Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) Team Lead

Colorado State University•Fort Collins, CO

7d•Remote

About The Position

An Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) Team Lead will be responsible for assisting the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) Executive Committee (EC) with developing a program for support on existing projects and new business development. The Team Lead will provide strategic guidance to ensure engagement activities are aligned with Tribal sovereignty, federal consultation requirements, and principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), recognizing both the legal and practical limitations that often affect meaningful participation. The position will support the development of collaborative partnerships with Tribes and Indigenous and local communities through early, iterative, and consensus-oriented consultation processes that promote trust, transparency, and long-term relationship building. In addition, the IPLC Team Lead will advance ethical and community-based approaches by integrating Indigenous knowledge systems, supporting Indigenous data sovereignty and CARE principles (Collective Benefit; Authority to Control; Responsibility; and Ethics). The IPLC Team Lead will foster knowledge co-production and encourage application of that knowledge in CEMML's environmental and cultural resource management projects.

Requirements

Be an enrolled member of a Federally recognized American Indian Tribe.
MS/MA in anthropology, history, Indigenous studies, ethnic studies, or closely related field.
Minimum five (5) years of practice-area relevant professional experience.
Working knowledge of Tribal governance, cultural considerations, and applicable Tribal, federal, state, and local regulations is required.
Demonstrated leadership and expertise in cross-cultural communications, government-to-government consultation.
Experience working with a wide range of data and information, maintaining organized records and details, and consistently meeting deadlines.
Experience conducting document reviews for technical sufficiency and compliance, including document management, collaboration, and records organization.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and experience in the history, cultures, and archaeology of the Great Plains; especially the cultures and histories of the 57 Tribal Nations consulting on the Sentinel Programmatic Agreement.
Experience with established approaches and procedures regarding Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities (IPLC) consent and consultation, also known as free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).
Familiarity with federal environmental and historic preservation law and their implications for native peoples, including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), The American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and Executive Order 1300.
Experience in tribal sovereignty issues and working knowledge of federal trust responsibility.
Greater than two (2) years of relevant post-graduate professional experience
Familiarity with federal laws and regulations around government-to-government consultation procedures.
Strong understanding of Department of Defense mission, and military culture in general, is preferred.
Working knowledge of SharePoint and ArcGIS.

Responsibilities

On the Sentinel Project, employ and oversee local cultural monitors and environmental technicians; support consent-based project outcomes; and navigate local, state, Tribal, and federal regulatory requirements to avoid or minimize impacts to sacred sites, traditional use areas, project delays, and legal disputes.
For the Sentinel Project, provide technical expertise, program support, management guidance, and oversight for engagement, consultation, and cultural resource activities associated with the Sentinel Weapon System deployment and Minuteman III ICBM decommissioning, coordinating with the Sentinel System Program Office (SPO), Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), and other stakeholders.
Develop, organize, maintain, and manage cultural resources data, records, and associated files while ensuring compliance with the executed Programmatic Agreement governing Sentinel Cultural Resources program activities.
Serve as a strategic advisor to CEMML's Sentinel Cultural Resources Program and maintain regular coordination with Sentinel SPO leadership, NEPA Program Managers, Cultural Resources Subject Matter Experts, AFCEC Program Managers, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Traditional Cultural Specialists, contractors, and other program partners.
Advise on community engagement strategies and support government-to-government consultation processes to ensure local and traditional land stewardship values, knowledge, and practices are integrated into project planning, data collection, deliverables, and resource management efforts while balancing sponsor objectives and community priorities.
Coordinate and facilitate consultation meetings and provide technical expertise related to National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Sections 106 and 110 consultation, compliance, and documentation from a Tribal government perspective.
Review, revise, and provide recommendations on project work plans, schedules, technical reports, media and advocacy materials, and other program deliverables to ensure quality, compliance, and stakeholder considerations are addressed.
Develop Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) plans for inadvertent discoveries, assist in the review and development of Integrated Tribal Relations Plans (ITRPs).