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To: Superintendents, Principals, ESD Superintendents, Education Partners, Charter School Leaders, K-12 PIOs
From: Dr. Charlene Williams, Director, Oregon Department of Education; April Campbell, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Indian Education
Date: November 1, 2023
Re: Tribal Consultation Toolkit 2.0
Dear Partners,
The Oregon Department of Education, in partnership with the Office of Indian Education, the TIDES Education Associates, the Region 16 Comprehensive Center, and other esteemed contributors is excited to share an updated version of Oregon’s Tribal Consultation Toolkit, and to make our partners aware of the new Tribal Consultation webpage to provide further support and guidance to our school districts. The revision of this toolkit represents deep partnership with the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon and includes:
- An Overview of Tribal Consultation and History;
- Federal and State Laws, including Sovereignty and Federal Title Programs;
- Responsibilities of affected Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Local Education Agencies who are members of a consortium (LEA-Cs); and
- Documents and Resources for LEAs and Tribes to prepare for Tribal Consultation
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide a resource to school districts, particularly those who receive greater than $40K in Title VI funding or have 50% or more American Indian/Alaska Native+ students. This toolkit is rooted in the belief that the voices of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon in district school improvement planning are critical to improving outcomes and creating safe and welcoming learning environments where all students can thrive. Serving as an equity lever, consultation offers an opportunity to co-create school and district plans and establish and strengthen partnerships with Tribes throughout Oregon communities.
The launch of the updated toolkit is happening at a great time. All school districts in Oregon are in year 1 of the implementation of their respective Integrated Guidance Plans. This state plan also requires Tribal Consultation in its development and approval from Tribes. We are requesting all affected school districts and consortia to evaluate their Tribal Consultation practices and recommit to implementing practices that align to the heart and spirit of Tribal Consultation uplifted in this new toolkit.
Our Deepest Gratitude
We express our deep gratitude to each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon for their contributions to this toolkit; tribes contributed stories, personal communications, information, and images that the authors and editors used as the foundational pieces for this toolkit. Thank you to the Burns Paiute Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Coquille Indian Tribe, and Klamath Tribes.
Contact Our Team
ODE’s Education Program Specialist II, Stacy Parrish, serving in the Office of Indian Education, can work directly with tribal Education Directors, or school district leaders to provide support and guidance on tribal consultation. Please contact Stacy at Stacy.Parrish@ode.oregon.gov or 971-208-0270. General inquiries for the toolkit may be sent to ODE.TribalConsultation@ode.oregon.gov.
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