An Examination of Tribal Nation Integration in Homeland Security National Preparedness

Don Reed, Ph.D.

“The most important failure was one of imagination.”

- The 9/11 Commission Report

Margaret Muhr, MA

Dore Bietz, BS

National Tribal Assistance Coordination Group Workshop

November 5, 2015

Perspective – Native American Experience“We know that we can’t turn back the clock…But, understand…It is hard, very hard, to know that the land that was once ours will never ever again be our hunting grounds. We understand that we must change – and we are changing – but remember: it once was our land, our life, and it is hard.”

David Courchene, 1969President, Manitoba Indian Brotherhood

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“The Nation is integrating tribal partners more systematically into preparedness…Despite these improvements, serious challenges remain for tribal and Federal partners to implement these new policies successfully.”

Department of Homeland Security, 2014National Preparedness Report

“This is the task at hand, to move toward a more perfect union. And when we do, we’ll always be able to say, that the State of Indian Nations is strong, and the future prosperity of America is secure.”

Jefferson Keel, 2013President, National Congress of American Indians

Problem – The Post-9/11 World is ChangingTrends

• Globalization• Climate Change• Shifting Demographics• Demand and

Competition for Natural Resources

• Technology Advances• Social Networking

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OutcomeIncreased

Networked Dependency

OutcomeExpanded

Domains of Conflict

OutcomeBoundaries

Blurred(War vs Crime)

OutcomeSecurity Buffers

Eliminated (Time,

Distance, Borders)

Evolving Homeland

Security Environment

Emerging Actors And Threats

Threats• Human• Ascendant & Rogue

States• Transnational Networks• Super-empowered

Groups & Individuals• Illicit Trafficking• Homegrown Extremists

• Environmental• Natural• Manmade

OutcomeComplex

Catastrophes

OutcomeCascadingNetworkFailures

OutcomeExpansion of

Self-Organizing

Human Threats

OutcomeDisasters

More Frequent,

Widespread

No Stakeholder is Immune

Solution – The Post-9/11 Approach

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National Preparedness Integration

Actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, and exercise to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation.

Tenets:• Integration into a holistic whole – federal, tribal,

state, local, non-government• Shared responsibility of all stakeholders – “all-of-

nation” approach• Risk-based, integrated planning – prevention,

protection, mitigation, response, recovery• Mutual increased security and reduced

vulnerability

The Gap – Tribal Nation Integration

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Gap Between Policy and Practice• People (est. 2.9M) –

• Historically disenfranchised and impoverished

• History of radical activism• Vulnerable to both exploitation

and homegrown radicalization

• Land (est. 55M acres) –• Isolated and economically depressed • Crossed by state/national critical

infrastructure networks• Potential conduits for illegal trafficking –

money, drugs, weapons, humans

• Tribal nation integration countered by proliferation and rewriting of court decisions, legislative acts, executive orders and government policies• Issue is uncertain, complex, and polarizing nature (Roe, 1994) • Narratives of stakeholders offer better understanding

Social & Economic

Factors

AIM, Alcatraz, Trail of Broken

Tears, Pine Ridge

Youth Gangs, Republic of Lakota / Mazacoin,

Wayuu Islamic Autonomy

25 Nations, 165 Miles of International Border / Dams, Water, Electric,

Transportation

Study – Collecting the Stories

• To understand the impacts of national preparedness policies on federally-recognized tribal nations, as revealed in stakeholder narratives

• Government (conventional) narrative: • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – lead role in national

preparedness policy development and implementation• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) – role in administering tribal national disaster

preparedness• U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) – unique military support role in national

preparedness

• Tribal nation (counter) narrative:• Federally-recognized tribal nations – unique status in relation to the federalist

model for national preparedness• Nongovernmental organizations – work on behalf of tribal nations for national

preparedness (Tribal Emergency Management Association (iTEMA), National Tribal Emergency Management Council (NTEMC)

• Metanarrative for recommendations on how to recast policy on tribal nation integration into national preparedness

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Narrative Policy Analysis

iTEMA

NTEMC

• 21 Study Participants

• Subject Matter Authority

• Open-ended, Standardized

Questions

Study – The Research Questions

• Primary

• How have tribal nations experienced the effects of national preparedness policy in homeland security since 9/11?

• Sub-questions

• What have tribal nations experienced in national preparedness, and how have they experienced it, as a result of homeland security policies implemented since 9/11?

• What have been tribal nation responses (stories to be told) to these experiences?

• What meanings (turning points) do stakeholders ascribe to these experiences?

• What are the implications of these experiences?

