Current Activities

SISNAR Internship Program

The USGS initiated a small internship program in Fiscal Year 2006 for students to work in the summers. The name of the internship program, "Student Interns in Support of Native American Relations," explains its purpose—to build Tribal self-governing capacity by training future Tribal leaders. Through an internal competitive process, the USGS Native American Tribal Liaison team solicits proposals from USGS scientists and selects USGS projects based on the student engagement in science related to Tribes or Tribal lands. Awarded SISNAR funds allow for student interns to work on USGS projects.

Training

The USGS provides technical training in geospatial information, hydrology, wildlife diseases, and other topics, depending on available needs and resources. The USGS, through the Federal Geographic Data Committee and its partners, conducts training sessions that introduce American Indian students to the uses of geospatial data and geographic information systems. The USGS has also developed and held a Tribal Relations Training course for its employees to facilitate positive interactions with Tribes.

Additional information on training activities.

Tribal College Forum

The Tribal College Forum was initially established by the USGS as a means of engaging Tribal colleges and universities in using GIS technologies. Given the remote locations of many Tribal communities, these digital tools can help tribes manage lands and resources. The Tribal College Forum provides a venue for federal agencies, tribal college faculty, private sector representatives, state, and other officials to share ways to use these tools to help train Native students for future careers that will benefit their communities, their tribes, and themselves.

Representation of USGS on Committees

White House Executive Working Group on Indian Affairs

The USGS was actively represented on the White House Executive Working Group on Indian Affairs. This group of political appointees and senior Native American program managers from throughout the federal government meets monthly to coordinate federal-tribal issues in sessions chaired by White House external affairs personnel. The USGS Native American Tribal Liaison for the Director's Office kept the group apprised of USGS-sponsored activities like the Tribal College Forum and our involvement in the Coast Salish Journey. The USGS iaison provided policy documents, media and other contacts, as part of the group's coordination efforts. The USGS liaison also participated in various task groups such as the one that developed nationally available tribal relations training.

Other Federal Entities

The Native American Tribal Liaisons represent the USGS and communicate on behalf of the USGS to the following Federal entities:

• Army Corps of Engineers, Missouri River Ecosystem Recovery Plan (MRERP)
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Department of the Interior
  
  • Indian Energy and Minerals Steering Committee
  • Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), headquarters and regions, Tribal and Environmental Justice Programs
  
  • Indigenous Work Group
  • Tribal Environmental Management Conference
  • Tribal Environmental Summit
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Federal Geographic Data Committee
• Indian Health Service
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Tribal College Program
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Park Service Native American Program
• Southwest Strategy Tribal Relations Support Team
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S. Forest Service
• White House Indian Affairs Working Group

Tribal and Related Entities

The Native American Tribal Liaisons represent the USGS and communicate on behalf of the USGS to the following Tribal and related entities:

• Alaska Native Corporations
• Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program
• Alaska Historical Society, Native names issues
• American Association of Geographers (Indigenous Specialty Group)
• American Indian/Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group
• American Indian Higher Education Consortium
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals
• Intertribal Environmental Advisory Council
• Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) Planning Group
• National Congress of American Indians
• National Indian Education Association
• National Tribal Environmental Council
• National Tribal Soil and Water Conservation District Conference;
• Native American Fish & Wildlife Society
• NativeView
• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
• Oklahoma Tribal Conservation Advisory Council
• United Sioux Tribes Development Corporation
• United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc.
• Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council