Past Events, Conferences & Trainings
Legacy of The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA)
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) has been one the most effective inter-tribal organizations in the United States, since its inception after World War II. Despite its significance, there are no written histories of ITCA and little documentary research on the Association. The American Indian Policy Institute and the ASU Labriola National American Indian Data Center worked with ITCA to conduct archival research including identification of historical documents in various archives and cataloguing archival documents at the ITCA offices. With funding from the Arizona Humanities Council, the project sponsored a public panel discussion on December 6, 2012 (click here to view flyer) and will conduct a second discussion with tribal leaders in May 2013.
Summer Interns from Tohono O’odham Community researched solar energy
During the summer of 2012, the American Indian Policy Institute hosted two interns from the Tohono O’odham Community College participating in the ASU QESST summer program. During their internships, Hilario Pio-Martinez and Victoria Chavez, students at TOCC, researched the laws, policies and economic factors affecting the development of renewable energy in Indian Country and, specifically in the Tohono O’odham Nation. The TOCC students developed a poster based on their research that they presented at the QESST poster session at the end of the summer program. The students also presented their poster at the 2012 AISES conference in Alaska.
US EPA Assistant Administrator for Pesticides and Toxic Substances spoke at ASU
Steve Owens, the US EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Pesticide Programs and Toxic Substances, spoke on February 16 2010 at the ASU Law School in Professor of Law Gary Marchant’s class on Nanotechnology, Law and Policy. Assistant Administrator Owens’ presentation was co-hosted by the ASU American Indian Policy Institute as well as the Center for Law, Science & Innovation and the Indian Legal Program in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
Assistant Administrator Owens is the former director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and was an attorney in private practice for many years. He will be speaking on technology and toxics as well as on tribal pesticide regulatory programs.
Navajo Nation Government Forum
October 28, 2009
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Great Hall" Lecture Room, ASU
ASU Sponsors:
- Indian Legal Program
- American Indian Policy Institute
- American Indian Student Sipport Services
- Multicultural Student Services
- ASU Navajo Students For politics Committee
- Phoenix Indian Center
- American Indian Council
Tribal Financial Manager Certificate Program
The inaugural program was held on September 2009 at ASU Tempe Campus!
The second annual program was held on May 18th - 20th 2010.
See what ASU News has to say about the TFMC program!
National Congress of American Indians
2009 Mid-Year Conference
"Tribal Nations Investing in the Future"
Niagara Falls, NY
June 14-17, 2009
- Joint Air Toxics Assessment Project: A Successful Multi-jurisdictional Environmental Science Research Partnership
~ Patricia Mariella, Ph.D., Director, American Indian Policy Institute, Arizona State Univ.
~ Margaret Cook, Director, Gila River Indian Community Dept. of Environmental Quality
~ Ondrea Barber, Interim Director, Environmental and Natural Resoruces Dept., Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Environmental Workshop
May 27, 2009
The application of federal environmental law in Indian Country was the focus of a recent workshop presented by the ASU American Indian Policy Institute and the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. The workshop was held May 27 for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Department in the state-of-art training room at the new Salt River government complex.
Ann Marie Downes, an attorney and director of the Indian Legal Program Graduate Programs in the College of Law, and Patricia Mariella, the institute's director, conducted the workshop.
Among discussion topics were well-known cases in Indian law, including Dura v. Reina, which originated on the Salt River-Maricopa Indian Community. Other discussion centered on the development of federal Indian policy, civil and regulatory jurisdictional issues.
The workshop is the first of several on environmental compliance and enforcement that the Institute will be conducting with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, according to Mariella.
"The community is a national leader in tribal environmental management, having been the first to develop a pesticide regulatory program in the late 1970s," she said.
ASU's American Indian Policy Institute provides technical assistance for tribal governments in the development of policies, law and structure. It also provides information to state, local and federal policymakers concerning Indian law and policy.
Y.E.S. Academy
The 2009 Y.E.S. Academy for high school youth from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community was held June 3-6.
December 2008 Events
American Indian Policy Institute and the Law school honor first Native American regent
New Arizona Board of Regents member LuAnn Leonard (Right) is congratulated by friends and colleagues during a reception held in her honor at the ASU School of Law Armstrong rotunda on the Tempe campus on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.
State Press Article on LuAnn Leonard
Tribal Planning Workshops 2008 and 2009
View the Tribal Planning Workshop Report
Navajo Nation Presidential Debate, October 2006
The Policy Institute co-sponsored the Phoenix-area Navajo Nation Presidential Debate with the Indian Legal Program, the Labriola National American Indian Data Center, the Office of American Indian Initiatives, and the Phoenix Indian Center. The Policy Institute assisted in setting up interviews of both candidates that were broadcast by KAET-TV. In addition, there were articles about the debate in the Arizona Republic, Navajo Times and Indian Country Today. The Labriola Center video taped the debate and posted it on its website; the historic debate is now permanently archived at ASU. Over 500 people attended the debate which was held at the College of Law. The Navajo Nation stationed registrars for the tribal election outside the debate hall and the Policy Institute provided voter information and voter registration forms for the local and national elections on near-by tables. The Phoenix Indian Center and Navajo Nation estimated that the debate resulted in a 12% increase in voter registration of urban Navajo voters.
Administrative Law Conference - Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
The Policy Institute was a co-sponsor of the Continuing Legal Education Conference conducted by the Indian Legal Program in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Dr. Mariella made a presentation on developing tribal administrative procedures at the conference and continues to receive numerous requests for information from tribal staff throughout the U.S. looking to develop administrative procedures.
