Tribal Nations Policy Institute

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.

🚨 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.

đź”—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.

đź•‘ Time: 3:00 -3:15 EDT, 2:00 - 2:15 CDT, 12:00 - 12:15 PDT

đź“Ť 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

🚨 LAST CHANCE TO APPLY— Applications close Sunday, 9/6. This fall, TNPI’s Indigenous Leadership Academy and the Kyl Cent...
09/03/2026

🚨 LAST CHANCE TO APPLY— Applications close Sunday, 9/6.

This fall, TNPI’s Indigenous Leadership Academy and the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute are partnering on a specialized Tribal water sovereignty cohort to support leaders committed to protecting water resources and strengthening Tribal communities in the Colorado River basin.

Addressing the problem goes beyond policy. This cohort is for:

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

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

09/02/2026

Water levels in Lake Powell, one of the nation’s largest reservoirs, have hit their lowest point since the reservoir first began filling in 1963. Lake Powell is fed by the Colorado River, which supplies water to seven states, Tribal Nations, major cities, agriculture and ecosystems across the West. The river system has been strained by more than two decades of drought, climate change and overallocation.

Now, the federal government and the seven Colorado River Basin states are working to reduce water use and prevent catastrophic declines in reservoir levels. Lower Basin states have proposed major reductions and conservation measures, but experts warn that current commitments still fall short of what is needed to stabilize the system.

Despite holding significant water rights and relying deeply on Colorado River water, Tribal Nations were excluded from the river’s foundational agreements. 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 most senior rights, yet many Tribal communities still face barriers to fully using, protecting and managing those water resources.

Including Tribal Nations in planning the future of the Colorado River is essential to Tribal sovereignty and to ensuring Tribal communities, water and people are protected.

TNPI’s Indigenous Leadership Academy is working to ensure Tribal voices and leadership are represented. This fall, TNPI is launching a specialized cohort for Tribal citizens from Nations within the Colorado River Basin.

Addressing the problem goes beyond policy. This cohort is for:

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

🚨 Applications close this Sunday, September 6. Learn more and apply at: tnpi.asu.edu/ila

-------------------------------

đź”— References and learn more:
(1) ILA launches new cohort for Tribal water sovereignty and the Colorado River Basin: https://law.asu.edu/newsroom/indigenous-leadership-academy-launches-cohort-tribal-water-sovereignty-and-colorado-river

(2) Colorado River water conservation efforts get only halfway to a solution: https://theconversation.com/colorado-river-water-conservation-efforts-get-only-halfway-to-a-solution-288758?utm_medium=article_clipboard_share&utm_source=theconversation.com

(3) What the new rules for a shrinking Colorado River mean for tribal nations: https://www.hcn.org/articles/what-the-new-rules-for-a-shrinking-colorado-river-mean-for-tribal-nations/

(4) World of Change: Water Level in Lake Powell: https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/world-of-change/lake-powell/

🚨 HAPPENING TODAY! What's it like to join ILA? Learn more and get your questions answered in a live webinar. 📅 Date: Wed...
08/26/2026

🚨 HAPPENING TODAY! What's it like to join ILA? Learn more and get your questions answered in a live webinar.

đź“… Date: Wednesday, Aug 26.
đź•‘ Time: 12 p.m. MST

đź”— Sign up: https://asu.zoom.us/meeting/register/XMmh1TWQROWtnFj0mrbvVw #/registration

What we'll cover:
🌊 ILA's Tribal Water Sovereignty cohort starting this fall. In partnership with the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute, ILA presents a specialized cohort focused on advancing water sovereignty and proactive governance for Tribal Nations within the Colorado River Basin.

👉 More about ILA:
Through an Indigenous-centered curriculum, participants will strengthen their leadership practices, expand professional networks, and develop the toolkit needed to address the unique challenges of Tribal Nations.

Applications open for the Tribal Water Sovereignty cohort until Sunday, Sep. 9.

🔍 Learn more at 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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