​By Commerce Tribal Liaison Ernie Rasmussen

Indian Country has many meanings. For most, it’s thought of as the lands within respective reservations. For others, it’s the sovereign Tribal governments with the responsibility to govern and provide services to their citizens. And for others, Indian Country means being part of something greater than yourself. Working alongside one another to meet a common challenge, to work together in honor of the ancestral knowledge passed from one generation to the next.

The 31^st Annual Centennial Accord occurred this past week, bringing together representation from all 29 federally recognized Tribes in Washington state and two from Oregon, to a virtual table alongside Governor Inslee and much of his cabinet and agency leadership. I was honored to accompany Director Brown to this year’s virtual gathering. Unlike anywhere else in the United States, for nearly two generations this convening of sovereign governments has occurred in Washington. While the discussion topics have largely changed over the years, from gaming and economic development to fish passage and mental health facilities to COVID19 vaccination and climate change, the overarching premise remains the same: preserving the cultures of the Indigenous peoples of Washington state is good for all people of Washington.

Twenty-four Tribes in Washington entered into treaties with the U.S. government, along with the two Tribes from Oregon that join the accord every year. Another five Tribes were created under executive order of the President of the United States. Each of these treaties has one purpose: to preserve their unique cultures that define their Indigeneity. While the community and economic impacts of Tribes in Washington state are quantifiable, the benefits of preservation of unique Indigenous cultures is immeasurable, offering the residents of Washington an identity of persona, place and brand.

Recognition of the value of effective intergovernmental relationships can be seen in this ongoing effort. Thirty-one years of intergovernmental experience provides a spectrum of forward thinking leadership and willingness to discuss a variety of subjects beyond the current crisis. As one might expect in the age of COVID-19, a great amount of discussion at this year’s Accord was focused on the effectiveness of the immediate response, expressing unilateral support for the current statewide mandates, and agreement to prioritize the protection of public health as a means to an economic recovery. The ancestral stories of pandemic impacts common to all Native American communities are prevalent, with COVID-19 serving as a refresher of lessons learned.

People are the focal point of each of those ancestral stories, and thankfully the leadership experience at the Accord’s virtual table echoed these lessons, demonstrating wisdom gained by careful listening, learning, practice and experience. Of course, Commerce management of COVID-19 response funds available to Tribes has been critical to an effective response. Without this critical intergovernmental partnership, the pandemic may have created a level of despair known only through ancestral stories passed from one generation to the next.

A continued discussion of climate change and the necessity to look beyond our current situation to ensure we take decisive action to both meet and stave off humanities next big challenge. Riparian zone protection, transportation electrification, energy efficiency, broadband development and mitigation of population growth impacts were but a few subjects given recognition as the work necessary to meet our next big challenge. With nearly 400 in attendance, leadership spoke loud and clear; make this effort one that is bigger than you, join the effort alongside Indian Country to ensure our common knowledge becomes ancestral and serves the next seven generations