U.S. General Services Administration
Supporting Tribal Nations, collaborating toward shared goals
Post filed in: Equity | Making It Easier | Office of Small Business Utilization | U.S. Border Stations
For over 75 years, GSA has been committed to delivering effective government that is of the people, by the people, and for all people. Our collaboration with Tribal Nations and Tribal industry are a crucial part of this ethos.
In 2023, President Biden signed an executive order to strengthen relations with Indian Country. This order is one of many ways the Biden-Harris Administration has made sure that Tribal Nations have a real say in government programs and services while supporting their right to self-determination and self-governance.
One of GSA’s major focus areas has been ensuring that Tribal Nations and Native-Owned Businesses have a voice in our strategic priorities. GSA has been helping companies succeed in the federal marketplace, driving accessibility in digital government, and ensuring full participation in our efforts to foster sustainability and optimize the federal buildings portfolio.
We’ve stepped up our efforts in many ways, including creating a permanent Tribal liaison position within the Office of Government-wide Policy. Julie Ramey, who draws from her Cherokee heritage to fulfill this role, helps facilitate communications and streamline processes for Native American customers to meet their unique needs. Ramey shared more in a recent episode of the GSA Does That?! podcast, where she highlighted the progress we’ve made on meeting mission goals while supporting Tribal partners.
But, there is more work on the horizon and much more to be done.
Elevating tribes as partners
GSA believes that we must acknowledge and honor our past if we are to move forward in a meaningful way, which is why senior leaders ensure projects proceed in ways that respect and acknowledge the sovereign land on which they’re located.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Madawaska, Maine, celebrating the opening of a state-of-the-art port of entry and its international bridge, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan affirmed the significance between Tribal Lands and GSA’s land ports of entry.
“We honor and acknowledge that we are standing on the homelands of the Maliseet people – and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue building ties and trust between our governments,” she said during the August ceremony.
“This $73 million project is a prime example of that: strengthening our infrastructure, bolstering our national security and economy, increasing sustainability and efficiency, and revitalizing the human connections between communities,” Carnahan added.
Madawaska Land Port of Entry is just one example of GSA’s acknowledgment, in the form of funding, and of the significance of investing in Indian Country.
In the coming years, GSA will invest $3.5 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act funds, some of which will go toward improving 26 projects at land ports of entry on our Northern and Southern borders. Indian Country spans over 260 miles of those borders. If combined, tribal lands would be the fourth largest state in the nation.
GSA also has billions of dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that’s being invested in land ports as well. In Alcan, Alaska – one of our biggest land port of entry projects – we’re taking an $187 million investment and making sure it benefits the local community through jobs, economic opportunity and community engagement. Not only will this strengthen America’s security and economy, but we’re also focused on making sure this project protects both the environment and the local indigenous culture through formal memorandums of understanding and active involvement from village leadership as the project unfolds.
With projects like these, GSA continues to directly engage with Tribal governments to seek their input and perspectives. This process, often referred to as consultations, aims to involve Tribal leaders early in the governmental decision-making process. The time we spent consulting with Tribal leaders helped GSA reframe our thinking about each project.
In addition to consultations, Carnahan is an active participant in the annual Reservation Economic Summits. She was the first GSA Administrator to attend RES in 2023, where she discussed her “triple win” strategy to develop Carbon-Pollution Free Electricity in Indian Country – creating good-paying jobs, creating business opportunities and sustaining the planet for future generations.
Native American Industry Day 2024
Almost a year has passed since GSA hosted its first Native American Industry Day, reinforcing the connection between tribal sovereignty, businesses and the U.S. government.
This year, our goal is to take that a step further. GSA, in partnership with the Department of Interior, is holding the second Native American Industry Day November 19 in Washington, D.C.
“This event allows Tribal businesses to directly engage with GSA leadership and partner agencies to ensure they have visibility and the latest information to work with the U.S. government,” said Ramey. “Having it annually in November helps set consistent expectations in industry on when and how we’ll ensure Native businesses get opportunities to engage with us.”
But, that’s only part of the picture. In 2023, GSA launched a new search tool to increase the visibility of Native-owned businesses. Buyers can now search for Native business categories in GSA Advantage!, GSA eBuy and GSA eLibrary for commercial products and services.
GSA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), working with the White House Council on Native American Affairs and the Department of the Interior, offers governmentwide procurement training for Native partners. OSDBU also provides unique advantages to small businesses that Native American contractors own and operate. They have streamlined processes to help Tribal Nations more easily and efficiently navigate SAM.gov, the award management system used to transact with the U.S. government.
More business is going to Native-Owned companies. GSA took the lead by using a 20-year-dormant provision of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to execute the first-ever purchase of carbon pollution-free electricity from a Tribal majority-owned business through the Indian Energy Procurement Preference provision, which will enable 185 buildings across 12 states to use 100% clean electricity. Beyond energy, GSA recently awarded $33.2 million to another Native-owned small business to expand roads near the Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry.
“We hope this Administration’s renewed focus on Native policies and programs will inspire even more progress across the federal community to create further opportunities for Tribally owned businesses,” Ramey said.
A way forward
As our nation prepares to observe Native American Heritage Month, President Biden cemented his support of Tribal nations by acknowledging and apologizing for abuses suffered by Indian children at federally run boarding schools from the early 1800s to the late 1960s. He said in his speech last week that this formal apology should have been done a long time ago.
GSA respects and reflects that intentionality. We continue to look for opportunities to support and improve services for and communication with Native American tribes. We continue to support equity in procurement, building and delivering digital government. This work has gone on for decades and we will continue it for generations to come.