Resources
The following links offer potential contacts for Protection and Advocacy representatives to consider in conducting outreach to Native Americans with disabilities:
Cultural Information
Alaska Native Knowledge Network (ANKN) is a partner of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and serves as a resource for compiling and exchanging information related to Alaska Native knowledge systems and ways of knowing.
Alaska Native Curriculum and Teacher Development Project (ANCTD) brings together teams of teachers, elders, and community members in various parts of Alaska with university-based specialists to develop curricula on Alaska Native studies and language that is available to all schools.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)provides a list of news related to Native American Voting Rights (see Native American Voting subheading at the website).
American Indian Library Association (AILA) is an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), which addresses the library-related needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
American Indian Policy Center provides resources for government leaders, policy makers, and the public, focusing on accurate information about the legal and political history of American Indian nations, and the contemporary situation for American Indians.
American Indian Source seeks to promote the sharing of past, present, and future tribal life.
American Indians Virtual Library is a website that provides an Index of Native American Cultural Resources on the Internet.
National Science Foundation provides a list of Native American websites relating to specific tribes, language resources, professional organizations, magazines, and newspapers.
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an excellent resource for current news and information on American Indian issues. They spearheaded the Native Vote Campaign.
Native Culture Links provides information on a variety of Native topics such as Native Nations, Native urban organizations, tribal college, powwows and festivals, Native music and art, and Native business.
Native America Calling is a daily radio program addressing many current news and cultural issues related to Native Americans. They call themselves the National Electronic Talking Circle.
Native American Nations is a website providing information on individual Native nations, providing general historical & cultural overviews on a couple of dozen tribes..
Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is the largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide.
Native Web disseminates information from and about indigenous nations, people, and organizations around the world. They also list contact information for a number of Native American and tribal publications.
The NSF Native American Database site provides a list of Native American websites relating to specific tribes, language resources, professional organizations, magazines, and newspapers.
Potential Partnership Organizations and Information
AAPD Presidential Action Election Center
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) provides an excellent website for current election information related to disability issues. For example, the site reports on the November 2, 2007 historic, first-ever national, cross-disability presidential candidate forum, hosted by a variety of New Hampshire advocacy organizations and sponsored by over twenty national disability organizations. Five presidential candidates arrived in person to share their positions on a variety of disability issues (Clinton, Biden, Dodd, Kucinich, Gravel), one candidate sent a surrogate to provide a message on his behalf (Edwards), and one joined via phone call (McCain). Topics included the Community Choice Act, ADA Restoration, State implementation and Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement of the Olmstead decision (education for all), Help America Vote Act (HAVA), strengthening enforcement of the ADA, accessible transportation, improving access to telecommunications and technology, and the connection between disability and poverty . The full transcription is now available.
Consortia of Administrators For Native American Rehabilitation
CANAR serves as an avenue for collaboration and cooperation between Administrators of rehabilitation projects serving Native American persons with disabilities, to increase and enhance the quality of services, resulting in positive outcomes for Native American persons with disabilities.
Indian Health Service maintains an online list of Community Health Representativeswho serve Native American communities throughout the country, which could provide good agency partnerships for P&A staff.
A list of Native Vote Organizations is provided that includes a sample of groups to be involved in some form of Native Vote activities for 2008 and are good partnering sources for P&A representatives.
Tribal Colleges are a good source of volunteers as well contacts for P&A staff and AIDTAC produced a 2005 listing of these colleges. The Department of Education also provides a listing that is periodically updated.
Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation programs offer employment services to tribal members with disabilities and could be good points of contact for P&A representatives.
Urban Indian Centers are gathering places that offer a variety of services to American Indians who have left their reservations or homelands and provide good contact points for P&A staff.
DisabilityInfo.gov is a one-stop Web site for people with disabilities, their families, employers, veterans and service members, workforce professionals and others who are interested. A State and Local Resources map to locate programs and information is also available on the site.
Other Resources
A list of Alaska Native Corporations formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act provides a good source of employment and cultural information related to Alaska Natives with disabilities.
The Justice For All Blog of the American Association of People with Disabilities.
A list of Native American Newspapers and Periodicals provides another good source for outreach to Native Americans with disabilities.
The Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) web site is an excellent resource for local to federal government links and information.
State Committees and Commissions on Indian Affairs
The National Conference of State Legislatures produces a compilation (2007), which includes legislative and executive branch committees and commissions, contact names and numbers, and other available information.
The Tribal Leaders Directory (2007) is published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and provides contact information for all federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States as well as BIA office locations.
A list of additional fact sheets and other publications related to American Indians and Alaska Natives with disabilities is available at the Rural Institute website.
