ASU American Indian Policy Institute Forms and Appoints Inaugural Board of Directors
For Immediate Release
Contact: Traci Morris, t.morris@asu.edu
Tempe, Ariz. (January 12, 2016) – Dr. Traci Morris, Director of the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) at Arizona State University is pleased to announce the formation of a Board of Directors and the appointment of inaugural board members.
"I am very excited to lead change and envision the growth of AIPI to the next level. I'm honored to work with the leaders that have joined me on this path and in this commitment to Indian Country," said Director Morris.
The Arizona State University American Indian Policy Institute is an applied policy program leveraging ASU thought leadership via a reciprocal transdisciplinary model, infusing Native knowledge in the academy, and engaging Tribal Nations in building community partnerships in order to inspire the Seventh generation of leaders.
Members of the AIPI BOD offered their thoughts the importance of the work of AIPI and their appointment to the BOD:
Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor of the Gila River Indian Community stated, “I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to serve as a board member of the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University (ASU). I look forward to serving with my fellow board members in order to support ASU and tribal communities in the areas of research, policy analysis, and education. It is vital that tribal communities and academia come together and share their respective viewpoints to formulate policy that supports tribal endeavors and protects tribal sovereignty.”
"As a scholar and professor of Federal Indian law, I am incredibly excited to be part of the AIPI Board and I am very honored to work with Traci Morris, whose visionary leadership will take the AIPI into a new generation of policy work on behalf of American Indian and Alaska Native Nations. I am honored to be part of this talented and distinguished Board, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity," said Rebecca Tsosie, Regents Professor of Law and Vice Provost for Inclusion and Community Engagement at ASU.
"AIPI serves a critical purpose in the Southwest Region with the potential to inform tribal policy and regional decision-making through strategic analysis and capacity building. Regional capacity is essential to bolster and inform the work of NCAI at a national and international level.” said Jacqueline Pata, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians.
It is an honor and privilege to be appointed to the Board of the American Indian Policy Institute at ASU. I applaud ASU for their enduring endeavors to strengthen their relations with the national Native community and their consultation and coordination with Tribal Nations. I look forward to working with such a distinguished group of leaders on the Board and within the Institute, and to our efforts supporting AIPI’s mission of infusing Native knowledge in the ASU academia, vision of Tribally-driven participatory research, and values to be thought leaders in Tribal communications policy and applied media to elevating Tribal Nations," stated Geoffrey Blackwell of Amerind Risk.
“Traci Morris and I first collaborated on her groundbreaking research for the seminal study, 'New Media, Technology, and Internet Use in Indian Country,'” stated Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University and X-lab Director. "With Traci's leadership, AIPI is positioned to be at the forefront of federal/tribal policy-making and it is an honor to work with her and the remarkable Advisory Board she has recruited.”
“The American Indian Policy Institute is a critical resource for research on issues in Indian Country and on tribal governance. In particular, the AIPI’s leadership on digital inclusion and broadband research stands out nationally, and touches core issues of empowerment and the future for Indigenous communities,” said Karen Mossberger, Director and Professor, ASU School of Public Affairs.
"I'm looking forward to being part of such an amazing board to help develop a much needed Institute for change. This is an important step in policy-making for Indian Country," said Matthew Rantanen, Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, FCC Tribal Leader Task Force, NCAI Telecom Subcommittee co-chair.
Kathleen Rosier, Director of the Indian Legal Program in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law stated, “I am excited to be appointed to the AIPI Advisory Board. The Indian Legal Program has been a long time partner of the Institute and I am proud to participate in a more formal manner. Traci has assembled a talented team of people to build on the Institute's past success and create new opportunities. I am excited to be a part of what is next.”
“I am humbled and honored to serve on the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) Advisory Board of Directors. AIPI focuses on the intersection of technology, culture, and sovereignty within tribal communities and seeks to foster innovation and empowerment in Indian Country. These are areas in which Cherokee Nation has demonstrated its leadership throughout its history, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the mission of AIPI,” said Roy Boney, Director of Language Programs at Cherokee Nation.
The full list of appointed board members includes:
ASU Leadership: Dr. Eddie Brown, Former Director, ASU AIPI and ASU American Indian Studies; Jacob Moore, ASU Assistant Vice President of Tribal Relations; Dr. Bryan Brayboy, ASU Special Advisor to President Crow on American Indian Affairs, Director, Associate Director of ASU School or Social Transformation, Director of the Center for Indian Education; Rebecca Tsosie, ASU Regents Professor of Law, Vice Provost for Inclusion and Community Engagement; John W. Tippeconnic, Director and Professor of ASU American Indian Studies; Kathleen Rosier, Executive Director, ASU Indian Legal Program; Dr. Karen Mossberger, Professor and Director, ASU School of Public Affairs; and, Dr. Kim Scott,Founder and Executive Director, ASU Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology and founder of Compugirls.org.
External Leadership: Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community; Councilman Marcelino Flores, Pasqua Yaqui Tribe; Jacqueline Pata, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians; Patricia Hibbeler, Executive Director, Phoenix Indian Center; Maria Dadgar, Executive Director, Intertribal Council of Arizona; Geoffrey Blackwell, Chief Strategic Officer and General Council, Amerind Risk; Dante Desiderio, Executive Director, Native American Finance Officers Association; Jamie Fullmer, Chairman of Bluestone Strategies Group; Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University and X-Lab Director; Matthew Rantanen, Director of Technology, Southern California Tribal Chairmans Association, FCC Tribal Leader Task Force, NCAI Telecommunications Subcommittee co-chair; Roy Boney, Director, Language Programs, Cherokee Nation; and, Nathan Pryor, Government Relations Manager, Maricopa Association of Governments.
The American Indian Policy Institute is fully committed to tribally-driven participatory research in which tribal governments identify their own research needs and seek out collaborations with the university. As part of tribally-driven participatory research, the American Indian Policy Institute responds to tribal research direction and empowers tribes, tribal communities and American Indian students through projects that support self-determination and build tribal capacity.
AIPI was established as a core element of President Michael Crow’s American Indian Initiative. In 2007, the Arizona Board of Regents approved the new institute; Dr. Eddie Brown (Pascua-Yaqui/Tohono O’odham) and Professor Kevin Gover (Pawnee/Comanche) became the co-Executive Directors. In 2008, Professor Gover became the Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian and in 2016, Dr. Eddie Brown Retired from ASU though remains on the AIPI BOD.