About the Event:

2016 State of Indian Nations Address

Delivered by President Brian Cladoosby

Brian Cladoosby, President of the National Congress of American Indians will deliver the annual State of Indian Nations Address on January 14, 2016 from the Newseum in Washington, DC. As is tradition, the State of Indian Nations address is scheduled just days after the United States President delivers the State of the Union. President Barack Obama is scheduled to address the nation and a joint session of Congress on January 12, 2016.

All attendees are invited by the Newseum to tour the museum immediately after the address. Passes are not required.

Watch Parties
We invite tribes, schools, colleges, organizations, and community groups around the nation to host watch parties of the event.


Event Schedule

 9:00 am: Registration
 9:15 am: Media Setup
 9:30 am: Doors Open
10:00 am: Doors Close
10:20 am: Invocation
10:30 am: State of Indian Nations
11:00 am: Congressional Response
11:15 am: Question & Answer Session/Press Availability
11:30 am: Closing Remarks

Click here for the final 2016 State of Indian Nations Press Kit including:

SOIN 2016 Background Documents

SOIN 2016 Written Speeches

SOIN 2016 Press Photos

Please contact ncaipress@ncai.org with any questions or to schedule interviews with NCAI principals.

21st Century Trust Modernization Forum
at the
National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC

Thursday, January 14, 2016
1 - 4 pm EST

The Trust Modernization Workgroup, a collection of national and regional tribal organizations, is hosting a forum focused on the history of the trust relationship, the current state of the trust system and relationship, and the new vision for modernizing the trust for Indian Country in the 21st Century.  

The Forum agenda features a keynote address by Kevin Gover, Director of the National Museum of the American Indian, on understanding the historical context and the need for rethinking the tribal-federal trust relationship. Tribal leaders from across Indian Country will present the five key principles and strategies of Indian Trust Modernization. Forum participants are encouraged to engage in discussion that will lead to a vision of a better trust framework and generate strategies to create a 21st Century trust for 21st Century tribes. We hope you join us for this enlightening discussion.

The Trust Modernization Workgroup developed the following document after identifying key trust modernization principles and implementing standards. View it here.

RSVP for this event to NCAI at jlowther@ncai.org

The forum will be webcast at http://americanindian.si.edu/webcasts

Trust Modernization Forum Draft Agenda
12:00 pm: Sign-In & Registration
1:00 pm: Welcome & Invocation
President Brian Cladoosby, National Congress of American Indians
1:15 pm: Historical Perspective/Context on Trust Relationship
Kevin Gover, Director, National Museum of the American Indian
2:00 pm: Current State of Trust Relationship & Responsibility
Deputy Secretary Mike Connor, Department of the Interior
2:40 pm:  Tribal Leader Discussion: A Vision for New Trust Modernization Principles and Strategies
I. Strengthen Federal-Tribal Relations
President Russell Begaye, Navajo Nation
II. Strengthen Trust Standards
Liutenant Governor Jefferson Keel, Chickasaw Nation
III. Strengthen Federal Management
Chairman Dave Archambault II, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
IV. Strengthen Federal Funding
President Emeritus Ed Thomas, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
V. Strengthen Tribal Sovereignty
Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Moderator: Lifetime Chief Lynn Malerba, Mohegan Tribe
3:50 pm: Concluding Remarks

For additional information on this forum, please contact Colby Duren, Staff Attorney & Legislative Counsel, cduren@ncai.org.