Strengthening Government to Government Relations Conference being held in Bismarck

The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission (NDIAC) is hosting a two-day conference focused on strengthening relationships between Tribal, State and Federal governments. This is the third annual Strengthening Relationships Conference hosted by NDIAC. The two prior NDIAC conferences held in January and December of 2018, saw more than 300 Tribal, State, and Federal officials in attendance.

This year, the Strengthening Relationships Conference will be held in the Bavendick Stateroom at Bismarck State College National Energy Center of Excellence in Bismarck, ND on Wednesday, January 15 and Thursday, January 16, 2020.

The conference is open to the public but is designed specifically for those in government and private industries who work with and for the five federally recognized tribes within North Dakota. Tribal leaders from the Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation (Three Affiliated Tribes), the Spirit Lake Nation, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Nation, as well as the North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, other top North Dakota officials, and Federal Government representatives will be attending the two-day conference.

 “True government-to-government partnership requires time, intentionality, and a commitment to collaboration, and we’ve seen all of this from the tribal leaders, whether we’re working on education or economic development or tax agreements,” said Gov. Doug Burgum during the United Tribes Technical College 23rd Annual Tribal Leaders Summit and Tradeshow at the Bismarck Event Center in September 2019. Gov. Burgum added, “Collaboration and partnership aren’t just words to us. We’re not going into meetings and holding summits to check a box. We’re there to do the work with you, all of you, to build on these relationships and partnerships.”

 The NDIAC Strengthening Relationships Conferences is supported by grant funding from various partners, sponsorships, and registration fees.

The final agenda is still pending but the session topics at the conference will include ND History & Tribal Historic Preservation, Memorandum of Agreements, Oil & Energy, Health Care, Law Enforcement, Education, Tourism and Economic Development, Food Sovereignty, Nonprofits, Taxation, and more. Programs at the NDIAC Strengthening Relationships Conference qualify for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Continuing Education Credits (CEU).

For more information or to register, visit the website at https://cvent.me/NVQa88