PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON MISSING AND MURDERED AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES TO RESUME REMOTE LISTENING SESSIONS

WASHINGTON – The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced four listening sessions to be conducted by teleconference in May and June. In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, previously scheduled in-person sessions have been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as it is safe to do so.

American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disproportionately high rates of violence. President Trump has called the crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans “sobering and heartbreaking.” The task force, designated Operation Lady Justice, has been empowered to review Indian Country cold cases, to strengthen law enforcement protocols, and work with tribes to improve investigations, information sharing and a more seamless response to missing persons investigations.

Tribal Listening Session Webinars are open to Tribal Leaders and others. Sessions will include a short presentation about the current activities of the task force, followed by a listening session.

Registration information for the following listening sessions is available at 

Tribes in Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)’s Eastern Region (Tribal land located in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and all states to the east coast)

Tribes in BIA’s Southern Plains, Southwest, Western and Rocky Mountain Regions (Tribal land located in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana and Wyoming)

Tribes in BIA’s Midwest and Great Plains Regions (Tribal land located in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska)

Tribes in BIA’s Pacific, Northwestern and Alaska Regions (Tribal land located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska)

Katharine (Katie) Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, designee for the Attorney General;

Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, designee for the Secretary of the Interior;

Terry Wade, Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation;

Laura Rogers, Acting Director, Office on Violence Against Women;

Charles (Charlie) Addington, Deputy Bureau Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services;

Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and

Jean (Jeannie) Hovland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs and Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and Human Services.

Marcia Good, of the Department of Justice, serves as the Executive Director of the Task Force. The Task Force will present a progress report to the President by Nov. 26, 2020, and a final report detailing its activities and accomplishments by Nov. 26, 2021.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of the Department of Justice at 

. 2020 also marks 171st anniversary of the Department of the Interior. Learn more about the history of DOI at 

PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE on missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives to resume remote listening sessions

This forum, hosted by the National Congress of American Indians, shares the stories of how four tribal governments are using CARES Act funding to protect their communities and help them recover in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shelley Buck, President, Prairie Island Indian Community Robbie McGhee, Vice Chairman, Poarch Band of Creek IndiansAnthony Sampson, Sr., Chairman, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Mike Williams, Chief, Akiak Native Community

Tribal Governments in Action: Leveraging the CARES Act for Response and Recovery Forum

 NCAI will be hosting “Census Roundtable Discussion: What’s Next with the 2020 Census in Indian Country.”

• To join, please register via this link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3816962719404290574

• To listen by phone, call (562) 247-8422 and use Attendee code 665-250-484.

This forum, hosted by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), will feature a discussion with top officials from the U.S. Census Bureau to discuss their commitment to a full and accurate count in Indian Country for the 2020 Census. This session will provide key operations information, communications and advertising updates, as well offer information for the audience on how to get involved with outreach in your local tribal communities.

Moderated by Lycia Maddocks, Vice President of External Affairs, NCAI

Dee Alexander, Tribal Affairs Coordinator, U.S . Census Bureau 

Timothy Olson, Associate Director for Field Operations, U.S. Census Bureau

Michael Gray, President and Creative Director, GnG Advertising

Matt Johnson and Saundra Mitrovich, Civic Engagement Team, NCAI

“Census Roundtable Discussion: What’s Next with the 2020 Census in Indian Country.”

We are pleased to offer the Artesian Online Art Market for 2020. The online market presents an opportunity to enjoy fine art from Southeastern First American artists from the comfort of your home. We are excited to share beautiful original works of art and connect buyers and First American artists. The Artesian Online Art Market will be available through July 31, 2020. Be sure to visit often as new art will be added throughout the online market.

Artesian Online Art Market


Good Medicine Comedy is a fundraiser benefiting tribal communities impacted by COVID-19. Native Americans and tribal communities have been some of the hardest hit by COVID-19 in the country, yet the federal government has thus-far offered only minimal aid. According to leading policy experts, it could be weeks or months before federal support reaches tribal nations who need it right now. All proceeds benefit the 

 COVID-19 Response Fund.

Our incredible lineup features some of the biggest names in Native comedy as well as nationally-recognized comedians who have signed on to support the cause, including: 

 (1491s), our host Jackie Keliiaa (Amazon Prime Video), with more comedians to come!

The big show will stream live Friday, May 22 at 8pm PT (9pm MT/10pm CT/11:00pm ET). Make a donation through Eventbrite (

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/good-medicine-comedy-fundraiser-tickets-105047102712

) to receive the livestream link. We suggest a $20 donation per viewer, but feel free to be more generous! Your tax-deductible donation saves lives and provides on the ground support to tribal nations in the fight against COVID-19.

