1. CONFERENCE: GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY WELCOMES #NAFOAFALL23
NAFOA’s 2023 Fall Finance & Tribal Economies Conference being held October 2-3, 2023 at the The Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ, will offer you the opportunity to attend educational sessions focused specifically on growing your tribe’s economy, and also give you the chance to visit and explore the land of the Gila River Indian Community.
Aji Spa & Salon
Indulge in an authentic Native American spa experience at Aji Spa & Salon. Utilizing the sacred healing and renewal powers of indigenous plants and ingredients, Aji Spa prides itself on providing rejuvenating treatments considered sacred to the Gila River Indian Community.
Whirlwind Golf Club
The Whirlwind Golf Club features two championship courses, adjacent to the hotel. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Estrella Mountains, each of the 36 holes are named after a significant legend or landmark of the Pima and Maricopa Indians.
Koli Equestrian Center
Traverse expansive scenery with guidance from experienced wran
glers from the Koli Equestrian Center. Catering to riders of all skill levels, each ride offered at Koli is designed to allow guests to experience the natural flora and fauna of the Gila River Indian Community lands at a peaceful pace.
Gila River Resorts & Casinos
The Gila River Resort & Casino – Wild Horse Pass is located a short shuttle ride from the Sheraton and features gaming, entertainment, and additional dining options.
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2. WEBINAR: OFFICE OF RECOVERY PROGRAMS: SINGLE AUDIT OVERVIEW FOR PARTICIPATING TRIBES
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 03:00 PM in Eastern Time
Staff from Tribes participating in Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs (ORP) including HAF, SLFRF, ERA, CPF, and SSBCI are invited to participate in a special session on Single Audits.
The Single Audit, previously known as the OMB Circular A-133 audit, is an organization-wide financial statement and federal awards’ audit of a non-federal entity that expends $750,000 or more in federal funds in one year. It is intended to provide assurance to the Federal Government that a non-federal entity has adequate internal controls in place, and is generally in compliance with program requirements.
This one-hour session will feature an overview of Single Audits by Nasr Fahmy, Single Audit Advisor, and will allow time for questions and answers. Please be sure to ask your questions in advance in the registration and feel free to let Treasury staff know if there are any topics you’d like covered in a future session as well.
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury
3. FOR NATIVE BUSINESSES: GSA DEBUTS NEW SEARCH TOOL TO SUPPORT NATIVE GOVERNMENTS AND BUSINESSES
The U.S. General Services Administration debuted a new search tool that enables buyers to search for Native business categories in GSA Advantage!, GSA eBuy and GSA eLibrary for commercial products and services.
Tribal governments are limited in their ability to generate traditional government revenues because of their unique federal status, and the income from Tribal businesses is an important source of development for these communities. This new feature will help Native businesses be visible in a diverse range of channels where they can sell products and services.
The new search identifiers (see below) are designed to enable multiple search criteria, such as office supplies and 8(a) status. This feature helps federal agency partners to comply with the Buy Indian Act. With these recent enhancements to the search function, buyers can more efficiently meet socioeconomic contracting goals and identify specific acquisition pathways. For example, the ability to search for hand tools made by American Indian-owned small businesses is now accessible by federal and Tribal buyers.
The search terms for community-owned entities include:
- Alaska Native Corporation Owned ‒ an
- Native Hawaiian Organization Owned ‒ hn
- Tribally Owned ‒ to
And individually-owned:
- American Indian Owned ‒ ai
Source: U.S. General Services Administration
4. MEMBER TRIBE NEWS: IN HISTORIC FIRST, VP KAMALA HARRIS VISITS GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY TO DISCUSS TRIBAL ISSUES
As part of an effort to illustrate the Biden administration’s commitment to Native Americans, Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Gila River Indian Community on Thursday to meet with tribal leaders from around Arizona.
It was the first visit to the Gila River community by a sitting U.S. president or vice president.
She touched on a wide range of issues pertinent to Native American communities, including infrastructure improvements, water resources, and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act.
“So I celebrate, as we all do, what happened at the court,” Harris told the audience at the tribe’s Gila Crossing Community School in Laveen. “But when you read closely the attacks, and how the court ruled, let’s be fully aware of not only the essential protection that ICWA provides, but also understand that whatever gains we make will not be permanent if we’re not vigilant.”
Gila River Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis commended the Biden administration for making sincere efforts to strengthen the federal government’s relationship with the nation’s tribes.
Source: Al Macias, Fronteras Desk
5. JOBS: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND BOOKKEEPING
Kumeyaay Community College (KCC), located in El Cajon, CA, has recently become an independent, 501c3 nonprofit tribal college. KCC is requesting support from a qualified financial professional and/or team as it transitions its accounting from being managed by its tribal government fiscal sponsor, to setting up and managing its own financial and grants management systems as an independent nonprofit organization.
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