As part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Every Day Counts-7 Initiative, MnDOT participated in peer exchange with other state DOTs centered around strategic workforce development focusing on Tribal Nations.

Levi Brown, director of MnDOT’s Office of Tribal Affairs, along with Adrienne Bond, business and program development manager and Adam Marks, project specialist, from MnDOT’s Office of Civil Rights traveled to Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash. to hear about how the DOTs in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Rhode Island approach transportation workforce development, focusing on government-to-government relationships with Tribal Nations.

Joining MnDOT as a presenter, Moke Eaglefeathers, training coordinator from the Cement Masons-Plasterers and Shophands Local 633 JATC Training Center, shared his experiences as a trainer, cement mason and member of the North Cheyenne Tribe in Montana.

MnDOT’s presentation focused on Tribal-State relations and the history of the Tribal cement masonry training program that has been administered by MnDOT Office of Civil Rights for the past nine years.

Tribal cement masonry training is one of several free construction training programs that MnDOT offers for eligible participants. Through consultation and collaboration with Tribal leaders and employment representatives, MnDOT’s Offices of Advancing Equity, Civil Rights, and Tribal Affairs have collaborated to deliver over 10 training programs for Tribal members in the areas of cement masonry, commercial driver’s license, equipment operation, and carpentry in the past two years alone.