Trainings and Education

Addressing your knowledge gap — and understanding Native American histories, legal rights, and issues — is the first step.

The most common barrier to successful relationships with Tribal Nations and Native communities is a lack of knowledge. We provide trainings and educational opportunities for Tribes and their partners to develop a shared discourse from which they can build successful partnerships.

Our trainings develop a foundational awareness of the histories, cultures, and legal rights of Tribal Nations in the United States. This education is missing from most K-12 and higher education curriculum but is a necessary precursor for anyone working with Tribal Nations and Native communities.

Through our trainings, we also work with Tribal Nations to improve strategic partnerships with state, federal, and private partners. Using our experience in project development, finance, and permitting, we assist Tribal councils and corporate boards in creating successful strategies for projects that center Tribal knowledge and achieve economic self-determination.

Sample Trainings:

 

  • Even where there is a genuine desire to work with Tribes, most people lack a basic, working knowledge of what Tribal Nations are and how Indigenous communities exist in the United States. This gap in understanding can lead to a multitude of issues in engagement.

    With Tribal Nations 101, we start at the beginning and review the basic histories, legal rights, cultural considerations, and contemporary political and economic structures of Tribal Nations in US. We breakdown foundational concepts such as proper terminology, what Federal recognition means, why treaty rights apply to your project, and what’s wrong with most land acknowledgments.

    Tribal Nations 101 also builds on this strong foundation of basic concepts and identifies how modern Tribal governments operate, key legal developments of the past 20 years regarding Tribal jurisdiction, and new components of federal funding and equity metrics (such as Justice 40) that can create advantages for Tribally-affiliated projects.

  • Learn about why consultation with Tribal Nations exists, what the legal requirements are, and what are contemporary best practices. We decipher the roles of governmental entities (who must consult with Tribal Nations under certain federal and state laws) versus private project proponents (who should coordinate with Tribal Nations during project development). And identify successful practices for companies and projects that seek to engage and partner with Tribal governments and Native communities.

  • Tribal Nations are governments serving the health and welfare of their citizenry. Working with Tribal Nations requires an appreciation of the self-determination, regulatory structures, and economic drivers of those governments. Far from historical figures or private stakeholders, Tribal Nations are sovereigns and non-Native organizations should structure their outreach and relationships accordingly.

  • How are Tribal Nations and Native communities included in equity metrics and why must Tribes be differentiated from other “disadvantaged community”? We work through how the concepts of treaty rights, sovereignty, and the federal trust obligation apply to Tribal Equity Metrics in the context of Environmental Justice (EJ); Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG); and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

  • Working with Tribal Nations to co-develop projects can offer myriad advantages, including access to federal funding, equity benefits, and rights and resources under Tribal Law. But it is important to understand key differences to partnering with Tribal governmental entities and business.

    Similar to other emerging and re-emerging markets, working with Tribal Nations requires an understanding of the unique regulatory, political, and asset/investment structures. This training addresses topics from the economic organization of Tribal Nations and their commercial entities to the methods of securitization within the Trust context and key benefits under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act for Tribal projects.

 

Working with all “sides” of the equation…

The heart of our work is education. We work with Tribes and non-tribal entities to share wisdom and experience that bridge communities, projects, and people.

We Work with:

  • Developers, Companies, and Foundations

    We work with non-Native entities, projects, and investors to build internal capacity and develop strategies for successful partnerships with Tribal Nations and Native Communities. Through education we help develop a fundamental understanding of the Indigenous communities in the United States — the treaties and laws that guide Tribal relationships; the importance and process of Tribal consultation; and the cultures, lifeways, and economic self-determination that shape modern Tribal Nations and their citizens. From there we can assist in creating specific strategies for consultation, engagement, and partnership. We also assist in developing tangible metrics in the broader context of equity and justice, such as Environmental Justice (EJ) permitting requirements and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) reporting and due diligence.

  • Federal and State Agencies

    The Federal government cannot appropriately fulfill its treaty responsibilities and trust obligations without a basic understanding of what they are and why they exist. We work with Federal agencies and projects to develop the foundational knowledge of the United State’s obligations to Tribes and how those obligations translate to project and programmatic operations, including Tribal consultation, NEPA and NHPA Section 106 permitting processes, and the application of equity standards such as Environmental Justice (EJ) and Justice 40. We also work with state governments to build stronger relationships between sister sovereigns.

  • Tribal Nations

    As sovereign governments, regional economic drivers, and stewards of a place and way of life, Tribal Nations have a significant role to play in modern American society. But with so much to focus on, Tribal Nations need help focusing goals and executing on strategic plans. To support the self-determination of Tribal governments, we work with and provide trainings for Tribal councils and boards on a variety of topics, including: project and partner due diligence, maximizing Tribal roles in consultation and the permitting process, the capitalization of large-scale projects, and the identification of federal funding programs to support Tribal initiatives.

What past training participants are saying…

 

“I found all of it useful: The history of broken promises, the distinction between environmental and cultural concerns, the different meanings of tribe. And now I also have a better sense of what internal resources we have and where we need to grow.”

- Environmental Director, Utility Company

“I had no idea how much I didn’t know. I went in thinking the training would not be applicable to me to coming out of it with a whole new frame of reference. Deeply powerful and operationally helpful.”

- VP Project Development, Solar Company

“One of the best trainings I have ever attended — about anything.”

- Founder, Environmental Justice Start-Up

“As a Tribal leader, my most important competency is cultural and community knowledge. But by attending this training, I gained a better understanding of the permitting, regulatory, and financial processes outside of our community so that I can more effectively share my knowledge and support our people.”

- Tribal Chairperson