Indigenous Diplomacy and Engagement Act
The Indigenous Diplomacy and Engagement Act would create a centralized Office for Indigenous Affairs within the U.S. government to coordinate diplomacy and engagement with Indigenous peoples outside the United States, as well as with domestic Indigenous communities. The office would be led by a Coordinator for Indigenous Affairs (a role with Ambassador-at-Large rank who reports to the Secretary of State and is appointed with Senate consent). The bill requires the President, through the Coordinator, to develop and implement a five-year international strategy for engaging Indigenous peoples, identify a set of diverse countries for focus, assess current U.S. diplomatic efforts, and lay out programs, resources, and agency responsibilities to advance these engagements. The act also establishes an Advisory Commission on Indigenous Peoples to advise on best practices, adds training on Indigenous issues to Foreign Service officer preparation, and mandates regular reporting on progress and impacts. Overall, the bill aims to formalize and expand U.S. diplomacy related to Indigenous rights, cultures, and resources on the international stage, while also coordinating domestic Indigenous engagement. Potential impact includes: more cohesive interagency planning for Indigenous diplomacy, clearer accountability, and greater emphasis on Indigenous rights and partnerships in foreign policy. Critics might question the scope and costs, as well as how domestic Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination are represented in foreign policy decisions.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of an Office for Indigenous Affairs to coordinate all federal diplomacy and engagements with international Indigenous peoples and related domestic Indigenous issues.
- 2Creation of a Coordinator for Indigenous Affairs (appointed by the President with Senate confirmation) who reports to the Secretary of State and has Ambassador-at-Large status; the Coordinator also serves as a principal advisor on international Indigenous matters.
- 3Requirement to develop and implement a comprehensive five-year international strategy (and update it every five years), including:
- 4- Selecting 10–20 diverse countries with significant Indigenous populations.
- 5- Assessing current U.S. diplomacy, each country’s government efforts on people-to-people Indigenous engagements, opportunities for enhanced engagement, and metrics to track progress.
- 6- Outlining specific programs and coordination with NGOs, civil society, and Indigenous groups.
- 7- Identifying annual resource needs and the federal departments/agencies involved (e.g., State, USAID, Interior, MCC, DFC) and their expected contributions.
- 8Interagency collaboration for strategy development, with input from the Secretary of State, Interior, USAID, MCC, DFC, the Advisory Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and select NGOs.
- 9Annual reporting requirement (to start within one year of the strategy’s submission and every four years thereafter) detailing goals, effectiveness, interagency coordination, relation to broader aid and diplomacy efforts, data collection, donor activity, contractors, and resource use.
- 10Establishment of an Advisory Commission on Indigenous Peoples within the State Department to provide annual recommendations on best practices and policy integration; includes diverse appointments from federal and non-federal leaders, including representation from major Indigenous organizations (e.g., National Congress of American Indians, Alaska Native organizations, Office of Hawaiian Affairs).
- 11Training for foreign service officers (as part of standard postings) on the history and culture of Indigenous communities near U.S. posts, and guidance on engaging with individuals from those communities.
- 12Definitions clarifying terms used in the bill, including what constitutes “Indigenous peoples,” “international Indigenous peoples,” “domestic Indigenous peoples,” and which congressional committees are deemed appropriate for oversight.