The AIPI is committed to serving communities through innovative capacity-building initiatives. We collaborate with various partners both within and outside of ASU to support Indian Country. Our contributions include providing professional development training opportunities for tribal leaders, government staff, tribal members, tribal students, and individuals or entities working with tribal governments. Our goal is to support the long-term economic sustainability of Tribal nations and their governments.
Indigenous Leadership Academy
AIPI is dedicated to cultivating emerging leaders to benefit Tribal Nations and communities. Feedback from both program participants and Tribal leaders affirms AIPI’s view that the Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA) is not merely a local initiative; it is a national program for leadership development. AIPI has successfully hosted seven cohorts so far, with two additional cohorts already launched for the Fall of 2025. Watch for the Spring 2026 announcement coming in November.
Participants consistently report that one of the most valuable skills they gain is increased confidence in presenting their ideas in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous settings. The tools provided at the ILA help establish a foundation for participants to serve as community advocates, enabling them to implement projects that utilize Indigenous knowledge and techniques derived from cultural frameworks that prioritize connectedness and sustainability.
Recent Supreme Court decisions are concerning Tribal Nations and those who work in Indian Law. Most notably, Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta 1 has major implications on the legal relationship between Tribes, states, and the federal government. The potential negative impact from these decisions can change Tribal sovereignty as it is commonly understood. One solution is to increase efforts to provide more education and data on Indian Country to ensure that there are accurate representations of Tribal communities and Tribal sovereignty.
Federal and state data collection efforts are flawed and inaccurate when it comes to Tribal communities; moreover, they omit them entirely. This was proven true for healthcare data during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, true for law enforcement data needed to address the MMIP crisis, and also true for broadband connectivity data. Accurate data is crucial to identifying and solving the needs of Tribal communities.
On November 9, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear the alarming case, Haaland v. Brackeen. The questions of the case are (1) whether the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) interferes with a State’s power over adoptions and foster care and (2) whether the ICWA unfairly limits adoptions by parents who are not members of the Native child’s tribe.
American Indian Policy Institute Legislative Dashboard
The American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) has tracked federal legislation and executive actions affecting Tribal Nations since 2021. The dashboard below provides a centralized, up-to-date view of bills introduced in Congress and Federal Register notices that may impact Tribal Nations, including proposed changes to law, regulation, and federal programs.
All entries are reviewed and tagged by AIPI analysts using publicly available government sources. The dashboard is updated weekly as new data is reviewed and entered. The Quarterly Legislative Updates are also based on this data and are meant to provide a deeper analysis of actions with significant or widespread implications for Indian Country.
Definitions of all Federal Register and Congressional Bill category tags used in this dashboard.
This edition highlights federal policy developments from July 1 to September 30, 2025, including analysis of 126 congressional bills and over 400 Federal Register notices…
This edition covers federal and state policy developments from April 1 to June 30, 2025, including analysis of 81 congressional bills and 399 Federal Register notices. This…
This is the third edition of our new quarterly policy update format, the information in our monthly update covers several government websites and databases. AIPI's policy…
This edition covers information available through federal and state government websites from 4/1/24 through 6/30/24. In Q2, AIPI reviewed 224 bills in Congress and 248…
In addition to showcasing the shared commitment to Indian education through the CIE-AIPIcollaboration, this document aims to establish a foundational overview for content…
This is the fourth edition of our new quarterly policy update format, the information in our monthly update covers several government websites and databases. AIPI's policy…
Congressional Report Cards
AIPI tracks bills affecting Indian Country as a whole or several Tribal Nations in a given region. These bills include changes to laws, regulations, and significant appropriations to new and existing Tribal initiatives. Generally, AIPI does not track bills that make specific changes for individual Tribes, such as bills placing land into trust.
This edition highlights federal policy developments from July 1 to September 30, 2025, including analysis of 126 congressional bills and over 400 Federal Register notices…
This edition covers federal and state policy developments from April 1 to June 30, 2025, including analysis of 81 congressional bills and 399 Federal Register notices. This…
This is the third edition of our new quarterly policy update format, the information in our monthly update covers several government websites and databases. AIPI's policy…
This edition covers information available through federal and state government websites from 4/1/24 through 6/30/24. In Q2, AIPI reviewed 224 bills in Congress and 248…
In addition to showcasing the shared commitment to Indian education through the CIE-AIPIcollaboration, this document aims to establish a foundational overview for content…
This is the fourth edition of our new quarterly policy update format, the information in our monthly update covers several government websites and databases. AIPI's policy…
Congressional Report Cards
AIPI tracks bills affecting Indian Country as a whole or several Tribal Nations in a given region. These bills include changes to laws, regulations, and significant appropriations to new and existing Tribal initiatives. Generally, AIPI does not track bills that make specific changes for individual Tribes, such as bills placing land into trust.
