congress of American Indians.

“The overwhelming support from Indian Country, states, child welfare organizations, and others is evidence of how ICWA works to protect the Indian child and family, as the gold standard in child welfare,” said Shannon Keller O'Loughlin, Executive Director and Attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs. “The interests that seek to overturn ICWA are those interests that make money in the adoption industry. We will continue to fight to protect our children and give them every opportunity to live healthy and strong.”

"I am happy but not surprised by the number of signatories that joined on this brief—Indian country stands as one in support of the Indian Child Welfare Act,” said John Echohawk, Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund. “Support for ICWA is strong and consistent across tribes as well as organizations and individuals who work on child welfare issues. It is known as an essential protection that promotes our children's well-being. Well-being that historically has been neglected and ignored."

https://www.narf.org/nill/documents/20191213brackeen-tribe-amicus.pdf

Protect ICWA Campaign Applauds Legal Filing by Large Coalition of Tribal Nations and Native Organizations Defending the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

NCAI Video: Change The Mascot

(PORTLAND, Ore. November 7, 2019) — Today, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted rehearing en banc in the case Brackeen v. Bernhardt. The Protect ICWA Campaign, consisting of the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the National Congress of American Indians, the Association on American Indian Affairs, and the Native American Rights Fund, issued the following statement in response:

“This summer, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and we remain confident that upon rehearing en banc the full court will do the same.

For centuries, the United States Congress, Executive Branch, and Supreme Court have affirmed the unique political status of tribal nations and Native people. ICWA was enacted with that unique political status in mind and applies only to tribal nations that share a government-to-government relationship with the United States and to Indian children and families who share in that relationship. We are confident the Fifth Circuit will affirm ICWA’s strong constitutional grounding.

In addition, for more than 150 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that this federal authority to legislate with regard to tribal nations and native people is not limited by reservation borders but extends to wherever Indians may live. When Congress enacted ICWA, it carefully balanced the respective powers of tribes, states, and the federal government to create process that protects Indian children nationwide.

ICWA has long been recognized as best practice in child welfare and it includes broad support in this case from, among others, 21 states, 325 tribal nations, 57 Native organizations, 31 leading child welfare organizations, Indian and constitutional law scholars, and members of Congress.

ICWA is vital for protecting the well-being of Indian children across the United States today and tomorrow. The Protect ICWA Campaign will continue to work with tribal nations, tribal leaders, and allies to ensure a strong Indian Child Welfare Act for future generations of Indian families.”

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to Rehear Brackeen v. Bernhardt

Trump Administration’s Regulation Punishes Immigrant Families for Using Life-Saving Services

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