Background
The Consultation Support Center provides the latest information to help tribal leaders engage with the federal government in consultations. Please help NCAI keep this Center as updated as possible by sending new consultation announcements, information, and resources to Ryan Seelau, Senior Researcher, at: rseelau@ncai.org.
The most urgent information related to tribal consultation is presented on this page. Additionally, you can navigate to more information on tribal consultation with these links:
♦ Consultation Announcements/Dates
♦ Consultation Materials by Agency
♦ Consultation Resources/Archives
Tribal Consultations on Agency Consultation Plans of Action
On January 26, 2021 President Biden signed a memorandum titled “Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships” declaring, “It is a priority of my Administration to make respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, commitment to fulfilling Federal trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations, and regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal Nations cornerstones of Federal Indian policy.” The Presidential Memorandum goes on to convey its commitment to fulfilling the consultation requirements of Executive Order 13175, a directive originally issued by President Clinton on November 6, 2000.
President Biden also directs “each agency” to submit “a detailed plan of actions the agency will take to implement the policies and directives of Executive Order 13175.” These plans “shall be developed after consultation by the agency with Tribal Nations and Tribal officials”. All plans are to be submitted to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within 90 days (April 26, 2021).
Key Dates Relating to President Biden's Consultation Memoradum
March 5, 2021
DEADLINE: Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires registration for the March 9 and March 11 consultations by this date. Registration instructions can be located on USDA's Tribal Consultations webpage.
DEADLINE: Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires notice of proxy designation by this date. Proxy designation instructions can be located on USDA's Tribal Consultations webpage.
March 8, 2021:
CONSULTATION (2:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Interior consultation focusing on Great Plains, Midwest, and Rocky Mountain Regions.
DEADLINE: Department of Defense requires all written comments regarding tribal consultation be submitted to DoD_NativeAffairs@keresnm.com by this date.
CAUCUS (11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST): After an introduction from the Department of Agriculture (USDA), this tribal caucus will be hosted by Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
CONSULTATION (2:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Agriculture (USDA) consultation.
March 10, 2021
CONSULTATION (10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST): Department of Interior consultation focusing Eastern, Eastern Oklahoma, and Southern Plains Regions.
CONSULTATION (2:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST): DOI consultation focusing on Navajo, Southwest, and Western Regions.
March 11, 2021
CAUCUS (11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST): After an introduction from the Department of Agriculture (USDA), this tribal caucus will be hosted by Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
CONSULTATION (2:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Agriculture (USDA) consultation.
March 12, 2021
CONSULTATION (2:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Interior consultation focusing on Alaska, Northwest, and Pacific Regions.
March 15, 2021
CONSULTATION (3:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST): Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consultation.
March 17, 2021
CONSULTATION (2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST): Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consultation.
March 19, 2021
DEADLINE: Department of Interior requires all written comments regarding tribal consultation be submitted to consultation@bia.gov by this date.
March 22, 2021
CONSULTATION (10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST): Department of Health and Human Services consultation for Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
CONSULTATION (2:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Health and Human Services consultation for Region 5.
March 23, 2021
CONSULTATION (2:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Health and Human Services consultation for Regions 7 and 8.
March 24, 2021
CONSULTATION (TIME TBA): Department of Transportation consultation.
CONSULTATION (10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST): Department of Health and Human Services consultation for Region 6.
CONSULTATION (2:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST): Department of Health and Human Services consultation for Region 9.
March 25, 2021
CONSULTATION (2:00 - 5:00 pm. EST) Department of Health and Human Services consultation for Region 10.
March 26, 2021
DEADLINE: Department of Health and Human services requires all initial comments regarding tribal consultation be submitted to consultation@hhs.gov by this date.
March 31, 2021
DEADLINE: Department of Transportation requires all written comments regarding tribal consultation be submitted to tribalaffairs@dot.gov by this date.
DEADLINE: Environmental Protection Agency requires all written comments regarding tribal consultation be submitted to gude.karen@epa.gov by this date.
April 5, 2021
DEADLINE: Department of Housing and Urban Development requires all written recommendations or comments on how HUD could improve its Tribal consultation practices and policy be submitted to tribalconsultationpolicy@hud.gov by this date.
April 26, 2021
All updated plans are to be submitted to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by this date.
♦ President Clinton (November 6, 2000): Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments
♦ President Biden (January 26, 2021): Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships
♦ Department of the Interior (February 2021): Improving Interior’s Consultation with Tribes: Development of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Plan for Improving Implementation of EO 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments
♦ US Government Accountability Office (March 2019): Tribal Consultation: Additional Federal Actions Needed for Infrastructure Projects
Would you like to know more?
Click on the links below for more information on:
♦ Consultation Announcements/Dates
♦ Consultation Materials by Agency
♦ Consultation Resources/Archives