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Results – Government Narrative

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Impact of SRIA good

Complexity of threats

Sheer number and wide

diversity of tribal nations

Yes on tribal nation EMAC

“Pan Indian” view exists in government

Cultural differences and lack of

understanding exists between

government and tribal nations

Pro forma approaches

No single tribal voice

Need for greater resourcing and

inclusion of tribal nations

Disaster thresholds too high for

tribal nations

Tribal nations 10-12 years

behind nation

Government policies not

always effective

Tribal liaison a collateral

dutySplit on

tribal nation ESF

What the Government Participants Said

Results – Tribal Nation Narrative

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What the Tribal Nation Participants Said

Need for resources

Impact of SRIA good

Greater focus on threats,

tribal nations not immune

Greater inclusion =

“seat at the table”

“The playing

field is not level”

Disenfranchisement, special trust relationship

Historical grievances,

broken treaties

Mutual respect and

understanding

Lack of full-time

emergency managers

Do not “treat us

like children”

“One-size-fits-all” will

not work

“To plan for evil is to invite

evil”

“Don’t tell tribal nations

what to do, ask them what they

need”

Disaster thresholds not

appropriate

Partnerships not always

effective

Have to compete

with states

Preparedness is a luxury

Yes on tribal nation EMAC

Yes on tribal nation ESF

Conclusions – Metanarrative

• Future studies consider larger study population• Further studies of the nature and quality of tribal nation preparedness

partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels• More in-depth studies of narrative policy analysis themes (uncertainty,

complexity, polarization) and tribal nation themes (people, resources, approaches)

• Explore legislative / policy means to give tribal nations “greater seat at the table,” e.g., Council of Governors, greater liaison representation

• Explore greater policy clarification of federal department roles regarding tribal nations; minimize conflicts, duplication of efforts, overwhelming tribal nations

• Explore legislative means to give tribal nation tax base equivalents; reduce reliance on enterprise revenue streams or government grants for preparedness

• Explore legislative means to provide alternative flexible disaster relief thresholds for tribal nations; e.g., per-capita based approaches, or regionalization of disaster declarations

• Explore legislative / policy means to establish a national tribal nation EMAC• Explore policy means to establish greater, more effective integration of tribal

nation needs and interests in the ESFs in the NRF 10

Recommendations

Conclusions – Social Change Implications

• Give voice to tribal nations in national preparedness

• The nation has a moral obligation to fulfill its commitment to tribal nations under the terms of the social contract

• Government has a practical imperative to fully integrate tribal nations into the collective effort for national preparedness

• The two are intertwined; threats and disasters are not limited by boundaries; gaps are vulnerable to exploitation by hostile actors, cascading network effects of disasters

• Tribal nation preparedness interests are synonymous with national preparedness interests

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An Examination of Tribal Nation Integration in Homeland Security National Preparedness

Don Reed, Ph.D.

“The most important failure was one of imagination.”

- The 9/11 Commission Report

Margaret Muhr, MA

Dore Bietz, BS

National Tribal Assistance Coordination Group Workshop

November 5, 2015

Contact

Donald (Don) J. ReedEmail: donald.j.reed.civ@mail.milPhone: 719-556-8227

Study: http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/598/

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Solution – The Post-9/11 Approach

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National Preparedness Integration

Preparedness = “actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, and exercise to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation.” Tenets:• Integration into a holistic whole – federal, tribal, state, local, non-

government• Shared responsibility of all stakeholders – “all-of-nation” approach• Risk-based, integrated planning – prevention, protection, mitigation,

response, recovery• Mutual increased security and reduced vulnerability

Results – Participant Identified Issues

Emergent themes:

Parent Node Child Node

Data Points

Government Narrative 481 FEMA BIA USNORTHCOMTribal Narrative

210165106457

Tribal Nations Tribal NGOsTribal Nation Experiences

302155536

Preparedness Impacts Preparedness Threats Preparedness Needs Preparedness Integration Challenges/ObstaclesTribal Nation Responses Preparedness Experiences Unique Policy Conditions/Complexities Partnerships Effective Yes Partnerships Effective No Partnerships Effective Depends Tribal Nations Self Actions Taken Initiatives Working Initiatives Not WorkingStakeholder Ascribed Meanings Tribal Preparedness Program Familiarity Yes Tribal Preparedness Program Familiarity No Tribal Preparedness Program Familiarity Depends Current State of Capacity, Capability, Funding How Improve Capacity, Capability, Funding Impact of 2013 SRIA Good Impact of 2013 SRIA Bad Impact of 2013 SRIA Depends Tribal Nations Understand Admin Requirements Yes Tribal Nations Understand Admin Requirements No Tribal Nations Understand Admin Requirements DependsStakeholder Ascribed Implications Federal Disaster Relief Thresholds Too High Yes Federal Disaster Relief Thresholds Too High No Federal Disaster Relief Thresholds Too High Depends Other Criteria/Approaches Yes Other Criteria/Approaches No How Prepare Tribal Nations for Impacts or Threats What Policies/Criteria needed Role for National Tribal EMAC Yes Role for National Tribal EMAC No Role for National Tribal EMAC Depends Role for Tribal ESF in NRF Yes Role for Tribal ESF in NRF No Role for Tribal ESF in NRF Depends

