NNI is thrilled to announce the 2021 Tribal Professionals Cohort (TPC). The TPC is a year-long professional development program designed to equip Native leaders with knowledge and tools for Native Nation Building. Eight TPC members were chosen to participate in the updated virtual program that provides participants with tools to impact their Native nations and communities positively. The TPC consists of Tribal council members, law clerks, Tribal governance attorneys, academic advisors, and division and department directors.

“I feel like [this opportunity] has now opened my eyes to all of these bridges that can be made and bridges that are already there. I'm excited to take all that I’ve learned to create healing, learning, and leadership opportunities in my own community and to collaborate with other nations, if that's something that is needed to strengthen sovereignty here and continue that.”

–Kim Zahne-Tacheene (Hopi Tribe),
Director of Training and Technical Assistance,
Hopi-Tewa Women's Coalition to End Abuse

The program, which started online December 15, 2020, and continues through 2021, will strengthen participants’ leadership skills, build their advocacy skills, and cultivate a network of Tribal professionals who support each other’s career growth — all while advancing their professional, personal, and political capacity to tackle community challenges. The cohort also participated in the Indigenous Governance Program’s January in Tucson event.

The cohort includes Indigenous professionals from seven Native Nations and six states, with broad and varied professional experiences and shared commitments to Indigenous communities.he program comes at a time when Native nations are facing unprecedented challenges. The restructured TPC program was created to respond to the changing realities, obstacles, and opportunities of Tribal Professionals serving Native communities. It aims to deepen participants’ commitment to growth, innovation, and networking. The program content is focused on Nation Building principles — sovereignty, capable governing institutions, cultural match, strategic orientation, and public spirited leadership. Participants will explore how to strengthen these critical elements of their nation as they work to lead change in their communities.