Upcoming Trainings
Please check back here for future training announcements.
Training Overview
Effective communication and consultation is critical to working with American Indians and Alaska Native tribal governments. To facilitate greater understanding of tribal culture and Federal policies for working with tribal governments, DoD offers several courses that highlight the requirements of DoD’s American Indian and Alaska Native Policy and other relevant laws impacting the Department’s relationships with tribal governments. These courses provide DoD military and civilian staff with a greater understanding of diverse tribal cultures and the communication requirements that are essential to successful consultations with tribes. DoD trainings cover numerous topics essential to successful tribal consultation including, but not limited to:
- Overview of Federal Law & Policies and Indigenous Peoples
- Key Laws that Trigger Consultation
- Trust Responsibilities and Treaty Rights
- Applied Consultation
- Overview of Native American Cultures
- Intercultural Communication
- Best Practices and Case Studies
In addition to the trainings listed below, the DoD also provides tailored versions of these courses to better accommodate specific audiences and/or regional circumstances. To find out more information about hosting a DoD training at a specific installation, please contact the Senior Tribal Advisor and Liaison.
Training Programs
American Indian Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (AICCCC)
This introductory seminar/workshop provides valuable information for DoD employees whose work could affect Indian tribes and for those already working with tribes and tribal members. The training includes: History of Indian laws and the legal basis for DoD American Indian and Alaska Native Policy; Federal law and policies that impact DoD relationships with Indian tribes; Explanation of DoD’s Instruction 4710.02: DoD Interactions with Federally Recognized Tribes; Introduction to tribal concepts and cultures; Intercultural communication practices; and Strategies and steps for consulting with tribes.
Native Hawaiian Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (NHCCCC)
This introductory seminar/workshop provides valuable information for DoD employees whose work could affect Native Hawaiians and for those already working with Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian Organizations. The training includes: Hawaiian history; Introduction to Hawaiian concepts and cultures; Resources of special importance to Hawaiians; Federal laws, regulations, and policies that impact DoD consultation relationships with Native Hawaiian Organizations; Explanation of responsibilities in DoDI 4710.03: Consultation With Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs); Intercultural communications and relationship building; and Strategies and practical steps for consulting with Native Hawaiians.
Alaska Native Cultural Communications and Consultation Course (ANCCCC)
This introductory course provides valuable information for DoD employees whose work could affect Alaska Natives and for those already working with Alaska Native peoples and their governments. The training includes: History of Alaska Native law and the legal basis for DoD policy; Federal law and policies that impact DoD relationships with Alaska Native entities; Introduction to Alaska Native cultures and concepts; Intercultural communication; Strategies and steps for consulting with Alaska Native governments.
Online Trainings and Webinars
Navigating Nuances: Practical Insights Engaging with Native Hawaiian Communities
This webinar, featuring consultant Ku’ulani Keohokalole, focuses on how to engage with Native Hawaiian communities and respect Native Hawaiian cultural protocols. Ku’ulani is grounded in the traditional Native Hawaiian cultural practice of ho’oponopono by her grandmother, who was a community-based practitioner.
The United States and Hawai’i: An Historical Overview
This webinar, featuring renowned historian of Hawai’i and the Pacific, Dr. Davianna Pomaika’i McGregor, provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the United States and Hawaii. Dr. McGregor is a retired Professor of Ethnic Studies, and director of the Center for Oral History at the University of Hawai’i, Manoa.
Recognizing Native Hawaiians’ Reserved Rights
This webinar, featuring renowned historian of Hawai’i and the Pacific, Dr. Davianna Pomaika’i McGregor, focuses on the reserved rights of Native Hawaiians. These rights allow Hawaiian communities to continue their traditional Hawaiian cultural customs, beliefs, and practices.
On November 16, 2023, DoD’s Native American Affairs and Cultural Resource Programs hosted over 220 participants in the webinar featuring Michael Durglo, Climate Change Coordinator, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Washington. Mr. Durglo explained how Indigenous Knowledge plays a role in the management of federal lands and how it can inform best practices for natural resource stewardship, cultural resource management, and climate adaptation and mitigation. The webinar showcased the importance of recognizing and including Indigenous Knowledge (and related consultation with tribes) in Federal research, policy, and decision making.
Webinar: Federal-Tribal Trust Relationship: History and Context for Nation-to-Nation Consultations
The Udall Foundation’s National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, will provide an overview of the Federal-Indian Policy Eras as contextual background for the Federal Tribal Trust Relationship. This webinar will provide a historical and legal context for Federal Tribal Consultation policies while exploring the application of conflict resolution best practices in Nation-to-Nation Consultations. Stephanie Lucero, Native American and Alaska Native Service Area Manager at the National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution will lead this webinar. This webinar will take place on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (ET). Use the contact us to receive the link to the training.
Webinar: Federal Indian Law, Treaty Rights and Trust Responsibilities
This webinar was presented on September 14, 2022 by Mr. Derrick Beetso. Mr. Beetso serves as the Director of the Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance Programs at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
Online Sacred Sites Training
This training video for federal employees and contractors was developed in coordination with subject matter experts from across the Federal Government, Indian Country, Academia and Tribal Advocacy Groups. This training was finalized in Fall 2016 with assistance from the Department of Justice’s National Indian Country Training Initiative.
NAGPRA Training
The NAGPRA Video Project began in October 2008 with the mission to create a training series that would include grant-writing tips, first-person narratives, program statistics, anecdotal evidence, and in-depth, engaging coverage of the entirety of the law and its consequences. The National NAGPRA Program has conducted fifty interviews in ten cities across the country. These interviews with tribal members, museum officials and Federal agency representatives have created a historic archive of resources on consultation, grants, notices, law making, dispositions, documentation and repatriation. Production on the NAGPRA Video series is complete. Some of the videos have been shown to the Review Committee. The segment “History of NAGPRA” premiered during the NAGPRA at 20 Symposium. The entire eight-segment series is now available to the public on demand, through the National NAGPRA Program’s Official YouTube Channel.
