Executive Director of the American Indian Policy Institute to Address Tribal Leaders at the National Congress of American Indians Mid Year Gathering in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Ala., June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 14, Dr. Traci Morris, Ph.D., Executive Director of Arizona State University's American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI), will introduce and moderate a discussion with Tribal leadership, Beyond Tribal Self-Determination, during the First General Assembly at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 2022 Mid Year Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. In addition, Morris will be a panelist in a discussion about the challenges of establishing broadband infrastructure entitled Missed Connections: The importance of Robust Broadband & Cellular Networks.

"I am honored to be invited to participate in NCAI's Mid Year Conference and am looking forward to listening to what Tribal leaders have to say during the First General Assembly," said Dr. Traci Morris, Ph.D. "NCAI's conferences provide a crucial space where we can work together in support of Tribal sovereignty."

In addition, Morris and a cohort representing AIPI will participate in telecommunications and technology sub-committee meetings throughout the week.

NCAI's 2022 Mid Year Conference will be held in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference engages Tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth, and partners to meet and discuss critical issues impacting Indian Country.

The conference will take place June 12-16 at the Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, with the theme of "Thinking Beyond Self-Determination." For more information, visit https://ncai.events/.

Dr. Morris, the executive director of the American Indian Policy (AIPI) Institute at Arizona State University, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Under her leadership, the AIPI has grown and diversified its service to Indian country providing policy analysis, tribally driven research, and economic development capacity building and working with such Indian Country partners as NCAI, NAFOA, and AISES.

In her work at both ASU and prior, Morris has worked with Native American nations, Tribal businesses, and Native American non-profits. Morris is a strong advocate for digital inclusion and equity and a national expert in tribal broadband and access, testifying at the Federal Communications Commission and Capitol Hill.

Morris's research and publications are focused on Internet use, digital inclusion, network neutrality, digital equity, and the development of broadband networks in Indian country. She spearheaded and co-authored the groundbreaking Tribal Technology Assessment: The State of Internet Service on Tribal Lands in 2019. Her book, Native American Voices: A Reader, continues to be a primary teaching tool in colleges throughout the country.

The American Indian Policy Institute is an Indigenous-led and staffed research institute at Arizona State University, whose work supports Tribal communities and Indigenous peoples nationwide. We do this by creating academic research, analyzing and developing policy on the key issues in Indian Country, and by building capacity within an ecosystem of lifelong learning.

The AIPI was established in 2006 with the commitment to carry out Tribally-led participatory research in which Tribal governments identify their own research needs and seek out collaborations with the university.

AIPI's core commitment to Indian Country focus' on new directions and initiatives centered on sovereignty, community service, dedication to research and learning through public service, and supporting tribal communities and leaders in finding solutions while allowing AIPI to be part of the solution in shaping new strategies for Indian Country.

The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.

SOURCE ASU's American Indian Policy Institute