In December 2021, NNI welcomed members to the NNI Tribal Professional Cohort 2022 (TPC). The one-year cohort experience equips Native leaders with knowledge and tools for Native Nation Building. This year’s TPC included elected leaders and staff from a wide range of fields. They come from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (SD), Hopi Tribe (AZ), Lumbee Tribe (NC), Monacan Indian Nation (VI), Narragansett Indian Nation (RI), Navajo Nation (AZ/NM), Oglala Sioux Tribe (SD), Pueblo of Acoma (NM), and White Mountain Apache Tribe (AZ).

Joan Timeche (Hopi), Davida Delmar (Navajo/Diné), Mara Castro, and Danielle Hiraldo (Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina) provided program information and a ‘sneak peek’ of Native Nation Building during the program’s virtual orientation. TPC members participated in NNI’s Indigenous Governance Program’s January In Tucson 2022. Members were able to choose two courses and enroll in the Introduction to Nation Building as an autonomous course.

During the Quarter 1 seminar in February, TPC members analyzed their own governments through a self-assessment tool, Governance Analysis for Native Nation (GANN).

Each member discussed how they viewed their own community’s readiness for Nation Building. The commonalities were surprising, and it was insightful to hear the different approaches to shared goals.

Presenters introduced a tool to help TPC members build skills for better communication as they work to enhance and strengthen their communities. The Quarter 2 seminar, scheduled for April, will focus on strategies to engage citizens and build upon the communication tool.

Congratulations to the 2022 TPC Members!