Date: Feb 23, 2015 - Feb 26, 2015
Where: Washington, DC
About the Event:
Session Agendas
Monday, February 23rd
Affordable Care Act: What Tribal Leaders Need to KNow for 2015 - Agenda
DOI/IHS Joint Listening Session on Contract Support Costs - Invite Letter
Exploring Tribal Marijuana Policy - Agenda
TANF Task Force - Agenda
Task Force on Federal Acknowledgment - Agenda
Tax - Agenda
Tribal Homeland Security and Emergency Management - Agenda
VAWA Task Force - Agenda
Thursday, February 26th
Annual FCC Dialouge Session - Agenda
Bureau of Indian Education Transformation Update - Invite Letter
Housing Improvement Program Consultation with the Department of the Interior - Invite Letter, Proposed Rule, Proposed Rule Correction
One USDA: Food, Sovereignty, Agriculture, Housing, and Education - Flyer
Small Business Administration Consultation - Invite Letter
Draft Agenda at a Glance now available!
Youth Agenda now available!
Registration
Online registration is now closed. Registration will be available onsite, click here to download the registration form.
Press Registration
Click here if you would like to register as a credentialed member of press.
Don't forget to schedule Capitol Hill visits. Indian Country has major priorities to advance during this Session of Congress. It is important for our membership to meet with their representatives, both new and returning members, to continue educating them on issues and making them strong advocates for Indian Country.
If you wish to meet with your representatives in either the House of Representatives or Senate, please submit your meeting request in writing to the representative's office and follow-up to ensure your request was received.
To find your House Representative, please click here
To find your state Senator, please click here.
For assistance in scheduling a Hill Visit please contact Cesareo Alvarez at calvarez@NCAI.org.
Congressional Leadership Award – This award is to recognize those individuals who are elected to the United States Congress who have demonstrated leadership and are champions on issues important to tribal nations.
Public Sector Leadership Award – This award is to recognize partners outside of the governmental sector and outside of Indian Country who work for the advancement of tribal issues and who support Native causes.
Governmental Leadership Award – This award is to recognize partners in government service who are critical to tribal issues and who serve as champions in their institutions.
Native American Leadership Award – This award recognizes a Native individual who has helped transform Indian Country through their efforts and long term commitment and whose leadership and work benefits and influences at the national level.
Special Recognition Award – This occasional award recognizes significant lifetime achievement on behalf of Indian Country.
2015 Honorees
Congressional Leadership Award
U.S. Representative Devin Nunes
Representative Devin Nunes has served in the House of Representatives since 2003 and currently represents the 22nd District of California. Time magazine named him one of the rising stars of American politics, in their list of “40 under 40” and he has been a great friend to tribal nations. In this last year he was particularly successful as the lead sponsor of H.R. 3043, the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, which was signed into law at the end of 2014. The passage of this law was a great victory for tribes because it prevents the IRS from taxing the programs and services provided by tribes to their tribal members. The new law is also notable because it specifically requires that it be interpreted in a manner that is deferential to tribal government decision making. Representative Nunes is also notable for working across the aisle with his Democratic counterparts to get the legislation completed.
Governmental Leadership Award
Jodi Gillette
Jodi Gillette, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, has been a consistent presence throughout the Obama Administration – advancing our nation-to-nation partnership and ensuring the priorities and concerns of tribal nations are included in the work of the federal government. Jodi served from the very beginning of the Obama Administration as Deputy Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Associate Director of Public Engagement. She then served as Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development in the U.S. Department of the Interior before returning to the White House to serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs. Recently Jodi was elevated to the role of Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs. She played a key role in the White House Tribal Nations Conference in 2009 and 2010 and has been instrumental in the work of the newly formed White House Council on Native American Affairs.
Special Recognition Leadership Award
Robert Burnette
Robert Burnette has been a long-time supporter of the work of NCAI, securing funding for key NCAI priorities including the Native Graduate Health Fellowship. His ongoing partnership has been critical to NCAI’s capacity to engage with a range of private sector and individual donors to support core elements of our work.
Native American Leadership Award
Suzan Harjo
Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne & Hodulgee Muscogee) has been the President of The Morning Star Institute since its inception in 1984. She served as the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians from 1984 through 1989, and continues to serve as Co-Chair of the NCAI Subcommittee on Human, Religious, and Cultural Concerns. Suzan’s career has spanned decades of involvement in Indigenous human rights issues and causes. Her traditional knowledge, extensive capacity for research regarding Indigenous cultures, and her indomitable spirit has led her to significant victories in non-Native arenas, including congressional and administrative venues. She is a founder of the National Museum of the American Indian and Guest Curator and General Editor of the exhibit and book, “Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations.” She has been a critical leader on the effort to eradicate derogatory Indian mascots. In November 2014 she was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Obama – the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Public Sector Leadership Award
National Criminal Justice
The National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) has been an integral partner dedicated to improving public safety in tribal communities. Since 2009, NCJA has partnered with the National Congress of American Indians on a Tribal-State Collaboration and Justice Capacity Building Project, which focuses on relationship building and promoting intergovernmental coordination of key tribal, federal, and state criminal justice stakeholders in Indian country. Under this project, NCJA has provided technical assistance to several tribal-state collaboration projects, as well as launched the Tribal Law and Order Resource Center website. This website contains a number of Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) implementation resources, including a free, ongoing webinar series.
Past Honorees
2014 Honorees
U.S Senator Mike Crapo
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
James Anaya
Kevin Gover
2014 Special Recognition
Chairman Earl Barbary
Juanit Ahtone
2013 Honorees
U.S. Senator Patty Murray
The National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women
Andrew Lee
Administrator W. Craig Fugate
2012 Honorees
U.S. Congressman Don Young
Washington Interships for Native Students Programs
Dr. Eddie F. Brown
Assistant Secretary for Indians Affairs Larry Echo Hawk
2011 Honorees
U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Billy Frank, Jr.
Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli
2011 Special Recognition
Wilma Pearl Mankiller
2010 Honorees
U.S. Congressman Xavier Becerra
Profs. Stephen Cornell & Joseph P. Kalt
Elouise Cobell
Dr. Eric Broderick
Marie Howard
2009 Honorees
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
Roberta Valente, J.D.
Rachel Joseph
Scott Burns
2008 Honorees
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman
Friends Committee on National Legislation –Native American Advocacy Program
Alan Parker
Governor Janet Napolitano
2007 Honorees
U.S. Congressman Tom Cole
Wade Henderson
John E. Echohawk
National Council of State Legislatures
2006 Honorees
Claude Allen
Boys and Girls Club
U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan
2005 Honorees
U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch
NMAI Opening Core Team
Dan Lewis, Bank of America
2004 Honorees
U.S. Civil Rights Commission
U.S. Representative Richard Pombo
Federal Communications Commission
2004 Special Recognition
Patricia Zell
Pat Babcock
2003 Honorees
The Late U.S. Senator
Paul Wellstone
Neal McCaleb
John Herrington, NASA Astronaut
2002 Honorees
U.S. Senator Thomas Daschle
Nike, Inc.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
2001 Honorees
U.S. Representative Dave Camp
U.S. Senator Pete Domenici
U.S. Representative Maxine Waters
2000 Honorees
Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante
U.S. Senator John McCain
U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy
1999 Honorees
U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye
U.S. Representative J. D. Hayworth
U.S. Representative Dale E. Kildee
