ATNI Postion Announcement: Project Coordinator

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Position Description

Interdisciplinary Research Leaders-Team Akiak

Project Coordinator (Part-time contract)

TITLE: PROJECT COORDINATOR (Contract Position)

HOURS: Up to 20 hours per week

LOCATION: Remote within the Greater Northwest and Western Alaska

PAY RANGE: $28-30 per hour (No benefits included)

SUBMISSION DATE: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 5 PM (PT)

Job Description:  PROJECT COORDINATOR

This position is open to interested contractors.  Serious part-time applicants please send a cover letter, resume/CV and three references (name, title, organization, email, phone) to James Parker of ATNI at jparker@atnitribes.org by March 24, 2021 at 5 PM (PST).   This is in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Project Overview

This study builds on an established community partnership between our interdisciplinary team and an Alaskan Native community.  This study embodies Indigenous research methodologies including ethical tribal engagement at all stages of research design, implementation, dissemination and policy impact.  Our work will yield two broad results: water quality data on local watersheds and a better understanding about how environmentally related stress experienced by the Alaska Native community is impacting their health.  In addition,we will initiate extensive conversations around the topics of water and health by building a network of tribal leaders and policy makers to prioritize their local needs and to identify culturally grounded solutions.

Who are we? 

This study is a community-academic partnership endeavor between ATNI, University of Washington and an Alaska Native community. Through this partnership ATNI has an outstanding opportunity for a Project Coordinator reporting to the Project Director for the environmental research project, “A Holistic Environmental Health Approach to Promoting Health, Equity and Water Security in one Alaska Native Village.”

Position Purpose

The primary purpose of this Project Coordinator position is to provide research project coordination and support for a research team across ATNI, University of Washington and an Alaska Native community to achieve the aims of the environmental health study. The Project Coordinator works under the general direction of the Project Director, and provides overall coordination. 

Under the guidance of the Project Director, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for day-to-day administration of the project. This will include, but is not limited to, scheduling virtual and in-person meetings, record keeping, assisting with coordinating data collection and arranging water quality data testing in labs among partnering institutions, assuring fidelity to data collection protocols, ordering supplies, and managing travel arrangements. Additionally, he/she/they will provide logistical support for quantitative and qualitative data collection in the Pacific Northwest and Alaskan sites. He/she/they will also generate progress reports to funders and Tribal partners, create posters and other communication tools, and coordinate dissemination of research results at the community-level, as well as support the research team in publication of research results. This position requires a high degree of flexibility and tact, the ability to work with a wide range of community and academic partners, and experience developing, implementing, and monitoring research protocols.

Position Dimensions

The part-time (up to 20 hours per week) position bridges the often wide gap – real and perceived – between academia and community, especially with respect to environment health research. By building mutual trusting relationships between academia and communities, both parties will be able to address environmental health disparities to the mutual benefit of community well-being, as well as academic research.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities for the study include but are not limited to:

  • Work with the Principal Investigators to design and implement the various phases of the research project.
  • Coordinate work plans to meet strategic objectives for continued partnership engagement, recruitment of participants, focus groups, water sample, online survey development, data collection, data analysis and dissemination.
  • Assess unique research approval mechanisms for the UW and the partnering tribes, identify diverse approval steps, and complete all necessary processes (including IRB applications, administrative letters, and tribal resolutions) to obtain research approval from partner tribes. 
  • Assist the team in establishing protocols to standardize daily operating procedures and promoting an organizational culture that is transparent and accountable to all stakeholders.
  • Organize, maintain and revise project files and the large number of documents within those files.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Information School, American Indian or Indigenous Studies, Environmental Science, Public Health, Psychology, Tribal Colleges and Universities or related field and 2-3 years of relevant experience to include:

  • At least 2 years of Community-Based Participatory Research education and/or experience
  • At least 2 years of work with American Indian/Alaskan Native communities 
  • Strong project management skills, including meeting scheduling, travel logistics and financial reconciliation
  • Knowledge and prior experience with human subjects institutional review process
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Zoom, References and Bibliography software (e.g., Endnote)
  • Strong commitment to social justice and experience partnering with under-served communities for purposes of health equity 
  • Ability to work independently, prioritize and manage multiple tasks, and conduct follow-up
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken), with demonstrated ability to earn trust and respect of colleagues and partners at all levels and from diverse backgrounds and cultures
  • Flexibility with shifting priorities and competing demands 
  • Ability to work as a collaborative, cooperative, and congenial member of an interdisciplinary research team, as well as work independently.   

