Tribal Land Staff National Conference

The premier education and networking event for tribal land professionals



Tribal Land Staff National Conference

The 13th Tribal Land Staff National Conference was held April 2-4, 2024 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas and drew more than 300 participants. Every year this event offers a variety of unique learning and networking opportunities for professionals who work in Indian land and related fields. The 2024 theme was Advancing Tribal Sovereignty in the Digital Age.

Click here to see the conference photos.

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Conference exhibitors

The Tribal Land Staff National Conference has been an excellent opportunity to reach tribal land professionals in person while building your network in Indian Country. To learn more about exhibiting or sponsoring at the Conference please email Sarah Lawson at SLawson@SCHWABE.com.

Please visit our Sponsor page and Exhibition Hall to learn more about the organizations that sponsor the Conference. We appreciate their support!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE 2023 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION HALL

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Thank you to our sponsors!

Click here to learn more about the tribes, corporations and organizations that support the Tribal Land Staff National Conference. This important event would not be possible without their continued support.

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Watch previous Conference presentations

Most of the online presentations at the 12th Tribal Land Staff National Conference were recorded for viewing at your convenience. Sessions titles are listed below. Click on a session title to view the presentation on YouTube.

 

Carbon Markets from an Indigenous Perspective (CLE)

Presenters: Bryan Van Stippen, Program Director, National Indian Carbon Coalition

Susan Waukon, Project Manager, National Indian Carbon Coalition

 

Lease Income on Allotted Lands

Presenter: Thomas Stratmann, Professor of Economics & Law, George Mason University

 

Tribal Youth GIS: A Story Mapping Pilot Curriculum

Presenters: Shana Crosson, DASH Program Associate Director, University of Minnesota

Jim Wabindato, Special Policy Advisor on Tribal Ag. Land, USDA

 

Considerations in Using Fee Land to Economic Development (CLE)

Presenters: Michelle Lee, Tribal Attorney, The Circle Law Group, P.C.

Russell Eleck, Lands Coordinator, Pit River Tribe

Gregory Wolfin, EPA Coordinator, Pit River Tribe

 

Trespass in Indian Country (CLE)

Presenters: Rebecca Ross, Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor

Merri Lopez-Keifer, Director, Office of Native American Affairs Office of Attorney General California Department of Justice

Kimberly Yearyean, Realty Officer, Pacific Region

 

Tribal Broadband: Navigating Multijurisdictional Projects

Presenters: Andrew Orosco Jr., Broadband Program Specialist, National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Linnea Jackson, General Manager, Hoopa Valley Utilities District, Hoopa Valley Tribe

Matthew Rantanen, Senior Advisor Tribal Broadband, Golden State Network

 

Mii Ezhenanang Nindakiimin Noongom – Our Land Is Returned Back To Us Today

Presenters: Jeffrey Holth, Shareholder, The Jacobson Law Group

Cathy Chavers, Chairwomen, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa

Cris Stainbrook, President, Indian Land Tenure Foundation

Kim Berns-Melhus, MN State Director of Conservation Acquisition, The Conservation Fund

 

Agriculture Policy and Funding Updates (CLE)

Presenter: Carly Griffith-Hotvedt, Associate Director, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Institute

 

Using GIS on the Pechanga Indian Reservation

Presenters: Shelly Knight, GIS Manager, Pechanga Tribal Government

Kevin Capone, GIS Analyst, Pechanga Tribal Government

Kelcey Stricker, Environmental Department, Pechanga Tribal Government

David Newman, Environmental Department, Pechanga Tribal Government

 

Legal Updates (CLE)

Presenter: Sarah Lawson, Shareholder, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

 

Tricks of the Trade: Effective Tribal Ordinance Drafting

Presenter: Kimberly Cluff, Legal Director, California Tribal Families Coalition

 

Planning Basics II

Presenter: Amy J Wilson, Founder & Principal Consultant, SEE Renewal

 

HEARTH Act Implementation (CLE)

Presenter: Jeff R. Keohane, Of Counsel, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

 

Cfeds, BILS, and Cadastral Resources in the Fiduciary Trust

Presenter: Tasha Huhta, BLM Surveyor, CFedS Program Manager, Bureau of Land Management

 

Leveraging ArcGIS for Management and Protection of Lands

Presenters: Anne Taylor, Account Manager, Esri

Katie Kolcusky, Solution Engineer, Esri

 

Negotiating with Non-Tribal Jurisdictions (CLE)

Presenters: Pablo Padilla, Esq., Pablo H. Padilla, LLC

Charles Padilla, Officer Manager, Pablo H. Padilla, LLC

 

Implementing Agricultural Resource Management Planning in Your Community

Presenters: Emily Luscombe, Natural Resources Director, Intertribal Agriculture Council

