In November 2013, FirstNet met with Native leaders and professionals from Indian Country and Alaska to discuss effective communications for outreach and education with tribal nations. That conversation provided a background for our understanding of tribal governments, guidance in our messaging, and identification of key forums to focus our early engagement, such as the national and regional tribal association meetings. Since then, our efforts have expanded and led to the formal designation of a Tribal Working Group (TWG) by the FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC).
The PSAC convened its first TWG meeting on Sunday, February 22 in Washington, D.C., working to establish goals and objectives towards ensuring full participation by federally recognized tribes in the nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN). Braving a winter storm that snarled traffic and caused the cancellation of many flights into Dulles International Airport, six TWG members from tribal organizations throughout the country managed to gather: Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), Randell Harris (Tlingit); Alaska Inter-tribal Council (AITC), Heather Hudson, Ph.D.; Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Regional Association (ARA), Gerad Godfrey (Alutiiq); American Public Health Association (APHA) — American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian (AI/AN/NH) Caucus, Michael Bird (Kewa and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblos); Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association (SCTCA), Adam Geisler, Hon. (La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians); and Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), J Scott Stewart.
During the meeting there was a focused conversation about collecting vital data from tribes by way of the ongoing state-level consultations. The TWG formally requested to meet with SPOCs from states that have a tribal presence at an upcoming gathering of SPOCs from all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia in mid-April 2015 in Reston, Virginia.
Additional discussions during the meeting included how FirstNet will explore a culturally aligned education & outreach multimedia campaign. Meeting attendees also discussed the untapped groups whose unique stake in public safety and related services could help foster inclusive consultation strategies and diverse outreach events. Among these was the Navajo Nation, whose multistate reservation boundary and population size would contribute an important perspective. The PSAC committed to extending an invitation to them to nominate a delegate to the TWG.
Among those present was FirstNet Board member Kevin McGinnis. Kevin has crisscrossed the country as the Board’s tribal liaison. He stressed the priority that FirstNet places on inclusive consultation as evidenced by two soon-to-be-posted full-time regional tribal government liaison positions. Others in attendance included TJ Kennedy, Acting Executive Director of FirstNet; Amanda Hilliard, Director of FirstNet Outreach; PSAC Chairman Harlin McEwen; and PSAC Executive Committee member Niles Ford, who is the Fire Chief of the City of Baltimore (Maryland).
FirstNet can learn a lot from tribes, whose status as sovereign nations with traditions, cultures, distinct governance structures, specialized telecommunications projects, and varied public safety services and partnerships will serve to strengthen the effectiveness of the NPSBN. We will continue to work hard to understand tribes’ needs, as well as the funding mechanisms to satisfy such needs. We also are dedicated to providing tribal nations and their associated SPOCs suitable support. It’s imperative that the tribes and states engage early and often in the current planning process so that the network that is deployed meets their shared needs.