6411515720041076156219035203022714191440913116164

20036282143384205181013

Tribes / TribalLack Funding / ResourcingEmergency / DisasterGovernmentTribal Size, Different, SovereignTribal Voice / Seat at TableStatesBordersFederalPolicyPreparednessEmergency Manage Assist CompactInfrastructureSandy Recovery Improvement ActThreatsUnderstandingTribal CouncilsTribal CulturesEmergency Support Function

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Results – Researcher Established Themes

The 19 emergent themes from step one were coded to pre-established narrative themes

Parent Node Child Node

Data Points

Narrative Policy Themes 561 Uncertainty (knowledge of what matters) Complexity (intricacy/interdependence with other issues) Polarization (concentration of groups around extremes)Tribal Nation Themes

80316165563

People (stakeholders) Resources (materials/funding) Approaches (policy)

162164237

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Results – Policy Themes

Combined Narratives Combined Policy Analysis ThemesEmergent Themes Uncertainty Complexity PolarizationTribes / Tribal 574 666 647Lack Funding / Resourcing

136 171 144

Emergency / Disaster 107 134 105Government 89 96 112Tribal Size, Different, Sovereign

55 48 66

Tribal Voice / Seat at Table 40 42 58States 38 43 52Borders 23 39 23Federal 40 45 44Policy 22 45 30Preparedness 37 47 34EMAC 34 19 76Infrastructure 29 41 31SRIA 28 38 32Threats 32 31 28Understand 24 21 18Tribal Councils 15 0 18Tribal Cultures 15 0 18ESF 0 0 0

Conventional Policy Analysis Themes

Uncertainty Complexity Polarization

162 254 235

24 52 30

29 56 27

26 33 49

7 20 27

0 0 19

6 15 330 20 05 17 150 0 99 19 66 0 130 13 00 15 96 0 06 0 0

5 0 7

17 7 9

10 17 14

Counter Policy Analysis Themes

Uncertainty Complexity Polarization

173 270 247

47 72 39

37 64 35

25 32 48

7 12 19

11 21 44

9 14 2311 34 1121 26 2510 25 1814 24 110 0 8

13 25 159 19 13

19 18 1515 12 9

0 0 8

7 0 00 0 0

Government Narrative Tribal Nation Narrative

Policy Analysis Themes

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Uncertainty (knowledge of what matters)Complexity (intricacy/interdependence with other issues)Polarization (concentration of groups around extremes)

Results – Tribal Themes

Combined Narratives Combined Tribal Nation ThemesEmergent Themes People Resources ApproachesTribes / Tribal 615 870 674Lack Funding / Resourcing

139 228 147

Emergency / Disaster 117 168 110Government 97 131 111Tribal Size, Different, Sovereign

59 82 73

Tribal Voice / Seat at Table 42 61 57States 38 61 53Borders 26 63 26Federal 43 57 47Policy 39 57 32Preparedness 40 55 38EMAC 20 74 56Infrastructure 29 57 29SRIA 30 44 38Threats 32 42 30Understand 23 29 20Tribal Councils 0 23 19Tribal Cultures 19 0 0ESF 0 0 18

Conventional Tribal Nation Themes

People Resources Approaches

201 188 260

27 62 29

39 41 32

34 26 48

9 6 33

0 0 20

10 14 340 6 07 5 210 0 11

13 11 116 9 100 15 07 7 15

17 6 00 0 0

5 5 8

22 15 7

0 10 21

Counter Tribal Nation Themes

People Resources Approaches

217 198 269

53 73 38

47 49 40

33 25 47

18 0 32

19 21 52

9 13 2415 24 1524 20 2810 11 2018 16 160 0 0

13 27 1311 11 1919 25 1714 11 11

0 0 9

31 0 90 0 0

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Government Narrative Tribal Nation Narrative

Tribal Nation ThemesPeople (stakeholders)Resources (materials/funding)Approaches (policy)