Co-sponsor of National American Indian Economic Policy Summit
The Policy Institute was one of a number of co-sponsors of the National American Indian Economic Policy Summit that was held in Phoenix in May 2007. The Summit was a nationwide effort by federal agencies, the White House tribal workgroup and the National Congress of American Indians to bring together experts to develop strategies for removing remaining barriers to economic development in Indian Country. Professor Kevin Gover, Co-Executive Director, was invited to write the Summit Policy Paper on ‘Legal Barriers to Economic Development’ and presented the paper in a major panel session at the Summit. This significant policy paper is posted on the Policy Institute’s website and is included in our informational packets. Dr. Eddie Brown, Co-Executive Director, was the facilitator for the final session of the Summit that developed specific recommendations.
Municipal Intergovernmental Affairs
The intergovernmental liaison of a major municipality met with the Policy Institute director to discuss ways to enhance tribal-city relations. Following this discussion, the Intergovernmental Office invited the Policy Institute to an annual retreat for a discussion on working with tribes in the Valley. The Policy Institute and the Indian Legal Program joined the retreat discussion and presented a short workshop on “Working Effectively with Tribal Governments”. The Policy Institute is available to conduct a workshop in half-day ‘power’ sessions as well as full and two-day sessions.
Work Session for State Agency Tribal Liaisons
Governor Napolitano’s Tribal Policy Advisor and the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs asked the Policy Institute to conduct a work session on ‘Coordination with tribal Governments’ for the annual retreat of Arizona agency tribal liaisons.
Visit by Gila River Indian Community Elderly
In meetings with the Curator of the Labriola National American Indian Data Center, the Policy Institute director learned that the Labriola Center had a significant collection of oral history tapes of Ralph Cameron. Mr. Cameron is one of the most noted Maricopa tribal experts who had lived in District 7 of the Gila River Indian Community until his death several years ago. The Policy Institute invited the District 7 Elderly to visit the Labriola and Policy Institute. The Elderly responded immediately and the Policy Institute and Labriola Center worked together to host a day-long visit by the Elderly to listen to the tapes, discuss them over lunch and visit the Policy Institute.
Expert Testimony
A tribal government in Arizona requested Director Mariella provide expert testimony in the federal District Court (Phoenix) on two lawsuits with far-reaching implications for tribal zoning jurisdiction. Dr. Mariella provided testimony on tribal environmental regulation and challenges with cross-jurisdictional land use compatibility.
US EPA Workshops on State-Tribal Cooperation in Air Quality Regulation
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contracted with the Director of the Policy Institute to be a key faculty for a workshop in Oklahoma on State-Tribal Cooperation to improve air quality. Dr. Mariella discussed the Arizona DEQ Tribal Consultation Policy, often considered a model in state-tribal relations. Dr. Mariella developed the policy as part of her work at the ADEQ in the early 1990’s.
Panel Session for Annual State-Tribal Nations Legislative Day
The AZ Commission of Indian Affairs invited the Policy Institute to conduct a panel session for the Annual State-Tribal Nations Legislative Day at the Capital (January 2008). The panel session, “Current issues in State-Tribal Agreements”, was facilitated by the Policy Institute Executive Director and included a representative from the Arizona Attorney General’s office, a tribal attorney and a Policy Institute Research Analyst.
Conference on the 20th Anniversary of the Arizona Environmental Quality Act
The Arizona Water Resources Research Council invited Dr. Mariella to be a member of the final panel at their Conference celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Arizona Environmental Quality Act, held in June 2006. The final session was on the future of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Dr. Mariella discussed the role of tribal governments as leaders in environmental management and regulation.
Workshops on Health and Air Quality
The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals at Northern Arizona University contracted with the Policy Institute Director to be a faculty/presenter at a series of workshops on Health and Air Quality for tribal environmental staff. These workshops were held in Oregon and Arizona in 2006. Dr. Mariella presented information on risk assessment and risk communication and worked with the participants on case studies.
Radon Presentation at ‘Construction in Indian Country 2008 Conference’
The Policy Institute coordinated a presentation by the US EPA Radon Program Outreach Manager at the 2008 Construction in Indian Country Conference. This annual conference is sponsored by the Del E Webb School of Construction and the Office of American Indian Initiatives at ASU and is attended by tribal administrators and construction firms from throughout the United States.
Special Lecture on Digitization of Tribal Collections
At the request of the College of Law, the Policy Institute coordinated and sponsored a special lecture by the Curator of the University Of Pennsylvania Museum on digitization of American Indian collections. The lecture was well attended by ASU faculty and Labriola staff who are working on a major digitization project. The Policy Institute has provided several letters of support to proposals developed by the Labriola Center for funding to expand their digitization project; the invited lecture increased the national presence of ASU and the Labriola Center in the field of collections digitization, further supporting the effort to obtain increased funding.
Simon J Ortiz – Labriola Indigenous Speaker Series Native Speaker Series
The American Indian Policy Institute is a co-sponsor of the Simon J. Ortiz-Labriola Indigenous Speaker Series at ASU. The English Department and American Indian Studies are the core sponsors of this Native Speaker Series that brings outstanding Native scholars and leaders to campus and the broader community. Each speaker will participate in several presentations to students and faculty culminating in a lecture/event for the wider community, often held at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ.
Planning Team Partner, Session Organizer and Moderator for 2007 Arizona Indian Town Hall
Dr. Karen Jarratt-Snider, Senior Research Analyst was a core member of the planning team for the Arizona Indian Town Hall that is conducted annually by the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs. Dr. Jarratt-Snider also organized and moderated a session on agency consultation with tribal governments for the Town Hall.
Co-Sponsor of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 20th Anniversary Conference
The Policy Institute was a co-sponsor of the 20th Anniversary of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Conference conducted by the Indian Legal Program in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in October 2008. The Policy Institute staffed a national committee that selected six Indian Gaming Pathbreakers who were given awards at the Conference.
