Tribal Consultation

Friday, December 9, 2022 11:00 AM-2:30 PM

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The CDSS Tribal Consultation Policy (TCP) was finalized on June 6, 2017 in accordance with Governor Edmund Brown’s Executive Order B-10-11 and establishes a firm commitment to communication and consultation with California Indian Tribes.The TCP provides a framework for elected officials or other designated representatives of tribal governments to provide meaningful input into the development of regulations, rules, and policies on matters that may affect tribal communities.

Currently, the CDSS is rolling out a Tribal Consultation Strategy* that includes several phases of tribal inclusion.These phases consist of:

• Disseminating the TCP to all tribes
• Inviting tribal leaders to consult on the CDSS Tribal Engagement Strategy*
• Visiting tribes who request consultation
• Developing the Tribal Engagement Strategy based on consultation input
• Convening a Tribal Consultation Summit on CDSS issues that impact tribes
• Developing a Tribal Advisory Body and OTA Strategy for Engagement

CDSS is in process of developing a Tribal Affairs team that will serve as the hub for tribal related work at the CDSS. One of the major focus areas for the team will include the Tribal Consultation Policy.

The OTA implements the CDSS Tribal Consultation Policy (TCP) in concert with Branches and Bureaus throughout the department, to carry out meaningful consultation efforts. The OTA serves as an advisor to leadership, throughout the CDSS, to use best practice strategies when working with tribal governments, in considerations of policy decisions and regulations that impact Tribes, as well as using appropriate protocols and cultural competency. The OTA coordinates the work of all divisions of the CDSS when it affects Tribes to ensure the department is in line with the Governor’s Executive Order B-10-11.

Tribal Consultation Policy (TCP) –The TCP guides government-to-government consultation between the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and California Indian Tribes (Tribes) on policies and procedures that affect Tribes and Indians in California, in recognition of statutory mandates and Federal and State Executive Directives to establish a formal government-to-government TCP. For further details see CDSS TCP.

TCP: Delegation of Sovereign Authority