Desired

Experience in tracking, completing and revising research ethics and project recruitment materials in tribal settings.  

Start and End Dates

The position is open immediately, March 15, 2021, with funding guaranteed through Sep 1, 2023. 

Job-Description-for-Project-CoordinatorDownload

U.S. Department of Energy Announces Formal Process to Request Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs Cost-Share Reduction

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Requests due no later than December 3, 2020 

On October 30, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (OIEPP) announced a formalized process for tribal nations and eligible tribal entities to request cost-share reductions under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. OIEPP provides funding for technical assistance and financial assistance to tribal nations and eligible tribal entities to develop, plan, and implement energy projects.
OIEPP will accept cost-share reduction requests within the next 30 days – due no later than December 3, 2020 – and will review requests in the order they are received.
For more information about the cost share reduction, click here.
NCAI Contact Info: Darren Modzelewski, Policy Counsel, dmodzelewski@ncai.org

Register for Today’s Webinar on Energy Efficiency Basics

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Register for Today’s Webinar on Energy Efficiency Basics
Feb. 26, 2020

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs is pleased to sponsor the 2020 Tribal Energy Webinar Series with the theme of “How to…” Intended for tribal leaders, tribal staff, and others interested in energy development in Indian Country, the monthly webinars will focus on how to accomplish specific tasks related to energy development on tribal lands. Presenters will provide instruction and share tools and resources. Tribal case studies will emphasize the processes and tools used rather than the specific details of a particular project. Ten webinars will be offered at no cost, with most webinars scheduled at 11 a.m. Mountain Time (MT) on the last Wednesday of each month, beginning in February and concluding in December.The 2020 series will begin with Energy Efficiency Basics today, February 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. MT. When trying to lower energy bills or reduce environmental impact from energy generation, the first step is to look for opportunities to increase energy efficiency. This webinar will define what energy efficiency is and explore how to identify potential measures to reduce your Tribe’s energy use.There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. Register now for this webinar, and learn more about the 2020 webinar series. Regards,
Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
1000 Independence Ave. SW
Washington DC 20585For more information on the Office of Indian Energy, visit our website.

Northwest Tribes United With Southeast Alaska Tribes to Protect the Tongass

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Op-Ed by Terri Parr, Executive Director, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest IndiansJan 27, 2020

https://www.anchoragepress.com/opinion/northwest-tribes-united-with-southeast-alaska-tribes-to-protect-the/article_19581872-415e-11ea-ab89-0bea995660c3.html?fbclid=IwAR0SGqP-z0hmek2p5k1g80ftlIRXNhzuqXx2D3_6y8vELwNFN2v34PBckt4

The United States government is proposing to remove protections from nearly 10 million acres of critical national forest land in the state of Alaska. This rollback in important environmental safeguards threatens the food security and livelihoods of Southeast Alaska Tribal residents whose sovereign lands are nearby, impacts some of the world’s last remaining old-growth forests, and imperils efforts to grow a sustainable tourism industry. During our annual winter convention in October of 2017, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) passed a resolution calling on the Forest Service to fully protect designated roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest, our country’s largest national forest.

On October 17, 2019, the Forest Service, housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recommended removing all currently protected roadless areas in the Tongass in its upcoming draft management plan. This initiated a 60-day public comment period that ended on December 17. Over a dozen Southeast Alaskan Tribal governments and many more individuals, from the Craig Tribal Association to the Organized Village of Kasaan and others, have spoken out in opposition to this plan. One of these Tribal leaders, Joel Jackson, President of the Organized Village of Kake, a federally recognized tribal government, has taken a stand against the U.S. Forest Service and brought the plight of his home, the Tongass National Forest, to our attention.

