Dear USET/USET SPF Family,
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) have announced
Tribal consultations to discuss the development of guidance for federal agencies on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). During the November 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, OSTP and CEQ issued a memorandum
recognizing the importance of TEK and committed to elevating its role in federal scientific and policy processes. Following the memorandum, OSTP, CEQ, and the White House Domestic Policy Council convened an Interagency Working Group on TEK and are exploring ways to develop federal guidance on TEK for release at the end of the year.
The dates, times, and registration information for these consultations are as follows—
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm ET
Date/Time: Friday, April 29, 2022 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm ET
USET SPF extended its support to the Administration’s TEK initiative via an op-ed
from President, Chief Kirk Francis, Sr. published in Indian Country Today on December 13, 2021. Additionally, in the spirit of expanding TEK Guidance and implementation across the federal government, USET SPF submitted comments
on February 24, 2022 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supporting NOAA’s proposal to expand TEK Guidance to all NOAA Offices. We are pleased that federal agencies are consulting with Tribal Nations as TEK guidance is developed.
To view Framing Questions for these consultations, please view the OSTP and CEQ Dear Tribal Leader Letter by clicking here. Written comments can be submitted to ITEK@ostp.eop.gov and must be received by 5:00pm ET on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Questions regarding these consultations should be directed to ITEK@ostp.eop.gov.
For more information, please contact Brian Howard, USET SPF Senior Policy Analyst, at bhoward@usetinc.org.
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