Tribal Nations Policy Institute

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Tribal Nations Policy Institute Our primary focus is Native American public-policy analysis and research.

AIPI collaborates with Tribal Governments and Native American Communities on the issues that affect them.

Oct. 12 is Indigenous Peoples Day. To honor the day and celebrate Indigenous voices, TNPI is sharing a reading list of s...
10/12/2026

Oct. 12 is Indigenous Peoples Day. To honor the day and celebrate Indigenous voices, TNPI is sharing a reading list of staff favorites featuring Native and Indigenous authors whose work explores history, policy, science, modern sovereignty, community, identity and belonging.

👉 What’s on your must-read list? Share your recommendations in the comments. We’ll gather your suggestions to help build an expanded reading list for the TNPI blog.

Staff picks:

📚 History & Policy
• Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto by Vine Deloria
• The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk
• Our History Is the Future by Nick Estes
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
• The Yazzie Case: Building a Public Education System for Our Indigenous Future by Wendy S. Greyeyes et. al

⚖️ Law
• Becoming Nations Again: The Journey Towards Tribal Self-Determination by Adam Crepelle
• American Indian Law: Native Nations and the Federal System by Rebecca Tsosie et. al
• Understanding Tribal Sovereignty: Federal Indian Law and Self-Governance by Donald L. Fixico
• American Indian Law: Cases and Commentary by Robert T. Anderson et. al

🌱 Science
• Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods by Shawn Wilson
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer
• Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence by Gregory Cajete
• Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples by Linda Tuhiwai Smith

🪶 Memoirs, Personal Narratives & Creative Writing
• Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot
• Bad Indians by Deborah A. Miranda
• An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
• Whereas by Layli Long Soldier
• When the Light of the World Was Subdued Our Songs Came Through
• Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power

🚨 Call to action: NIH to host Tribal consultations and listening session on Tribal data sovereignty in health research a...
10/09/2026

🚨 Call to action: NIH to host Tribal consultations and listening session on Tribal data sovereignty in health research and policy at NCAI 83rd Annual Convention

The National Institutes of Health will hold two Tribal consultations and one Tribal listening session during the National Congress of American Indians 83rd Annual Convention & Marketplace on Oct. 19 and 20, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, California.

The sessions will focus on Tribal data sovereignty in health research and policy. On Monday, Oct. 19, the NIH All of Us Research Program will lead a consultation on expanded access to sensitive data and the inclusion of biospecimens from self-identified American Indian and Alaska Native participants in a large-scale biospecimen analysis initiative.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, NIH will host a listening session to gather input from Tribal Nations on a Tribal Data Sovereignty Policy currently in development. Tribal leaders are invited to share how NIH funding announcements, grant mechanisms and research activities should recognize and uphold Tribal Nations’ sovereignty over data generated by, about and within their communities.

Also on Tuesday, NIH will hold a Tribal consultation on proposed revisions to the renewal of the Resource Center for Tribal Epidemiology Centers and discuss potential implications for Tribal Epidemiology Centers and the Tribes they serve.

🗓️ Session Summary
All times are Pacific time.

• Monday, Oct. 19, noon-2 p.m. All of Us Research Program consultation
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8-9 a.m. NIH Tribal Data Sovereignty Policy listening session
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 4:30-6 p.m. NIMHD Resource Center for Tribal Epidemiology Centers renewal consultation

👉 The sessions are for elected Tribal officials and their designated representatives. Non-elected representatives must be designated in writing by an elected Tribal official.

✉️ Written testimony is due by Nov. 20, 2026, and should be sent to [email protected]. Submissions must be on Tribal letterhead or clearly identify the submitting Tribe or Tribal organization.

🔗 Link to notice in the comments.

Meet the staff behind TNPI, bringing expertise, experience and a shared commitment to advancing the priorities of Tribal...
10/08/2026

Meet the staff behind TNPI, bringing expertise, experience and a shared commitment to advancing the priorities of Tribal Nations.

Our small yet mighty team powers the research, programs and policy work that happens at TNPI as we work alongside Tribal Nations to strengthen sovereignty, advance self-determination and drive lasting impact.

From policy analysis and research to program development, communications and community partnerships, each member of our team helps move this work forward with care, purpose and deep respect for Tribal leadership.

We’re proud to introduce the people behind the work.

🚨 Consultation for Tribal Nations happening TODAY, 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET.🔗Link to register in comments.
10/02/2026

🚨 Consultation for Tribal Nations happening TODAY, 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET.

🔗Link to register in comments.

🎉 Introducing the Indigenous Leadership Academy: Tribal water sovereigntyThis fall, TNPI is partnering with the Kyl Cent...
09/25/2026

🎉 Introducing the Indigenous Leadership Academy: Tribal water sovereignty

This fall, TNPI is partnering with the Kyl Center for Water Policy at the Morrison Institute to offer a specialized program for emerging leaders in policy, infrastructure, research and advocacy who are working to advance Tribal water sovereignty in the Colorado River Basin.

🌊 Water levels in the Colorado River and its reservoirs have fallen to historic lows as more than two decades of drought, climate change and overallocation place increasing strain on the river.

Although Tribal Nations hold significant water rights and have long relied on the Colorado River, they were excluded from the foundational agreements governing its use. That exclusion continues to shape water access and decision-making today. Across the basin, 30 Tribal Nations hold rights to Colorado River water, including some of the river’s most senior rights, yet many Tribal communities still face barriers to fully using, protecting and managing their water resources.

Including Tribal Nations in decisions about the Colorado River’s future is essential to upholding Tribal sovereignty and protecting Tribal communities, people and water resources.