Will Seeley, Tribal Enterprise Specialist, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Institute

Dave Bartecchi, Executive Director, Village Earth

 

25 USC 177 Nonintercourse Act (CLE)

Presenters: Megan Powell, Director of Underwriting – Direct Division, First American Title Insurance Company

Michael O’Neal, Vice President-Corporate Underwriting, First American Title Insurance Company

 

Take Ownership of Your Appraisals

Presenters: Alberto Ugas, Appraiser – Special Projects Manager, Appraisal and Valuation Services Office (AVSO) / DOI

Eldred Lesansee, Associate Deputy Diretor, Appraisal and Valuation Services Office (AVSO) / DOI

 

Using GIS to Manage Tribal Land Base

Presenter: Eric Anderson, GIS Analyst, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

 

Tribal-State Consultation On- and Off-Reservation (CLE)

Presenter: Jeff R. Keohane, Of Counsel, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

 

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Restoration Act

Presenters: James (Matt) Frazer, GIS Manager, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Christine Herman, Tribal Relations Specialist for Chippewa National Forest, USDA

 

Implementing Broadband in Indian Country

Presenter: Bill Fenton, Director, Osage Nation Information Technology

 

Seeking Higher Ground: Climate Disasters and Tribal Land Issues (CLE)

Presenter: Brian Candelaria, Staff Attorney and Disaster Navigator, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services

2022 Presentation Slides

Click on a presentation title below to access a pdf of the presenter’s slides.

Understanding the Agricultural Resource Management Plan

Transfers of Federal Land to Tribal Governments

Carbon Workshop 101

Implementing Tribal Jurisdictions to Build Tribal Economies

Using Planning to Move From What is to What Should Be

 

2021 Conference Sessions on video

 

Opening Address: Lessons From Another Pandemic – A Chance to Close the Systemic Gaps

Presenter: Chief Commissioner Manny Jules

 

Spatial Organization and Land Use Patterns

Presenter: Amy Wilson, Founder & Principal Consultant, Social, Economic, Energy and Resource Renewal, LLC

 

Fee-to-Trust Experiences on Fond du Lac

Presenter: Timothy Krohn, Land Information Manager, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

 

Rights-of-Way: Indians are being had ‘big time’

Presenter: Sally Willett, Retired Judge, Cherokee Nation

 

Building a Sustainable and Resilient Indigenous Economy

Presenter: André LeDressay, Director, Tulo Centre for Indigenous Economics

 

Legal Updates

Presenter: Sarah Roubidoux Lawson, Of Counsel, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

 

A Scalable Approach to Evaluating and Addressing Your Property’s Environmental Conditions

Presenter: Jennifer Casler, Senior Associate Geologist, Haley & Aldrich

 

Probate and Proposed Regulation Changes

Presenter: Sally Willett, Retired Judge, Cherokee Nation

 

NEPA Regulation Changes

Presenters: Sara Dutschke Setshwaelo, Partner, Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell

Matthew Adams, Partner, Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell

 

Section 17 Corporations: Using the Past to Structure Your Business for the Future

Presenter: Shauna Coons, Managing Attorney, Kwe Law Firm

 

Land Acquisitions and Creative Solutions

Presenters: Monte Gray, Assistant General Counsel, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

Travis Stone, Land Use Director, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

 

Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program

Presenters: Milo Booth, Director of Tribal Affairs, Tribal Self-Governance Transportation Program

Eldridge Onco, Regional Counsel, United States Department of Transportation

 

Pandemic Effects on Estate Planning

Presenter: Casey Ross, Director, American Indian Law and Sovereignty Center

 

Shortening the TSR Timeline

Presenter: James Colombe, Project Manager, Center for Indian Country Development

 

Collaborating for Success in Strategic Planning and Economic Development

Presenters: Cynthia Ptak, Economic Development Representative for Arizona for Economic Development Administration, United States Department of Commerce

Frances Sakaguchi, Economic Development Integrator – Seattle Regional Office, United States Department of Commerce

 

Flood Hazard Identification and the National Flood Insurance Program in Indian Country

Presenters: Dr. Frank Shockey, Senior National Flood Insurance Program Specialist, FEMA-Region V

Nick Bruscato, Mitigation Tribal Liaison/Risk Analysis Program Specialist, FEMA-Region V

 

Site Planning Indian Lands: Designing and Building with Vision

Presenters: Ken Ryan, Principal, KTGY Architecture

Shane Melbo, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Oak and Stone Development

 

Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hemp

Presenter: Erick Giles, Attorney, Drummond Woodsum

 

What to Expect from the Biden Administration

Presenter: Larry Roberts, Professor of Practice and Executive Director, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, ASU