ATNI is a 65-year old nonprofit organization representing over 50 Northwest Tribal governments from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Southeast Alaska, Northern California and Montana. As an inter-Tribal, advocacy organization we are dedicated to promoting and protecting Tribal self-determination and sovereignty. Our purpose is to provide a forum for sharing information, discussing a range of issues that impact across the Tribes, and using our collective voices to pass resolutions on policy matters.

In passing our resolution on the Tongass National Forest, ATNI is fulfilling what we were created to do: supporting local tribes in Southeast Alaska in the fight to protect traditional homelands and way of life. ATNI recognizes that the pristine nature of the Tongass forests are integral to and inseparable from the cultural traditions and subsistence of local Tribal entities. Accordingly, we urged the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to “select the ‘no-action alternative’ as the preferred alternative in the Tongass National Forest, Alaska – Roadless Rulemaking process,” to maintain current protections for many Southeast Tribes’ customary and traditional use areas.

The Forest Service’s proposed removal of protections for 9.5 million acres would open some of the world’s last remaining old growth to logging that would impact local Tribes’ customary uses of these lands. President Jackson and other Tribal leaders in the area have told Alaska Senator Murkowski this, have presented at a U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, and testified during Forest Service hearings.

It’s clear that the only corporate special interests would gain from the removal of forest protections would be the timber industry which, using taxpayer subsidies, would immediately move to clear cut our traditional homelands. As Joel stated at our convention when he presented this information to us,

“we depend on our forests and salmon streams to sustain us, and logging threatens those streams. Our traditional hunting and fishing practices are critical because they put food on our tables.”

The Forest Service itself seems to agree that logging endangers salmon streams. In a Jan 28, 2018 Tweet, the Forest Service stated “past logging activities on the Sitka Island of Alaska damaged the intact salmon stream habitat” and announced a new program to restore the damaged watershed and improve salmon production. Additionally, over 200 commercial and recreational fishermen and fisherwomen in Alaska recently added their names to a letter to the Forest Service making the same point and urging roadless protections for the Tongass National Forest remain in place.

Let’s listen to what Tribes, fishermen and fisherwomen, and many others in Southeast Alaska are saying. We have a very limited time left to ensure the U.S. Forest Service doesn’t allow clear cut logging on some of our last remaining pristine lands. Tongass roadless protections are an integral part of the identity of local Tribes and should be protected as once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and Northwest tribal leaders stand together to protect the environment

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Northwest tribes call on federal government to respect tribal opposition to controversial environmental decisions that impact traditional lands

News Release

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians

On January 30, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) concluded their successful Winter Convention.

The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians’ Winter Convention is one of the largest Pacific Northwest regional convening of tribal leaders from across Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, Northern California and Montana. Tribal leaders engage in policy and legislative discussions, share emerging trends on critical issues facing tribal communities, and work collaboratively on committees to develop positions on policy, legislation, and help frame the future of Indian Country in the Northwest. 

A wide array of pressing issues were discussed this Convention ranging from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic to fighting climate change but a clear theme emerged: the United States Government needs to respect and hear tribal voices that are working so hard to protect their people and their traditional lands and waters. 

With the Trump administration’s recent rollback of protections to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), tribal leaders are increasingly concerned and, therefore, unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Council on Environmental Quality to consult with tribes on the regulatory proposal to change important regulations under the Environmental Policy Act. 

The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) has become a leading voice for environmental protection for Indian Country nationwide and is a strong voice in support of Alaska tribes that are fighting efforts to remove environmental protections in Alaska, especially in areas like Bristol Bay whose waters and salmon are an integral part of Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians members’ traditional ways of life. 

“We are so thankful that the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians are standing with the people of Bristol Bay as fellow salmon people. We are doing everything we can to protect our people’s way of life,” said Alannah Hurley (Yup’ik), United Tribes of Bristol Bay. “The fact that Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and other nations across the U.S. are standing with us, makes a very big difference. This is a really big year for us. The Corps is talking about getting a permit decision out in 2020, so our unity and cooperation is paramount in the work we are doing.” 

