Dear Tribal Leader Letter - Non-Federal Membership Nominations

Dates: August 04, 2021 4:00am to 4:00am

The deadline for the non-federal employee nominations is on Monday, September 20, 2021.

Dear Tribal Leader:

Congress enacted the Not Invisible Act o/2019 (Act) 1 to increase intergovernmental coordination to identify and combat violent crime within Indian lands and against Indians. Section 4 of the Act requires that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), in coordination with the United States Attorney General, establish and appoint non-Federal members to a Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians (Commission). The Commission will develop recommendations on actions the Federal Government can take to identify, coordinate, and combat violent crime, within Indian lands and of Indians, as required under the Act.

The Secretary is seeking non-Federal nominations for representatives to serve on the Commission. The Commission will be composed of a minimum of27 qualified Federal and non-Federal members. The Secretary will consider nominations for non-Federal representatives. Nominees should represent diverse experiences, backgrounds, geography, and Tribes of diverse sizes who are able to provide balanced points of view on the duties of the Commission. Section III of the enclosed Federal Register notice outlines the Commission membership, responsibilities, and criteria.

In accordance with the Act, the Commission is exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act requirements. The Commission's work is expected to occur over the course of 18 months to hold hearings, take testimony, and receive evidence. Members must be able to attend all meetings, hearings, participate in work groups, and consult with their constituencies. The Department commits to pay the reasonable travel and per diem expenses of Commission members, if appropriate, to attend in-person meetings and hearings. Due to the significant time commitments for this Commission, nominees should not be a current member of an existing Commission, Task Force, or Advisory Group on a similar or related topic.

The Secretary will consider only those nomination packages that are complete. A complete nomination package includes all the following information about each nominee:

1. The nominee's name, contact information, geographic location, and Tribal affiliation.
2. A resume that describes the nominee's qualifications for specific membership category(ies). Please refer to the membership criteria stated in the enclosed Federal Register notice.
3. A personal statement of the reasons why the nominee wants to serve on the Commission, including examples of things they have done on the ground at the local, Tribal, or urban community level, and/or regionally, nationally.
4. A statement from the nominee committing to the time to contribute meaningfully to Commission deliberations including work groups.
5. Any additional comments, including the nominee's culturally relevant skills or personal experience, that could help contribute to the Commission's deliberations.
6. Where specified in the membership criteria, one or more letters of recommendation.

The Secretary welcomes comments on the nomination process, work of the Commission, or nomination criteria. Nomination packages and written comments can be submitted to consultation@bia.gov by the date listed in the enclosed Federal Register notice.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Heidi Todacheene, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs at Heidi Todacheene@ios.doi.gov; and please include in the subject line "Inquiry re NIAC fr [add org/tribe/name here]".

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