Tribal Relations

In accordance with ORS 182.164, Secretary of State has developed and implemented an agency policy on relationships and cooperation with tribes.

The agency’s approach is rooted in our core values. We work to develop and nurture strong working relationships with federally recognized tribes in Oregon, to ensure that all agency impacts to the tribes and their members are positive, and to swiftly and transparently deal with negative impacts.

Strategy

Within the agency, the tribal liaison is tasked with identifying programs that may impact tribes and/or their members and ensuring that such impacts are positive in nature. The tribal liaison reports to and advises the Secretary on such programs, recommends action when appropriate, and works to promote positive communications and relations between the agency and the tribes.

Programs with impacts on tribes identified thus far include:

Audits – performance and financial, Waste, Fraud & Abuse hotline
Archives – permanent collection, records retention responsibilities and expertise, connections to other organizations that retain objects or documents of interest
Corporations – business registry for tribally owned or chartered entities, Office of Small Business Assistance (advocacy)
Elections – ability of tribal members to register to vote and participate in non-tribal elections, financial impact of ballot measures on tribes

To further ongoing communication, the agency participates in two Legislative Commission on Indian Services cluster groups: Economic Development & Community Services and Cultural Resources.

The agency continues to identify clusters and key tribal contacts that can provide opportunities for communication regarding elections and audits.