At the convention, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians members also reiterated their support for the Alaska tribes fighting U.S. Government efforts to remove protections for 9.5 million acres of the Tongass National Forest. In October 2019, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians passed a formal resolution calling on the Forest Service to fully protect designated roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest, our country’s largest national forest. As the Federal Government seems content to ignore the concerns of tribes and the impact that widespread logging of the Tongass would have on traditional hunting and fishing grounds, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians felt it important to reaffirm their solidarity with Alaska tribes. 

“We fully support the Organized Village of Kake and tribes of Southeast Alaska that are advocating against removal of protections for the Tongass,” said Catherine Edwards, 6th Vice President of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. “We urge the U.S. Forest Service to listen and have meaningful consultations with tribal leaders. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska have strongly opposed the Forest Service’s handling of the tribal consultation process with tribal villages across Southeast Alaska. They should be the ones to determine what happens to their forests since this is their ancestral lands and they’ve been there since time immemorial.” 

As the original stewards of the Pacific Northwest since time immemorial, tribes and tribal leaders need the Federal Government to work in good faith and engage in meaningful consultation with tribes to ensure that our future generations will continue to benefit from these lands. 

About Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians  

In 1953 farsighted tribal leaders in the Northwest formed the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and dedicated it to tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Today, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians is a nonprofit organization representing over 50 Northwest tribal governments from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, Northern California, and Western Montana. Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians is an organization whose foundation is composed of the people it is meant to serve — the Indian peoples. Through its conferences, forums, networks and alliances, it is the intent of Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians to represent and advocate for the interests of its member tribes to national Indian and non-Indian organizations and governments.

TRIBES WIN KXL ORDER IN ROSEBUD SIOUX TRIBE V. TRUMP

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December 20, 2019
Categories: Environmental Protection (Climate Change), Native Lands, Religious Rights (Religious Freedom, Sacred Places, Repatriation), Tribal Sovereignty and Jurisdiction

https://www.narf.org/keystone-xl/?fbclid=IwAR27aTbfTLiglZwCoAS3UD53TbkymwKOwiTh2mPgCLhFeDfPuAMr5A9I5iA

On Friday, December 20, 2019, NARF and their clients, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Fort Belknap Indian Community (the Tribes) received some great news from a Montana court. The federal court denied the United States federal government’s and the TransCanada’s (TC Energy) efforts to dismiss the Tribes’ case against the KXL Pipeline (Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Trump).

NARF Staff Attorney Natalie Landreth praised the decision, “The court’s decision means that ALL of the tribes’ claims on the current permits will proceed. The only claims dismissed are the ones that the Tribes conceded should be dismissed because they were based on an old permit. So this is a complete win for the tribes on the motions to dismiss. We look forward to holding the Trump Administration and TransCanada accountable to the Tribes and the applicable laws that must be followed.”

NARF Staff Attorney Matthew Campbell also reacted to the news, “Of course, the treaties were agreed to by the president of the United States and ratified by the Senate, so the treaties clearly apply. The court rightly found that today.”

#HonorTheTreaties

Learn more about Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Trump.

Encouraging the Secretary of Energy to Expand Funding for Tribal Building Weatherization

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Res #: Committee: Submitted by: Title:         Pass → Yes No Amended/Tabled To NCAI
19-13 Energy Eddie Sherman Encouraging the Secretary of Energy to Expand Funding for Tribal Building Weatherization X


 2019 Winter Convention 

Portland Oregon 

RESOLUTION #19 – 13 

“ENCOURAGING THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY TO EXPAND FUNDING FOR TRIBAL BUILDING WEATHERIZATION” 

PREAMBLE 

We, the members of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants rights secured under Indian Treaties and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and constitution of the United States and several states, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution: 

WHEREAS, the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians (ATNI) are representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and specific tribal concerns; and 

WHEREAS, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians is a regional organization comprised of American Indians in the States of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, and Alaska; and 

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians; and 

WHEREAS, the Energy Conservation and Production Act (“the Act”) (42 U.S.C. §6863) establishes a program for grants to Indian Tribal Organizations for weatherization; and 

WHEREAS, the Act also requires the Secretary of Energy to reserve, from amounts that would otherwise be allocated to a state, between 100% and 150% of the proportion of tribal low-income residents of a state so that tribal organizations serving low-income members (including NAHASDA) may apply for a direct grant of those funds; and 

WHEREAS, Indian housing is often in extremely cold or extremely hot areas of the United States and housing is often of poor quality and is not energy efficient and is in desperate need of funding for weatherization; now 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that ATNI does hereby encourage the Secretary of Energy to expand funding for weatherization in Indian Country and to fully and quickly implement the provisions of the Energy Conservation and Production Act. 

