Native American Affairs

Training

Upcoming Trainings

A DoD American Indian Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (AICCCC) for Action Officers is scheduled for April 19-21, 2023, at Naval Air Station Fallon in Fallon, Nevada.  American Indian specialists in local history, culture, intercultural communication, consultation, and legal experts will teach this acclaimed training. This free introductory course provides valuable information for uniformed and civilian DoD employees whose work may have an effect on Indian tribes.  Information on how to register for the training is included in the attachment.

Training Overview

Effective communication and consultation is critical to working with American Indians and Alaska Native tribal governments. To facilitate greater understanding of tribal culture and Federal policies for working with tribal governments, DoD offers several courses that highlight the requirements of DoD’s American Indian and Alaska Native Policy and other relevant laws impacting the Department’s relationships with tribal governments. These courses provide DoD military and civilian staff with a greater understanding of diverse tribal cultures and the communication requirements that are essential to successful consultations with tribes. DoD trainings cover numerous topics essential to successful tribal consultation including, but not limited to:

  • Overview of Federal Law & Policies and Indigenous Peoples
  • Key Laws that Trigger Consultation
  • Trust Responsibilities and Treaty Rights
  • Applied Consultation
  • Overview of Native American Cultures
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Best Practices and Case Studies

In addition to the trainings listed below, the DoD also provides tailored versions of these courses to better accommodate specific audiences and/or regional circumstances. To find out more information about hosting a DoD training at a specific installation, please contact the Senior Advisor and Liaison for Native American Affairs.

Training Programs

American Indian Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (AICCCC)
This introductory seminar/workshop provides valuable information for DoD employees whose work could affect Indian tribes and for those already working with tribes and tribal members. The training includes: History of Indian laws and the legal basis for DoD American Indian and Alaska Native Policy; Federal law and policies that impact DoD relationships with Indian tribes; Explanation of DoD’s Instruction 4710.02: DoD Interactions with Federally Recognized Tribes; Introduction to tribal concepts and cultures; Intercultural communication practices; and Strategies and steps for consulting with tribes.

Native Hawaiian Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (NHCCCC)
This introductory seminar/workshop provides valuable information for DoD employees whose work could affect Native Hawaiians and for those already working with Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian Organizations. The training includes: Hawaiian history; Introduction to Hawaiian concepts and cultures; Resources of special importance to Hawaiians; Federal laws, regulations, and policies that impact DoD consultation relationships with Native Hawaiian Organizations; Explanation of responsibilities in DoDI 4710.03: Consultation With Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs); Intercultural communications and relationship building; and Strategies and practical steps for consulting with Native Hawaiians.

Alaska Native Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (ANCCCC)
This introductory course provides valuable information for DoD employees whose work could affect Alaska Natives and for those already working with Alaska Native peoples and their governments. The training includes: History of Alaska Native law and the legal basis for DoD policy; Federal law and policies that impact DoD relationships with Alaska Native entities; Introduction to Alaska Native cultures and concepts; Intercultural communication; Strategies and steps for consulting with Alaska Native governments.

Online Trainings and Webinars

Webinar: Federal Indian Law, Treaty Rights and Trust Responsibilities

This webinar was presented on September 14, 2022 by Mr. Derrick Beetso. Mr. Beetso serves as the Director of the Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance Programs at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

           Webinar Recording (MP4)

           Presentation Slide Deck (PDF)

Working Effectively with American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments
The course was initially developed by the Interagency Indian Affairs Executive Working Group and released in January 2008, as a White House E-Government and Technologies Initiative, with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The updated program launch in March 2022 and is presented by a working group consisting of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Office of Native American Affairs; the Department of Justice’s National Indian Country Training Initiative; and the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services; and with hosting and delivery support provided by the OPM USALearning program office.

Online Sacred Sites Training
This training video for federal employees and contractors was developed in coordination with subject matter experts from across the Federal Government, Indian Country, Academia and Tribal Advocacy Groups. This training was finalized in Fall 2016 with assistance from the Department of Justice’s National Indian Country Training Initiative.

NAGPRA Training
The NAGPRA Video Project began in October 2008 with the mission to create a training series that would include grant-writing tips, first-person narratives, program statistics, anecdotal evidence, and in-depth, engaging coverage of the entirety of the law and its consequences. The National NAGPRA Program has conducted fifty interviews in ten cities across the country. These interviews with tribal members, museum officials and Federal agency representatives have created a historic archive of resources on consultation, grants, notices, law making, dispositions, documentation and repatriation. Production on the NAGPRA Video series is complete. Some of the videos have been shown to the Review Committee. The segment “History of NAGPRA” premiered during the NAGPRA at 20 Symposium. The entire eight-segment series is now available to the public on demand, through the National NAGPRA Program’s Official YouTube Channel.