Invite your friends to like our page and use 

Good Medicine Comedy Fundraiser

Learn the stories of how four tribal governments are using CARES Act funding to protect their communities and help them recover in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Register for the Tribal Governments in Action: Leveraging CARES Act Funding for Response and Recovery forum, happening tomorrow at 

Leveraging CARES Act Funding for Response and Recovery Forum

Facebook 101 Training
In light of the need to shift communications online given the growing concerns with in-person gatherings and outreach due to COVID-19, we would like to invite you to join a 101 webinar on best practices and engagement on Facebook. Join this level one training to learn about the latest tools, products and resources that you can use to connect and engage with your community, constituents and followers.

Facebook will cover how you can leverage tools like Charitable Giving, Live, Groups, Ads, and Pages to continue outreach and advocacy efforts during this uncertain time.

Facebook Best Practices for Native American Communities

The U.S. Census Bureau is hosting a listening

session with federally and state recognized

tribes, and American Indian and Alaska Native

This session provides updates on 2020 Census

operations, the 2020 Disclosure Avoidance

System (DAS) and the geographic hierarchy of

The new DAS uses more powerful techniques

For more information, contact Dee Alexander at

2020 Census Listening Session

Join NCAI'S Civic Engagement team in this webinar series for all the latest information on Census 2020 and voting issues in Indian Country. This week will feature a guest speaker discussing tribal Census best practices from Texas.

NCAI - Taking Action in 2020

NCAI Policy Research Center hosts the Tribal Epidemiology Centers: Critical Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic webinar

This forum will document the data and other evidence emerging from Indian Country about the nature and gravity of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on tribal nations, and their necessary implications for tribal governmental action and federal funding support.

NCAI - COVID-19: Economic Impacts and Implications for Indian Country Forum

Join the leadership of Indigenous Nations and tribes located on or near the international boundaries to discuss border-crossing issues and efforts to facilitate the mobility of indigenous peoples, while securing tribal lands and the United States.

For more information visit: Tribalborderalliance.org

The Tribal Border Alliance was created in late 2018 with the primary goal to protect Native Nations’ sovereignty. With the ongoing debate over immigration and border security, we knew the time was right to come together as tribal communities to protect our important tribal cultures and traditions.

In January 2019, leaders of Indigenous Nations and tribes located on or near the international boundaries of Canada, Mexico, and Russia met on the Pascua Yaqui reservation to discuss issues surrounding border crossing by our tribal members and the need to facilitate the mobility of indigenous people, all the while ensuring the security of tribal lands and the United States.

For more information regarding the Tribal Border Alliance, please contact Shanti Gomez at (520) 879-6293 or Stephanie Moreno at (520) 879-6238.

Second Tribal Border Alliance Conference

2nd Annual Tribal Border Summit

At Our Nations, Our Journeys we unite to support healthy Native communities through public health research, practice, and policy. Our one-and-a-half day forum is designed for tribal and urban Indian public health leaders, professionals, and students to share knowledge and promising practices. Our expert-led sessions will cover a range of topics from how we can improve public health data infrastructure in our communities to how we can aid the fight against the opioid epidemic. We encourage you to establish or reconnect with peers, share promising practices, and leave with a sense of renewed energy and inspiration. To register visit: https://

For further information, please contact: 

Our Nations, Our Journeys Indigenous Public Health Forum

: Congressional Town Hall on COVID-19 Legislative Efforts The National Congress of American Indians will host a town hall for tribal leaders to hear directly from members of Congress who fought for Indian Country’s inclusion in the third Congressional COVID-19 Package. 

Congressional Town Hall on COVID-19 Legislative efforts for Indian Country

The Department of Justice recently released a 

 to distribute over $100 million to tribes to support crime victim services. For the first time this year, the funding will be distributed via a formula to all eligible tribal governments. This year’s solicitation contains two separate deadlines for the pre-application and the full application. The first mandatory deadline is April 30, 2020.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) will be holding a webinar to discuss and answer questions concerning the mandatory pre-application for the 

20 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program

. This webinar will discuss the pre-application requirements, due Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 8pm ET.

Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 10am A.T./11am P.T./12pm M.T./1pm C.T./2pm E.T.