CERTIFICATION 

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2019 Winter Convention of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton – Portland, Oregon, on January 28-31, 2019, with a quorum present. 

______________________________ ______________________________ 

Leonard Forsman, President Norma Jean Louie, Secretary 

Clean & Affordable Energy Conference 2018

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Clean & Affordable Energy Conference, November 15, 2018, Portland, Oregon

Join the NW Energy Coalition on Nov. 15, 2018 at the World Forestry Center in Portland for the Clean & Affordable Energy Conference. The conference will feature two of Oregon’s largest utilities describing their strategies for deep decarbonization, followed by a panel discussion of how energy storage technologies can change the Northwest electric system. Then, conference speakers will explore how we can make energy efficient buildings and their benefits available to all – and improve community outcomes related to housing and economic development.

When: November 15th from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: World Forestry Center – 4033 SW Canyon Rd., Portland, OR 97221

For more information and to register! <https://nwenergy.org/featured/12596/>

Renewable Energy Funding Opportunities Announcement

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Renewable Energy Funding Opportunities Announcement

Energy Trust of Oregon is now accepting applications from eligible renewable energy projects seeking more than $150,000 of Project Installation incentive funding. A competitive process will be used to award these funds..  Energy Trust is also accepting applications on an ongoing basis for Project Development Assistance and Project Installation incentives of $150,000 or less. Applications are due on November 30, 2018 by 5:00 p.m.

 

Eligible Project Technologies:

Biopower, hydroelectric, municipal scale community-owned wind, and geothermal electric projects with nameplate capacity of 20 MW or less. Proposed projects must net-meter, sell energy directly, or otherwise offset energy for Portland General Electric or Pacific Power in Oregon.

Types of Funding Available:

Energy Trust offers two different types of incentive funds, Project Development Assistance incentive funds and Project Installation incentive funds.

  

If you have a question about a project’s eligibility, or would like a copy of an application, please contact Dave Moldal at dave.moldal@energytrust.org, or 503.445.2476.

 

ATNI Energy Program, Update

Contact: Direlle R. Calica at dcalica@atnitribes.org

Next Level: Energy Efficiency Workshop 2018

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UPCOMING EVENT

Next Level: Energy Efficiency Workshop, November 14, 2018, Portland, Oregon

The Next Level Energy Efficiency Workshop <https://nwenergy.org/uncategorized/next-level-energy-efficiency-workshop-november-14-portland/> will cover the latest and most innovative approaches for bringing energy efficiency to tribal homes, buildings, and schools. You’ll hear about some of the Northwest’s most exciting Energy Efficiency projects from the people, companies, and organizations that are developing them.
When: November 14th. from 8:30am – 4:00pm
Where: Native American Student Community Center – 710 SW Jackson St, Portland, OR 97201
Sessions will include:
 *   All the Ways Energy Efficiency Makes the World Better
 *   Growing a Local Energy Efficiency and Demand-Side Services Workforce
 *   New Trends in Contract Design for Public Entities
 *   Energy Efficiency Financing for Commercial Buildings
 *   Indoor Air Quality and Health
 *   Energy Efficiency in Multi-Family Affordable Housing
 *   Financing Approaches for Residential Energy Efficiency

 

For more information and to register! <https://nwenergy.org/uncategorized/next-level-energy-efficiency-workshop-november-14-portland/> Discounts available for not-for-profit and tribal members. Use discount code NFPT1 when you register! Contact kat@nwenergy.org<mailto:kat@nwenergy.org> with any questions.

 

Co-sponsored by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians <https://www.atnitribes.org/> and the NW Energy Coalition <https://nwenergy.org/>.