💪 TNPI’s Indigenous Leadership Academy is working to strengthen Tribal representation and leadership in these decisions. Following a competitive selection process, 11 outstanding individuals were chosen for the fall 2026 Tribal Water Sovereignty cohort.

The program is designed for Tribal citizens and community leaders working to advance Tribal self-governance, sovereignty and self-determination. Through an Indigenous-centered curriculum, participants will strengthen their leadership practices, expand their professional networks and develop the skills needed to address the distinct challenges facing Tribal Nations in the Colorado River Basin.

🎉 Congratulations to our cohort!
Alvin Harvey
Waylon Honga
Sherrie Logg
Alyse Marrietta
Adrianna Nicolay
Paula Seanez
Daniel Sestiaga
Ben Standifer
Russell L. Thomas
Devon Tungovia
Rekisha Yazzie

🚨 Call to action: Proposed 2030 census changes raise concerns for Native representation, voting maps and fundingA propos...
09/23/2026

🚨 Call to action: Proposed 2030 census changes raise concerns for Native representation, voting maps and funding

A proposed rule published by the Census Bureau on Sept. 10 in the Federal Register would create two new regulatory parts governing the decennial census: one addressing who is counted and where, and another restricting certain demographic questions on the census short form.

The Census Bureau also published a Dear Tribal Leaders Letter requesting tribal input and will hold a virtual tribal consultation from 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.

The consultation is scheduled just 22 days after the proposed rule’s publication. While tribes have until Nov. 2, 2026, to submit written comments, the live consultation will occur on a compressed timeline for tribal governments reviewing a major decennial census rule. By comparison, some federal tribal consultation rules use at least 30 days’ notice as a benchmark, and Executive Order 13175 calls for “meaningful and timely input” from tribal officials on policies with tribal implications.

That timing matters because the federal government has a trust responsibility to federally recognized tribes, including obligations to protect tribal treaty rights, lands, assets and resources, and to carry out federal law with respect to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages. If the proposed changes make Native communities less visible in federal census data, the government may have a weaker factual basis for meeting treaty, statutory and program obligations, making enforcement, planning and funding more difficult.

Meaningful tribal consultation requires enough time for tribal governments to assess potential impacts, consult internally and submit informed comments before federal decisions are made. The general public comment deadline is Oct. 13, 2026, just 11 days after the tribal consultation.

👉 Comments can be submitted through Regulations.gov by searching docket number USBC-2026-0628. Comments can also be submitted by mail:

U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Designation: ADDEMO/FRN
Washington, D.C. 20746

🔍 Learn about the proposal and what it could mean for Tribal representation on the TNPI blog – link in comments.

09/21/2026

Join TNPI's executive director, Dr. Traci Morris, tomorrow, September 22, for a virtual workshop hosted by the Internet Society on breaking down silos between Internet researchers and the people using data to help close the digital divide.

The workshop will bring together researchers, community organizers, technical experts, policymakers, and journalists to discuss data needs, existing research, and opportunities to gather more.

Dr. Morris will present on historic federal and state broadband investments and the exercise of Tribal digital sovereignty. Other panels will feature access stories from across North America, including insights from those working to close the digital divide and an overview of models for sustainable connectivity.

🕑 Time: 3:00 -3:15 EDT, 2:00 - 2:15 CDT, 12:00 - 12:15 PDT

📍 Location: Zoom

Link to register in comments.

09/21/2026

🚨 NARA facilities in Chicago and the Bay Area could close as soon as Oct. 1, putting vital Tribal records at risk of being inaccessible for up to two years.

These records include enrollment rolls, BIA files, boarding school documents, language materials, maps, photos and more, many of which are not digitized and can only be accessed in person.

Tribal Nations and advocates are calling for meaningful consultation, transparency and a clear access plan before any records are moved.

🔗 Follow H.R. 10131 in TNPI’s congressional bill tracker: https://tnpi.asu.edu/tribal-nations-policy-institute-legislative-dashboard

👉 Subscribe for free access.

🚨 NARA facilities in Chicago and the Bay Area could close as soon as Oct. 1, putting vital Tribal records at risk of bei...
09/21/2026

🚨 NARA facilities in Chicago and the Bay Area could close as soon as Oct. 1, putting vital Tribal records at risk of being inaccessible for up to two years.

These records include enrollment rolls, BIA files, boarding school documents, language materials, maps, photos and more, many of which are not digitized and can only be accessed in person.

Tribal Nations and advocates are calling for meaningful consultation, transparency and a clear access plan before any records are moved.

🔗 Follow H.R. 10131 in TNPI’s congressional bill tracker: https://tnpi.asu.edu/tribal-nations-policy-institute-legislative-dashboard

👉 Subscribe for free access.

🚨 Applications close this TOMORROW, September 6!There’s still time to apply for TNPI’s Indigenous Leadership Academy spe...
09/05/2026

🚨 Applications close this TOMORROW, September 6!

There’s still time to apply for TNPI’s Indigenous Leadership Academy specialized Tribal water sovereignty cohort, offered in partnership with the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute.

Designed for leaders committed to protecting water resources and strengthening Tribal communities across the Colorado River Basin, this cohort welcomes:

• Water managers and technicians
• Water infrastructure builders
• Water stewards and protectors
• Law and policy advocates
• Academics and researchers

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and advance Tribal water sovereignty.

👉 Learn more and apply: tnpi.asu.edu/ila

Address

Sandra Day O'Connor College Of Law MC 9520, 111 E. Taylor Street
Phoenix, AZ
85004

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Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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