Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indian Sacred Sites
On December 5, 2012, five Federal agencies (the Departments of Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, Energy, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to improve the protection of and Indian access to sacred sites through interagency coordination and collaboration. The following report provides an update on the agencies’ progress in implementing the MOU.
To meet the requirements of the memorandum, interagency teams will gather information, evaluate resources, and develop recommendations and additional tools that will enhance agency protection of Indian sacred sites.
- Action Plan to Implement the MOU Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indian Sacred Sites, March 5, 2013 (PDF, 262 KB)
- Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indian Sacred Sites (PDF, 340 KB)
- Executive Order 13007 “Indian Sacred Sites” (PDF, 46 KB)
Updated Information for 2016
- Policy Statement on the Confidentiality of Information about Indian Sacred Sites, July 2015 (PDF, 136 KB)
- The Protection of Indian Sacred Sites General Information, July 2015 (PDF, 174 KB)
- Policy Review Report, December 2013 (PDF, 345 KB)
Previous Updates
- Indian Sacred Sites Draft Information Paper, September 17, 2014 (PDF, 201 KB) - This paper discusses Indian sacred sites in very general terms and is intended only to provide the reader with a basic understanding about the kinds of places that might be sacred to Indian tribes and why. This information is offered to help the general public, local planners, state officials, developers, and others better understand sacred sites and how they can help protect them.
- Proposed Course of Action Regarding Training as Determined by the Training Subgroup of the Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indian Sacred Sites (PDF, 126 KB) - This proposal was developed by the Training Subgroup (TSG) of the Core MOU Working Group and proposes actions that will further enhance interagency coordination and collaboration.
- Draft Policy Statement on Confidentiality of Indian Sacred Sites (PDF, 86 KB) - Federal agencies and their components have a trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to develop guidance regarding the confidentiality and protection of Indian Sacred Sites. This document offers a draft policy statement on confidentiality that agencies may adopt.
Contacts
Kathryn Isom-Clause, Chair
Counselor to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs
Department of the Interior
Kathryn_Isom-Clause@ios.doi.gov
A. Joseph Sarcinella V, Esq.
Senior Advisor & Liaison for Native American Affairs
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense
andrew.j.sarcinella.civ@mail.mil
Leslie Wheelock
Director, Office of Tribal Relations
Office of the Secretary
Department of Agriculture
Leslie.wheelock@osec.usda.gov
David Conrad
Director of Intergovernmental and Tribal Affairs
Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
Department of Energy
David.conrad@hq.doe.gov
Valerie Hauser
Director, Office of Native American Affairs
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
vhauser@achp.gov