WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National
Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO), a
national non-profit 501(c)(3) membership
organization, founded in 1998, of tribal preservation
leaders protecting culturally important places that perpetuate
Native identity, resilience, and cultural endurance, is pleased to
welcome special guests, Rep. Raul M.
Grijalva (AZ-03): Chairman, House Committee on Natural
Resources, Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian
Community): Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs,
Leonard Forsman: Chair, Suquamish
Tribe, Morgan Rodman: Executive
Director, White House Council on Native American Affairs to
the First Annual NATHPO Sacred Sites Summit – Virtual
Event to be held September 22 & 23,
2021.
NATHPO is committed to providing solutions-focused programming
in support of Tribal historic preservation. With
the unique opportunities being opened by the current
social and political climate for Indigenous Peoples, the
organization recognized the need to offer a
space for Native voices, legislators, and
agency leadership and staff to come together in understanding
the current legal and policy framework and ways to strengthen
protection of Tribal sacred sites. The Sacred Sites Summit is
the result. The special guest speakers and the expertise they bring
will help elevate the summit and the momentum it will create
to Protect Native Places.
About Rep. Raul M. Grijalva
(AZ-03): Chairman, House Committee on Natural Resources:
In
2019, Raúl Grijalva began his career in public service as a
community organizer in Tucson.
Four decades later, he continues to be an advocate for those in
need and a voice for the constituents of his home community.
Throughout his career, Raúl has always fought for underrepresented
voices. The passions that drove him as a School Board member to
fight for and succeed at implementing bilingual education in
Arizona are the same passions that
motivated him to help pass the first bond package containing a
$10 million commitment to reinvest in
older, poorer neighborhoods while he was a County Supervisor.
Likewise, they are what drive him today as he fights to reform our
broken immigration system, ensure livable wages for American
workers, and create vital land protections to safeguard our
nation's natural treasures for the next generation.
In 2018, Raúl became Chair of the House Natural Resources
Committee. He also serves on the Committee on Education and the
Workforce and is the Chairman Emeritus of the Congressional
Progressive Caucus, as well as a long-standing member of the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
(Reference: https://grijalva.house.gov/about-raul/)
About Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian
Community): Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs,
Dept. of the Interior:
Bryan Newland is a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community
(Ojibwe), where he recently completed his tenure as Tribal
President. Prior to that, Bryan served as Chief Judge of the Bay
Mills Tribal Court. From 2009 to 2012, he served as a Counselor and
Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Indian
Affairs. He is a graduate of Michigan State
University and the Michigan State
University College of Law. Bryan enjoys hiking and kayaking
the shores of Lake Superior, and
is a nature photography enthusiast.
(Reference:
https://www.bia.gov/profile/assistant-secretary-indian-affairs-bryan-newland)
About Leonard Forsman:
Chairman, Suquamish Tribe:
Leonard
Forsman has been the Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe since
2005 and the President of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest
Indians since 2017. He has served on Tribal Council for a
total of 31 years, worked as a professional archaeologist and is a
past director of the Suquamish Museum. Leonard holds an
anthropology degree from the University of
Washington and a masters in Historic Preservation from
Goucher College. President Obama
appointed Leonard to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
in 2013 where he served as the Native American Representative and
Vice Chairman until 2019.
(Reference:
https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110464/witnesses/HHRG-116-HA08-Bio-ForsmanL-20200211-U1.pdf)
About Anthony "Morgan" Rodman: Executive Director, White
House Council on Native American Affairs:
Morgan Rodman previously held this position in
the Obama Administration. Morgan has also served as Acting Director
for the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development at the
Department of Interior (DOI), and Sr. Advisor on Tribal Relations
and the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. He has a
bachelor's degree from Harvard
University and a law degree from the University of Arizona with a certificate in
Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy. Morgan's tribal affiliations
are the Cherokee Nation and the Osage Nation. (Reference:
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/morgan-rodman-named-executive-director-white-house-council-native-american-affairs)
About the First Annual NATHPO Sacred Sites
Summit:
The virtual Sacred Sites Summit agenda is
comprised of two days, each with multiple
sessions progressing through four aspects of protecting
sacred sites. First, connecting to place through virtual
experiences with the land and those who hold it sacred.
Second, what is the state of current sacred sites protection
in the U.S.? What is the existing legal and policy framework and
what are the gaps from the Tribal perspective? Third, what
should be in place to close the gaps? What solutions would truly
address the issues and protect the places that define
us? Fourth, action by defining recommendations and
deliberate, measurable steps forward for preservation and
reconciliation.
For those interested in more information about
NATHPO can visit the website
at https://www.nathpo.org/ For more information on the First
Annual NATHPO Sacred Sites Summit, including how to register and
sponsorship opportunities, go to the summit registration
page
at https://www.nathpo.org/sacred-sites-summit/.
Who we are – NATHPO is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership association of tribal
preservation leaders protecting culturally important
places that perpetuate Native identity, resilience, and
cultural endurance. Connections to cultural heritage
sustain the health and vitality of Native peoples. We provide
guidance to preservation officials, elected representatives, and
the public about national historic preservation legislation,
policies, and regulations. We promote tribal sovereignty, develop
partnerships, and advocate for Tribes in governmental activities on
preservation issues. For more information visit our website
at www.nathpo.org.
ORGANIZATION CONTACT
Valerie J. Grussing,
Ph.D.
NATHPO, Executive Director
Valerie@nathpo.org
202-628-8476
PRESS CONTACT
Julie T. Nelson
Julie@nathpo.org
919-602-8157
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SOURCE National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation
Officers