From the NW Tribal GIS listserve:

As you can see we have begun work on a second more comprehensive publication on the use of GIS within Tribal Government.  This effort is a formal ESRI Press Publication which we hope will result in a lasting educational resource for the use of GIS in Tribal Government.  There are two primary components. 

First, and most importantly, will be a printed publication based on your stories of how GIS is making a difference within your communities.  We hope to structure the chapters around typical Tribal Government business functions such as Realty, Transportation, and Natural Resources but we also hope to highlight less known application areas where GIS can help tribes address challenges such as Health or Economic Development.  

Secondly, ESRI Instructors will author a tutorial following each chapter which will give new and existing tribal GIS users a step by step approach to applying GIS to that application area.  These lessons will be delivered digitally which will allow us to keep them up to date through new software releases and evolving data standards for Tribal GIS.  We feel this approach will result in a lasting educational resource for Tribal GIS and it's our hope you can contribute.   Please keep in mind that multiple tribes will be featured in each chapter so even if you can only contribute a short success story there may still be a way to include your work in the book. Please let me know if you have any questions.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
David Gadsden - NW Federal Account Manager
ESRI - Environmental Systems Research Institute
606 Columbia Street NW, Suite 300, Olympia WA
Phone: 360.754.4727 Fax: 360.943.6910
Email: dgadsden@esri.com <mailto:dgadsden@esri.com> 
Web: www.esri.com
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><>

  <http://www.esri.com/>

ESRI Tutorial for Tribal Government

Share Your GIS Story
<http://www.esri.com/industries/apps/federal/tribalGIS2009/index.cfm>  

ESRI and the authors of the 2008 publication Tribal GIS: Supporting Native American Policies with GIS are planning a second book to further support the use of GIS by tribal governments. The goal is to provide hands-on lessons on the use of GIS in a variety of tribal government functions, such as transportation, realty, and natural resource management. We hope this effort results in a lasting training resource that will make GIS accessible to a larger audience, particularly youth and tribe members.

ESRI is currently looking for examples of GIS programs that are making a significant difference in support of tribal governments. We'd like to know how you are using GIS to solve problems, meet particular needs, or grapple with management issues.

To have your tribal GIS program considered for this book, simply tell us of your interest in participating. Your expression of interest does not commit you to participate in the book. There will be no requirement for the tribe to share any GIS data that it considers sensitive.

Tell us about your work in tribal GIS
<http://www.esri.com/industries/apps/federal/tribalGIS2009/index.cfm> .

Participate
<http://www.esri.com/industries/apps/federal/tribalGIS2009/index.cfm>  

From Cultural Survival:
On April 9 the administration of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that it was open to the idea of reversing the burden of proof requirements for Aboriginal groups pursuing land claims. Until now, the burden of proof was on Aboriginal groups to prove an ongoing connection to their land, which was often difficult because they had been forced off the land through colonization and government policies. But the chief justice of the High Court, Robert French, has recommended that the process be changed to presume that Indigenous Peoples have "continuous existence and vitality since sovereignty." Under this policy, the government would have to prove otherwise. The change would represent a fundamental shift in relations with Indigenous Peoples and make it far easier for Aboriginal groups to reclaim their lands.
 
The Rudd government also announced on April 3 that the country will endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The decision to support the declaration came on the heels of Rudd's recent speech apologizing to Aborigines for the government's former policy of forcibly removing Aboriginal children from their families and placing them with white families or institutions. 

Read more. 

Traditional Use Studies

Forest Investment Account funding recipients interested in undertaking Traditional Use Study projects are required under their recipient agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers to adhere to RISC standards or Best Practices standards established by government.  Online access to the specifications and standards required for the completion of a traditional use study is provided below.

In the event a recipient desires to vary from the standards a request must be submitted to PricewaterhouseCoopers who will then forward that request for approval of the variance.

Traditional Use Study Standards

• Activity Specific Standard - Traditional Use Study Data Capture Specifications and Data Recording Guide
• Traditional Use Study Detailed Site Information Form

Other Related Information

• Traditional Use Study Funding Proposal Format
• Cultural Heritage Resource Information Sharing Agreement Template

[Source: SDI-NorthAmerica and CONSGIS Listserv] 

The upcoming, hands-on GIS mapping workshops are geared toward beginners who would like to map demographic information within their communities. Each workshop focuses on teaching the fundamentals of using a Geographic Information System (GIS) for community analysis. Participants will learn to create thematic maps with Census data, Geocoding (Address mapping) and Spatial Queries. Other features of the workshop are learning to extract Census data and good map layout and design.

Mapping Your Communities: An Introduction to GIS & Community Analysis

April 30/May 1     Phoenix, AZ
May5/6                New York, NY
May8                    Albany, NY
May14/15            Chicago,IL
May14/15           Atlanta, GA
May19                  Dallas, TX
May21                  Houston, TX
May27/28            Austin,TX
May29                  San Antonio, TX
June2                    Eugene, OR
June4/5                Portland, OR 
June9/10           Kansas City,KS
June18/19         Raleigh, NC
June25/26         Indianapolis, IN
July7/8              Baltimore, MD
July9/10            Olympia,WA
July17               Seattle, WA
July22               Nashville, TN
July24               Memphis, TN
July29               Charleston, NC
July31               Louisville, KY

These are one-day workshops are held 8:30am - 4:30pm. Participants choose which day to attend. Cost: $495.

Audience: Beginners, anyone interested in mapping their community.Focus: This workshop is customized for each location.

For more information about the workshops, visit www.urban-research.info

Contact: Gina Clemmer, New Urban Research, Inc., Tel. 877.241.6576, nur@urban-research.info