 National Caucus of Native American State Legislators
The National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (formerly the National Council of Native American Legislators) was formed in 1992 and has met at NCSL meetings whenever possible. The Caucus currently consists of 80 members and their goals include:
- Providing a forum for discussion and increased communication among Native American legislators;
- Increasing awareness of the diverse Native American cultures in the United States;
- Supporting the establishment and maintenance of state-tribal communications to encourage open dialogue, understanding and cooperation; and
- Acting as an advisory body for NCSL on issues affecting Native Americans.
The Caucus reconvened regularly scheduled meetings during 2005 as part of the State-Tribal Relations Project, a partnership between NCSL and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and has received support from project staff designed to promote a better understanding of state-tribal issues among policymakers and the public at large. In fulfilling the Caucus' objectives, the group will help the project staff gain a broad understanding of state-tribal issues across the country and will raise the profile and knowledge level of tribal issues throughout the state legislative arena. The effectiveness of the Caucus and of individual Native American state legislators can increase the ability of the state legislatures to appropriately address tribal issues and develop public policy in cooperation with tribal governments.
 As the Caucus met and discussed a future organizational and operational structure, it was determined that the group should be jointly staffed and supported by both NCSL and NCAI staff. The Caucus also determined that, in addition to conducting an annual meeting of the Caucus, the group will also meet in conjunction with NCSL and NCAI annual meetings. This will allow the members to connect with their peers in the state legislatures as well as allow them to stay connected to the priority policy issues currently facing tribal communities. The staff of the State-Tribal Institute provide the Caucus with policy and organizational assistance and will engage in fundraising efforts that will enable the group to become self-sustaining into the future. For more information on the caucus visit http://www.nativeamericanlegislators.org/
 State-Tribal Institute
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