By Ira Matt
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) participated in the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit November 30-December 1, 2022 at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. The summit built on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthen the federal relationship with Tribal Nations and provided the President and members of the Cabinet the opportunity to engage and consult with Tribal leaders on a Nation-to-Nation basis. Vice Chairman Jordan Tannenbaum, Tribal/Native Hawaiian Member Reno Franklin, and Director of the Office of Native American Affairs Ira L. Matt represented the ACHP.
The gathering, organized by the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA), was the first in-person Summit of this Administration. During the Summit, the President and members of the Cabinet announced several Administration and agency accomplishments meant to advance policies and programs that positively impacted Tribal Nations over the past year, as well as new actions that will build on that progress, create new standards and opportunities for Tribal consultation, and allocate additional resources to support Tribal Nations.
As an active participant on the WHCNAA, the ACHP appreciated the opportunity to participate in the Summit and connect with colleagues, meet with Tribal leadership, and share the accomplishments the agency has been working to advance for the past year. A primary focus of the ACHP’s participation in the WHCNAA is to ensure cultural resources and sacred sites are considered in all levels of government, particularly those significant to Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other Indigenous Peoples.
The White House released two documents that highlight key accomplishments and deliverables including the White House Tribal Nations Summit Progress Report and the Tribal Nations Summit Fact Sheet.
Select announcements and deliverables the ACHP participated in the development of include the following:
Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation – The President signed a new Presidential Memorandum establishing uniform standards to be implemented across all federal agencies regarding how Tribal consultations conducted pursuant to Executive Order 13175 are conducted.
Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge – During the Summit a first-of-its-kind guidance document was released regarding the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge in federal decision-making.
Native Languages Memorandum of Agreement - President Biden announced that 13 additional agencies, including the ACHP, have signed the MOA and are committed to advancing Native languages through collaboration on programming, resource development, and policy.
Tribal Treaty Rights Best Practices - The ACHP is proud to announce it is one of 17 agencies that developed a best-practices report to assist federal field staff in integrating the consideration of Tribal treaty and reserved rights into agency decision-making processes.
Appendix C Rulemaking Effort – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced a new rulemaking effort at the Summit, proposing to rescind Appendix C. USACE would instead rely upon the ACHP’s regulations and joint USACE/ACHP guidance for implementation of Section 106. The Army intends to coordinate closely with Tribal Nations and the ACHP throughout this rulemaking effort.
For any questions regarding the ACHP’s involvement in the WHCNAA or the Tribal Nations Summit, please contact Ira Matt at imatt@achp.gov.
Learn more about the ACHP’s work with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.