November 2018 Newsletter

The November 6 election was historically significant for Indigenous candidates and voters. More than 100 candidates of American Indigenous descent ran for public office before the primaries, and more than half of them were women. Here is a brief list of notable winners:

Congress
Sharice Davids (D-KS-3, member of the Ho-Chunk Nation) and Deb Haaland (D-NM-1, member of the Pueblo of Laguna) were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. They are the first Native American women to serve in Congress, 242 years after the inception of the country.

Governor/Lt. Governor
Peggy Flanagan (Ojibwe) was elected to the office of lieutenant governor in Minnesota when fellow Democrat Tim Walz won the office of governor. She has become the first Native American lieutenant governor of any state. Two Native women ran for lieutenant governor in Minnesota, guaranteeing an Indigenous person would hold the office.​

Arizona State Legislature
Sally Ann Gonzales (D, State Sen. LD3, Pasqua Yaqui)
Jamescita Peshlakai (D, State Sen. LD7, Navajo)
Victoria Steele (D, State Sen. LD9, Seneca)

Additional election coverage can be found at Indian Country Today, First Nations Experience (FNX), Native Voice One, and Indianz.com.

On October 1-2, 2018, AIPI staff attended NAFOA’s 2018 Fall Finance and Tribal Economies Conference at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Santa Ana, NM. In addition to hosting an information booth, AIPI staff met with various tribal leaders, federal agencies, and accounting professionals.  Director Morris attended several meetings including one on the revision of the Tribal Business Structure Handbook, with several AIPI Advisory Council members, and with potential speakers for the December TFMC training.  Additionally, staff attended a number of educational sessions from industry-leading expert panelists.

We were excited to attend the awards luncheon hosted by NAFOA where they honored Governor Lewis from the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) with a Lifetime Achievement Award.  We have been fortunate to have an institutional relationship with the GRIC for many years now and Governor Lewis currently serves on the AIPI Advisory Council.

AIPI attends this conference annually because it gives us the opportunity to interact with tribal community members and tribal leadership. This impacts our programming in that it enhances our community embeddedness. We also spend much time relationship building and talking to potential participants for our Tribal Financial Managers Certificate (TFMC) training that we co-host with the NAFOA organization bi-annually.

 
AIPI Director Traci Morris and Research & Policy Analyst Brian Howard attended the 75^th Annual meeting of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Denver, CO, October 21-26. Morris and Howard attended sessions on Tribal youth development, economic development, and emergency preparedness and public safety communications. Additionally, Morris and Howard participated in meetings of the NCAI Technology and Telecommunications Subcommittee and the NCAI Technology Task Force. 

The NCAI Technology and Telecommunications Subcommittee adopted four resolutions and received presentations and updates from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and FirstNet. The FCC provided updates on rulemakings such as the reform and modernization of the Lifeline program, consideration of a Tribal Broadband Factor in the High Cost Fund, announced new members of the Native Nations Communications Task Force, and announced a training workshop on the Nez Perce Reservation for November 14-15, 2018. FirstNet provided updates regarding the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network for first responders and its ongoing work with Tribal Nations. During the NCAI Technology Task Force meeting participants discussed Google Plus CodesAIPI Advisory Board Member Matthew Rantanen also provided a presentation on his participation at the 2018 Indigenous Connectivity Summit in Alberta Canada, where he presented on Tribal challenges to deploy communications services in geographically challenging areas.

For a complete list of Resolutions considered by the NCAI Committees, click here.

Resolutions adopted by the Technology and Telecommunications Subcommittee:

• DEN-18-005, “Opposing Efforts by the Federal Communications Commission Pursuant to FCC 17-79”
• DEN-18-036, “Calling on the FCC to Regulate the Tribal Lifeline Program According to its Original Intent, and Adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act”
• DEN-18-037, “Calling on the FCC to Re-establish the FCC Office of Native Affairs and Policy’s Tribal Consultation Duties, and Training and Education Efforts”
• DEN-18-048, “Calling on the FCC to Comprehensively Improve its Broadband Data to Ensure Tribal Lands are Connected to Broadband”

The Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology presented the 2018 Women of Color STEM Entrepreneurship Conference held on October 4-6 at the Beus Center for Law and Society at ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus. The diverse audience consisted of participants from all over the country including students as young as high schoolers, faculty, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and folks who are passionate about advancing opportunities for girls and women of color in STEM.