For the past three years, Congress has set aside hundreds of millions of dollars for tribal governments to meet the needs of crime victims in tribal communities. Over the past 13 months, OVC has conducted a series of tribal consultations and listening sessions to gather input from tribes regarding the Crime Victims Fund tribal victim services set-aside. In contrast to the Victims of Crime Act, allocations to states and territories for victim services that are set by statutory formula, the authorizing statute for the tribal set-aside program does not specify an allocation methodology. For the first time, OVC will allocate the FY 2020 funding by an interim discretionary administrative formula. NCAI and TLPI both encourage all tribal nations to consider applying for this funding.

Application for this funding opportunity has two 

 and a full application deadline of Monday, June 15, 2020. All tribal nations, including tribal nations who received funding through this program last year, are eligible to apply for this funding.

The funding can be used for a wide range of activities related to meeting the needs of crime victims in tribal communities, including but not limited to:

Tribal nations do not need to be exercising criminal jurisdiction or have a criminal court to apply for these grant funds.

Please note that this year’s OVC solicitation – 

which contains both a pre-application and a full-application with two different deadlines

 - is substantially different from last year’s solicitation, which was a one-step application.

DOJ hosted a pre-application webinar on April 7, 2020 which was recorded and available at 

. DOJ hosted another webinar on April 13, 2020, but and the materials will be posted at 

The PowerPoints from the April 7th webinar are available at 

. The transcript from the April 7th webinar is available at 

A detailed list of allowable and unallowable expenses can be found in Appendix A of the RFP at 

, with any questions or for more information.

NCAI/TLPI Webinar: FY20 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program - Mandatory Pre-Application

Late last week, the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs announced it will hold an online tribal consultation on 

 to hear Indian Country’s priorities for how DOI and other relevant federal agencies should immediately fix the gravely flawed inter-agency MOA governing the implementation of the 2017 Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act (commonly known as the “477” program).

For more information on the tribal consultation on April 15th and how to participate, please click 

To read the NCAI Resolution and Action Plan supporting immediate amendments to the inter-agency MOA, please click 

Vice President of Tribal Governance and Special Projects

Tribal Consultation on Flawed Inter-Agency MOA Governing “477” Tribal Workforce Development Law

Tribal Consultation regarding Tribal Employers’ Participation in the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) will hold Tribal Consultations on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, to engage tribal leaders wishing to comment on two provisions of the CARES Act: 

These meetings are Tribal Consultations with primary tribal leaders or their designee. The Tribal Consultations are off the record and not for press purposes. Primary tribal leaders are invited to provide comments and questions.

The Tribal Consultation on Tribal Employers’ Participation in the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program

 will be held Tuesday, April 14, 2020, from 

. The consultation will be held jointly with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Tribes have requested that Treasury and the SBA host a tribal consultation to provide comments regarding tribal employers’ participation in the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department. Treasury and the SBA welcomes the opportunity to hear from tribal leaders about this matter.

Primary tribal leaders are invited to address their concerns to Treasury. When joining the call, please let the operator know that you are a primary tribal leader and would like to make comments. All others are invited to join in listen-only mode.

Call-in number and passcode: 1-877 917-4910, code 8047202

The Tribal Consultation on Tribal Employers’ Eligibility for the CARES Act Employee Retention Credit will be held Tuesday, April 14, 2020, from 3:00 p.m. ET to 4:00 p.m. ET

Tribes have requested that the Treasury Department and the IRS clarify whether tribal businesses are eligible to claim the Employee Retention Credit under the CARES Act. This tax credit encourages eligible employers not participating in the Paycheck Protection Program and that operated a trade or business to keep their employees on payroll, despite experiencing economic hardship related to COVID-19. Eligible employers may qualify for a refundable tax credit that partially reimburses them for the wages that they pay their employees, up to specified limits. Treasury welcomes the opportunity to hear from tribal leaders about this matter.

Call-in number and passcode: 1-888 957-9845, code 1480655

If you have difficulty registering or have any other inquiries concerning the Listening Session meeting, please email tribal.consult@treasury.gov.

Written comments are always welcome at tribal.consult@treasury.gov. If you have any questions, please email us at tribal.consult@treasury.gov.

U.S. Department of the Treasury Tribal Consultations-CARES Act

Issues Affecting Native American Communities During the COVID-19 Crisis

ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice

ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice

ABA Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence

ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities

ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division

ABA Section of State and Local Government Law

Federal Covid-19 Legislation & Advocacy

RGG Services has been contracted by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide Native American small businesses specialized training to address economic and business development issues and to help implement actions to improve their community.

The 

https://www.rgg-services.com/small-business-workshops

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