Tribal Community Involvement, Advisory Committees and Coalitions

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Tribal Community Involvement, Advisory Committees
and Coalitions

• Brenda Brandon
• Technical Outreach Services for Native American
  Communities
• Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center

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Tribal Community Involvement in Risk
Communication Plan

• Tribal Council Representatives
• Tribal Environmental Professionals
• Staff from supporting Tribal Departments and
  Tribal Entities
• Locally impacted community members
• Cultural Committee Members - Tribal Elders and
  Youth

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Inviting Community Involvement

• Find interested groups and individuals
• Consider those most impacted by issue
• Use different methods- invite involvement
• Invite community to meetings- use media, flyers,
  talk with local groups
• Ask for volunteers
• Conduct surveys
• Organize activities on local issues
• Talk with family, neighbors, friends

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Methods of Involving Tribal Community

• Tribal departmental meetings
• Public hearings
• District or targeted public meetings
• Surveys - written and Face to Face
• Media - newspaper, radio, mailings, postings
• Web page

5
Commitment to Community Involvement

• Success is built on commitment of individuals to
  work with group
• Does not have to be a single leader
• Invite diversity of talents- no effort is too
  small
• Community activities can revolve around years of
  research, discussion, networking efforts,
  meetings and even struggles
• Communicate progress- shape next steps

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Common Sense Leadership

• Choose leaders who are inclusive and inviting
• Strength in numbers
• Stick together
• Keep Elders involved

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Distribute Tasks

• Use working groups or committees to address
  issues
• Make relationships with technical experts
• Communicate and network with agencies and other
  organizations
• Review documents
• Monitor changes in operation

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Community Advisory Committee
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Responsibilities of Advisory Committee

• Focused work
• Participate in meetings
• Provide information about issues/concerns to
  committee and to public
• Represent the community members honestly
• Select leader(s) or Chairperson

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Responsibility of Chairperson

• Encourage open and constructive participation
• Ensure community concerns are raised and
  discussed
• Achieve consensus among Advisory Committee
  members

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Advisory Committee Tasks

• Develop mission statement
• Describe purpose, scope, goals, and objectives
• Develop procedures to
• Fill membership vacancies
• Hold meetings
• Review and comment upon documents and other
  materials

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Selection Methods for Committee Members

• Selected by community meeting members
• Self-nominated
• Individuals nominated by Tribal government or
  department
• Individuals with history of involvement
• Core group can nominate individuals
• Agencies can review membership and advise

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Advisory Committee Meetings

• Open to Public and announced
• Frequency and location is based on needs
• Format may vary
• Update status of site or situation
• Discuss current issues
• Build capacity with additional training
• Work group focus
• Question and answer session with public
• Review action items and discuss next meeting

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Who to Invite to Public Meetings

• Represent diverse interests
• Fully represent community
• Represent those most affected
• Pull in local experts
• Provide quality leadership skills
• Any and all with commitment to work together for
  common goal

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Steps to Success

• Identify interested and affected community
  members at the start
• Build upon local partnerships
• Identify available resources
• Create opportunity to build Tribal capacity
• Learn from past experience

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Building Capacity
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Training Builds Capacity

• Invite experts to contribute to trainings
• State and Federal Agencies
• Local and Tribal government representatives
• University Partners
• Provides information about
• Technical issues
• Briefing materials about process
• Collaboration and consensus building
  opportunities

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Tribal Coalitions

• Organization of Tribes and possibly other
  interested groups
• Address a common interest
• Bring experts and active interested parties
  together to tackle problems
• Provide different perspectives that lend to
  greater accomplishments working together

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Mni Sose Intertribal Water Rights Coalition
(est.1993)

• The Mni Sose Intertribal Water Rights Coalition
  assists Tribes in the protection of their rights
  to the use of Missouri River water, tributaries,
  and groundwater located on, near, and under their
  respective reservations. The Coalition also
  addresses all issues and matters related to their
  reserved water rights in a broad and
  comprehensive manner.
• http//www.mnisose.org/
• P.O. Box 2890 514 Mt. Rushmore Road Rapid
  City, SD 57709-2890

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MNI SOSE'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The Army Corps of Engineers' Master Water Control
  Manual
• Low-cost hydropower generated by the Missouri
  River flood control system
• McCarran Amendment- monitoring current activities
• Technical Assistance to Tribes
• Environmental Protection- analysis of laws,
  pending legislation, training in environmental
  protection strategies

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Tribal Environmental Coalition of Oklahoma

• Based at University of Tulsa, College of Law
• Attend environmental conferences
• Attend public meetings address local contaminant
  issues
• Provide Web Board- chat line
• http//www.law.utulsa.edu8080/tems/teco/board

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• Attend Conferences
• Collaborate with University Partners
• Assist to coordinate trainings
• Clearinghouse Water Rights and EJ
• 42143 Avenida Alvarado Unit 2ATemecula, CA
  92590Phone [phone]Toll Free (877)
  739-9243http//www.naepc.com/index.php

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www.tosnac.org

• Technical Outreach
• Services for Native
• American Communities
• (TOSNAC)
• BrendaBrandon_at_msn.com
• Toll Free 1 [phone]