Hello! ASU AIPI will be publishing two newsletters this month. It has been a productive month and we want to make sure you receive accurate updates on legislative issues occurring at the state and national levels. Stay tuned for a Legislative edition later this month. 

Training for Native Nations' Financial Managers

ASU AIPI had a successful Spring 2016 cohort of the Tribal Financial Manager Certification Training on May 27-29. The program was held at the ASU Memorial Union and featured a diversity of topics including Federal Indian Law and Policy, Government Accounting, Budgets and Financial Management to name a few. Below is a link to the feature article published by ASUNow about the TFMC program. 

https://asunow.asu.edu/20160524-solutions-tribal-financial-manager-certification-conference

NAFOA Webinar:  Department of Labor Overtime Rule

On May 18, 2016 the Department of Labor (DOL) finalized a rule (29 CFR Part 541) that will raise the salary threshold at which eligible workers qualify for overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476 per year. The final rule goes into effect December 1, 2016 with the threshold automatically increasing every three years, based on wage growth over time. TheNative American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) will host a webinar on Tuesday, June 14 at 2:00 p.m. EST regarding the issue. 

This webinar will determine the applicability of the Fair Labor Standards Act to tribal governments and discuss how tribal governments can prepare. We will also review the importance of planning organizational policies around timekeeping, analyzing potential increases in salary expense, identifying positions effected, and what tribes need to do to establish internal labor codes.

Current speakers include Kaighn Smith, Jr from Drummond Woodsum and Richard Guest from NARF. 

For any further information or questions, please contact Alex Miller at alex.miller@nafoa.org or (301) 908-3189.

Educators and Leaders Come Together to Increase American Indian Student Success

Arizona State University and The College Board hosted the annual Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI) National Conference at ASU’s Tempe Campus on June 6-7. The conference brought together education professionals from throughout the nation forming new connections, collaborating, and sharing strategies and best practices to ensure American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students achieve academic excellence. 

ASU President Michael Crow addressed attendees which included K-12 and college educators, community leaders and tribal leaders to discuss how education professionals can best support American Indian students to succeed academically.

Luann Leonard was honored at the NASAI Conference with the Dr. Henrietta Mann Leadership award for her advocacy in education. Leonard was an Arizona Board of Regent for the last eight years.

The conference included influential speakers such as Honorable Diane Humetewa, United States District Judge of Arizona; Shana Brown, Teacher, Author, Curriculum Designer; and Dr. Amanda R. Tachine with the ASU Center for Indian Education.

Luann Leonard was presented with the Dr. Henrietta Mann Education Leadership Award during the conference. The Dr. Henrietta Mann Leadership Award is presented to Native (American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian) individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to Native students, advancing Indigenous communities and fostering the development of future leaders. 

 LuAnn Leonard was appointed to an eight-year term on the Arizona Board of Regents by then-Governor Janet Napolitano. Regent Leonard is Hopi and Tohono O’odham and is the first Native American to serve on the board. Regent Leonard currently chairs the Academic & Student Affairs Committee. She served as co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee for Northern Arizona University as well as other subcommittees of the Arizona Board of Regents. She is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and is currently the Executive Director of the Hopi Endowment Fund.  

U.S. Department of Labor Selects ASU AIPI Director for National Advisory Council

The U.S.  Department of Labor has appointed Dr. Traci Morris to the Native American Employment and Training Council, a national advisory committee that serves the Department of Labor. 

Dr. Morris was singled out for her expertise in the area of education and new media curriculum development and will serve a two-year term. Dr. Morris currently serves as the Director of the American Indian Policy Institute at ASU. 

“I am honored to be selected to serve Indian Country as a member of the NAETC. I believe my experience working with and in communities coupled with my academic background will add to the expertise advising the Secretary of Labor and help positively impact American Indian employment and training programs in the United States,” said Dr. Morris about her new role.

 The Council was established by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It provides advice on the operation and administration of Indian and Native American employment and training programs, and advises the U.S. Secretary of Labor on the implementation of other programs providing services to Indian and Native American youth and adults under the WIOA. 

Some of the goals of the Council are to develop academic, occupational and literacy skills, make individuals more competitive in the workforce and equip them with the entrepreneurial skills necessary for successful self-employment. The Advisory Council is also tasked to promote the economic and social development of Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.
 

CALENDAR