The 2 1/2-day conference offered a robust curriculum of keynote speakers and panel discussions featuring leaders in education, industry, and government. It also offered workshop sessions that ran the gamut from activities to entrepreneurial strategies and inspiring stories of women of color who have persisted in STEM.

Research shows that Native Americans and Alaska Natives are the most underrepresented minority group in STEM education and industry. Opportunities like this conference allow attendees to build capacity by learning from seasoned professionals, expanding their networks, and having a safe space to not only discuss the challenges they face but formulate solutions and strategies to overcome them and thrive in the field.

AIPI is proud to support organizations like the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology and other advocacy organizations. We are collaborating on future projects focused on expanding opportunities for Native Americans in STEM.

November

Construction in Indian Country National Conference | November 7-9, 2018 | Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino | Chandler, AZ

Native Governance Center 2nd Annual Nation Building Celebration | November 8-9, 2018 | Mystic Lake Center Prior Lake, MN

A History of Advocacy: Celebrating 30 Years of the Indian Legal Program | November 9, 2018 | Beus Center for Law and Society | Phoenix AZ 85004

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at Poly | Friday, November 9, 2018 | noon – 1 p.m. | ASU Polytechnic Campus 

Native American Heritage Festival and Pow Wow | Saturday, November 10, 2018 | 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. | ASU West Campus, Fletcher Library Lawn

American Indian Arts Marketplace at the Autry Museum | November 10-11, 2018 | Los Angeles, California

Showdown on the Rez: ASU Women’s Basketball Game | Sunday, November 11, 2018 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. MST | Bee Holdzil Fighting Scouts Event Center, Fort Defiance, AZ

19th Annual Veterans Day Gourd Dance | Sunday, November 11, 2018 | 11 am - 4 pm | Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E Washington St | Phoenix, AZ

WWI Centennial at Memorial Hall: Honoring Phoenix Indian School Student Veterans | Sunday, November 11, 2018 | 10 am - 3 pm | 300 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ

Native American Contractors Association 2018 Conference | Nov 13, 2018 - Nov 15, 2018 | Washington, DC

Arizona American Indian Excellence in Leadership Awards | Wednesday, November 14 | 5 - 8:30 pm | Hilton Scottsdale Resort | Scottsdale, AZ

Tribal Interior Budget Council | November 14 - 16, 2018 | Washington, DC

Indigenous Placekeeping | Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Tempe Campus, Sun Devil Marketplace, Devils Oasis Room

Scholar Circle Series: Gerard Begay | Wednesday, November 14, 2018 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Tempe Campus, Discovery Hall Room 313

Indigenous Identity and the Athletic Experience with Billy Mills | Thursday November 15, 2018 | 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Tempe Campus, Carson Athletic Student Center, Duston Theatre

Cultural Lecture Series: Dorothy Rhodes | Friday, November 16, 2018 | 11 a.m. – noon | Tempe Campus, Discovery Hall Room 313

American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Arizona Networking Luncheon | Friday, November 16, 2018 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Casino Arizona

Indigenous and Western Scientific Knowledge Overlaps | Friday, November 16, 2018 | 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Tempe Campus, Student Pavilion

Cal Seciwa Feast and Fest | Monday, November 19, 2018 | 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Pasqua Yaqui Community | Guadalupe, AZ 85283

Blood Memory: 40th Year ICWA Commemoration | Tuesday, November 20, 2018 | 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Downtown Campus, Beus Center for Law and Society, Great Hall

Art as a Spiritual Expression for Indigenous Wellbeing | Tuesday, November 27, 2018 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Tempe Campus, Memorial Union Room Graham 226

APiO Fashion Show | Wednesday, November 28, 2018 | 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Tempe Campus, Memorial Union Room Graham 226

19th Annual NAtive American Children Toy Drive and Concert | Friday, November 23, 2018 | Arizona Science Center, Phoenix AZ

December

National Museum of the American Indian Art Market | December 1-2, 2018 | Washington, DC | New York City, New York

Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market | December 8-9, 2018 | Phoenix, Arizona

NICWA Training Institute | Dec 4, 2018 - Dec 6, 2018 | New Orleans, Louisiana

Intertribal Transportation Association Annual Meeting | Dec 6, 2018 - Dec 7, 2018 | Tropicana Casino and Resort, Las Vegas, NV

Tribal Financial Management Certificate Training | December 11-13, 2018 | Tempe, AZ