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Monday, February 23rd Affordable Care Act: What Tribal Leaders Need to KNow for 2015 - Agenda DOI/IHS Joint Listening Session on Contract Support Costs - Invite Letter Exploring Tribal Marijuana Policy - Agenda TANF Task Force - Agenda Task Force on Federal Acknowledgment - Agenda Tax - Agenda Tribal Homeland Security and Emergency Management - Agenda VAWA Task Force - Agenda

The host hotel room block is now full; if you need assistance making alternative accommodations, feel free to contact Marilyn Matthews at 202.289.2220 ext 101 or mmatthews@formeetingsolutions.com .

Interested in being an NCAI Sponsor? Please fill out our Sponsorship Form . For information regarding Sponsorship please contact Bernida Humetewa at bhumetewa@ncai.org .

If you wish to meet with your representatives in either the House of Representatives or Senate, please submit your meeting request in writing to the representative's office and follow-up to ensure your request was received.

Don't forget to schedule Capitol Hill visits. Indian Country has major priorities to advance during this Session of Congress. It is important for our membership to meet with their representatives, both new and returning members, to continue educating them on issues and making them strong advocates for Indian Country.

Congressional Leadership Award – This award is to recognize those individuals who are elected to the United States Congress who have demonstrated leadership and are champions on issues important to tribal nations.

Public Sector Leadership Award – This award is to recognize partners outside of the governmental sector and outside of Indian Country who work for the advancement of tribal issues and who support Native causes.

Governmental Leadership Award – This award is to recognize partners in government service who are critical to tribal issues and who serve as champions in their institutions.

Native American Leadership Award – This award recognizes a Native individual who has helped transform Indian Country through their efforts and long term commitment and whose leadership and work benefits and influences at the national level.

Special Recognition Award – This occasional award recognizes significant lifetime achievement on behalf of Indian Country.

2015 Honorees

Congressional Leadership Award

U.S. Representative Devin Nunes

Representative Devin Nunes has served in the House of Representatives since 2003 and currently represents the 22nd District of California. Time magazine named him one of the rising stars of American politics, in their list of “40 under 40” and he has been a great friend to tribal nations. In this last year he was particularly successful as the lead sponsor of H.R. 3043, the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, which was signed into law at the end of 2014. The passage of this law was a great victory for tribes because it prevents the IRS from taxing the programs and services provided by tribes to their tribal members. The new law is also notable because it specifically requires that it be interpreted in a manner that is deferential to tribal government decision making. Representative Nunes is also notable for working across the aisle with his Democratic counterparts to get the legislation completed.

Governmental Leadership Award

Jodi Gillette

Jodi Gillette, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, has been a consistent presence throughout the Obama Administration – advancing our nation-to-nation partnership and ensuring the priorities and concerns of tribal nations are included in the work of the federal government. Jodi served from the very beginning of the Obama Administration as Deputy Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Associate Director of Public Engagement. She then served as Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development in the U.S. Department of the Interior before returning to the White House to serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs. Recently Jodi was elevated to the role of Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs. She played a key role in the White House Tribal Nations Conference in 2009 and 2010 and has been instrumental in the work of the newly formed White House Council on Native American Affairs.

Special Recognition Leadership Award

Robert Burnette

Robert Burnette has been a long-time supporter of the work of NCAI, securing funding for key NCAI priorities including the Native Graduate Health Fellowship. His ongoing partnership has been critical to NCAI’s capacity to engage with a range of private sector and individual donors to support core elements of our work.

Native American Leadership Award

Suzan Harjo

Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne & Hodulgee Muscogee) has been the President of The Morning Star Institute since its inception in 1984. She served as the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians from 1984 through 1989, and continues to serve as Co-Chair of the NCAI Subcommittee on Human, Religious, and Cultural Concerns. Suzan’s career has spanned decades of involvement in Indigenous human rights issues and causes. Her traditional knowledge, extensive capacity for research regarding Indigenous cultures, and her indomitable spirit has led her to significant victories in non-Native arenas, including congressional and administrative venues. She is a founder of the National Museum of the American Indian and Guest Curator and General Editor of the exhibit and book, “Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations.” She has been a critical leader on the effort to eradicate derogatory Indian mascots. In November 2014 she was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Obama – the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Public Sector Leadership Award

National Criminal Justice

The National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) has been an integral partner dedicated to improving public safety in tribal communities. Since 2009, NCJA has partnered with the National Congress of American Indians on a Tribal-State Collaboration and Justice Capacity Building Project, which focuses on relationship building and promoting intergovernmental coordination of key tribal, federal, and state criminal justice stakeholders in Indian country. Under this project, NCJA has provided technical assistance to several tribal-state collaboration projects, as well as launched the Tribal Law and Order Resource Center website. This website contains a number of Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) implementation resources, including a free, ongoing webinar series.

Past Honorees

2014 Honorees

U.S Senator Mike Crapo

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

James Anaya

Kevin Gover

2014 Special Recognition

Chairman Earl Barbary

Juanit Ahtone



2013 Honorees

U.S. Senator Patty Murray

The National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women

Andrew Lee

Administrator W. Craig Fugate



2012 Honorees

U.S. Congressman Don Young

Washington Interships for Native Students Programs

Dr. Eddie F. Brown

Assistant Secretary for Indians Affairs Larry Echo Hawk



2011 Honorees

U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Billy Frank, Jr.

Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli

2011 Special Recognition

Wilma Pearl Mankiller



2010 Honorees

U.S. Congressman Xavier Becerra

Profs. Stephen Cornell & Joseph P. Kalt

Elouise Cobell

Dr. Eric Broderick

Marie Howard



2009 Honorees

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski

Roberta Valente, J.D.

Rachel Joseph

Scott Burns



2008 Honorees

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman

Friends Committee on National Legislation –Native American Advocacy Program

Alan Parker

Governor Janet Napolitano

2007 Honorees

U.S. Congressman Tom Cole

Wade Henderson

John E. Echohawk

National Council of State Legislatures



2006 Honorees

Claude Allen

Boys and Girls Club

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan



2005 Honorees

U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch

NMAI Opening Core Team

Dan Lewis, Bank of America



2004 Honorees

U.S. Civil Rights Commission

U.S. Representative Richard Pombo

Federal Communications Commission

2004 Special Recognition

Patricia Zell

Pat Babcock



2003 Honorees

The Late U.S. Senator

Paul Wellstone

Neal McCaleb

John Herrington, NASA Astronaut



2002 Honorees

U.S. Senator Thomas Daschle

Nike, Inc.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services



2001 Honorees

U.S. Representative Dave Camp

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici

U.S. Representative Maxine Waters



2000 Honorees

Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante

U.S. Senator John McCain

U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy