Tribal Consultation
Informs Cyber Grant Program
On Nov. 1, FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency (CISA) held their eighth tribal consultation to discuss the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program with dozens of tribal
representatives. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program
opens for applications on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Consultations began in June 2022 to provide structured
communication for tribal input and feedback, with the goal of using this
feedback from Tribal leaders and representatives to shape policies and
procedures for grant programs. This includes the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant
Program, the Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program and the Emergency
Management Grant Program, among others.
The tribal cyber grant program, which began in FY 2022, provides
funding to federally recognized tribal governments to address cybersecurity
risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by or on behalf of
tribes. The most recent consultation is being used to improve the program for
FY 2024.
The FY 2023 program funding is $18.2 million, including unused
rollover funding from the FY 2022 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.
To learn more about the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program, including several
changes based on input from the consultation, visit FEMA.gov.
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FEMA Works with Tribes on Continuity Planning
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community hosted FEMA’s
Office of National Continuity Programs at the Scottsdale Community College
Indigenous Cultural Center in Arizona from Nov. 1-2 for a pilot training course
focused on continuity planning for tribal governments.
Representatives from 13 tribal nations from across the country
contributed their experience, expertise and valuable insight into the content
update to the Continuity Planning for Tribal Governments course that will be
accessible to all tribal nations through the Emergency Management Institute
(EMI) in 2024.
During the pilot, tribal representatives provided
tribal-specific anecdotes, examples of tribal continuity, feedback, best
practices, and lessons learned directly to course developers to inform the
final version of course materials. The discussions included how continuity
planning can benefit tribes, cultural considerations for continuity planning,
identification of Tribal essential functions and options to reduce a tribe’s
risk. Dr. Eric Leshinskie, president of the Scottsdale Community College,
provided a warm welcome to the campus, and Vice President Ricardo Leonard of
the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community offered a blessing.
FEMA is thankful for the opportunity to work closely with the
diverse tribal nations that participated in the pilot, the continued
coordination with FEMA Region 9, and the multiple Regional Tribal Liaisons who
assisted with participant coordination. FEMA appreciates the support from the
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Scottsdale Community College for
providing the forum to help improve training materials and better serve our
tribal partners.
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