FEMA Advisory
November
marks National Native American Heritage Month, an opportunity for every person
in the nation to reflect on our shared nation’s history and honor the Tribal
Nations and tribal citizens who called this land home long before the United
States became a country.
This National Native American
Heritage Month, FEMA is celebrating a “year of firsts,” with the appointment of
the agency’s first-ever National Tribal Affairs Advocate, the release of the
agency’s first-ever National Tribal Strategy, the first National Advisory
Council meeting in Indian Country and the first tribal citizen to hold the
position of council chair in FEMA history.
At FEMA, Tribal Nations and
tribal citizens are daily partners in emergency management and disaster
resiliency. Tribal Nations are often the first and sometimes only responders to
disasters that occur in Indian Country.
The agency celebrates and honors the
Nation-to-Nation relationships between FEMA and the 574 federally recognized
Tribal Nations across the country.
“As we reflect on the achievements, contributions, sacrifices, cultures and traditions of Tribal Nations and tribal citizens -- past and present -- we are also looking to the future,” said FEMA’s National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Ms. Kelbie Kennedy.
“We are committed to ensuring that FEMA improves our coordination with, and support of, all Tribal Nations across the country. When Tribal Nations have the support and resources they need, everyone in Indian Country, both Native and Non-Native, become safer.”
To ensure FEMA continues to
advance its commitments to align the agency’s capabilities to the needs of
Tribal Nations, FEMA has appointed the first tribal affairs political appointee
in both FEMA and Department of Homeland Security history. Ms. Kelbie Kennedy, a
citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma who was born and raised in her
Nation’s reservation in Southeastern Oklahoma, joined FEMA in October of this
year.
As the first FEMA National Tribal
Affairs Advocate, Ms. Kennedy advises the FEMA Administrator and the agency on
all matters pertaining to tribal affairs, ensures that Tribal Nations and
tribal citizen needs are front of mind for FEMA and aims to ensure the agency
lives up to its treaty and trust responsibilities to all Tribal Nations.
Last week, FEMA Administrator
Deanne Criswell attended the National Advisory Council year-end
meeting hosted by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, making it the first-ever
council meeting held in Indian Country. During the meeting, the council held
focused discussions on improving Nation-to-Nation relationships and supporting
tribal sovereignty.
At the end of the meeting, the Administrator appointed Jeff
Hansen, Director of Community Protection for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, as
the National Advisory Council chair. Mr. Hansen is the first tribal citizen to
hold the position of council chair in FEMA history.
Earlier this year, the agency
also released the first-ever 2022-2026 FEMA National Tribal Strategy to
focus engagement and collaboration on the unique needs of sovereign tribal
nations. The strategy is designed to foster stronger collaboration and
information sharing between FEMA and Tribal Nations by providing the agency
with a roadmap to refine and elaborate on major strategic goals and objectives
we are working to achieve. Key issue areas were added to address requests from
tribal leaders and tribal emergency managers, including tribal-specific
technical assistance and tailored resources to support tribal emergency
management programs.
To further address the unique
needs and considerations of Tribal Nations, FEMA is also creating a Tribal
Cybersecurity Grants Program, led by FEMA in coordination with the Department
of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
(CISA).
The new grants will address cybersecurity risks and threats to
information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, Tribal Nations.
Earlier this year FEMA consulted with Tribal Nations per its Federal trust and
treaty responsibilities and has improved the program as a result. Tribal
leaders provided important input during the tribal consultation that will
significantly improve the final grant program. Detailed information about the
tribal cybersecurity program will be available soon.
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