Executive Summary

State and tribal leaders held a Summit November 1-3, 1999, in Leavenworth, Washington to discuss options regarding the institutionalization of the government-to-government relationship. The State/Tribal Summit ended with the signing of the "New Millennium Agreement" which committed the State/Tribal leaders to work on strengthening their relationship and to work cooperatively on issues of mutual concern.

One of the issues, recognized at the Summit, was the lack of protocols or processes that fully define the implementation of a government-to-government relationship. While the Centennial Accord sets the foundation for the government-to-government policy, the Government-to-Government Implementation Guidelines provides a consistent approach for state agencies and tribes to follow.

The Government-to-Government Implementation Guidelines is divided into the following Sections:

Section I - Background

Section I (Background) outlines the purpose, along with objectives, for the Implementation Guidelines. The history and development of the Centennial Accord and why it was needed is given. This section also includes the principles of a government-to-government policy and provides definitions so there is a consistent understanding between all parties.

Section II- Consultation Process

Section II (Consultation Process) provides information and a practical set of tools that the state and tribes should use in implementing a government-to-government relationship. This section includes a set of consultation principles and the critical elements in conducting consultation.

Section III - Dispute Resolution Process

Provides information on dispute resolution processes and the importance of all parties developing mechanisms or protocols to handle issues in which agreements are not reached.

Section IV - State Centennial Accord Plans

Section IV (State Centennial Accord Plans) provides information on how to implement the government-to-government policy through the use of State Agency Centennial Accord Plans and Tribal Accountability Plans. This section includes the key components in each Plan.

Section V - Roles & Responsibilities

Section V (Roles & Responsibilities) provides information that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of various state and tribal entities and organizations.