Analysis and solutions

TNPI blog

Ideas that inform action.

Stay informed with the latest insights from the Tribal Nations Policy Institute. The TNPI Blog shares research, policy analysis and thought leadership on the issues affecting Tribal Nations, offering practical perspectives on Tribal sovereignty, governance, digital innovation and the evolving policy landscape.

Explainer

NTIA Updates BEAD Program Rules in New Policy Notice

  /  Morgan Gray

On June 6, 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a policy notice amending the Broadband Equity, Access,…

Tribal Digital Sovereignty  Sovereignty  Spectrum Sovereignty

Explainer

Tribal Sovereignty in the Age of AI: Exploring Opportunities and Risks for Tribal Nations

  /  Kennedy Satterfield

For Tribal Nations, the rise of AI represents a critical juncture. This technology holds potential to expand resources and enhance access across key…

Artificial Intelligence  Digital Divide  Tribal Digital Sovereignty  Innovation

Explainer

Public Radio at Risk: What’s at Stake for Tribal and Rural Communities

  /  Kennedy Satterfield and Morgan Gray

In rural Tribal communities across the United States, public radio is more than a source of news and entertainment; it's a lifeline. These stations…

Broadband  Spectrum Sovereignty  Tribal Digital Sovereignty

Explainer

Explainer: Annual Appropriations Process for the Executive Branch Budget

  /  Morgan Gray

The federal budget consists of both mandatory and discretionary spending. Mandatory spending, such as the annual costs of programs like Social…

Governance

Explainer

Explainer: Competing House and Senate Wireless Spectrum Provisions in the Budget Act Could Affect Tribal Broadband Access

  /   Morgan Gray, Sr. Policy Analyst & Dr. Traci Morris, Executive Director

Congress is actively working to finalize this year’s federal budget bill, referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the Act). The Act reflects…

Broadband  Spectrum Sovereignty  Tribal Digital Sovereignty

Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet: NCAI and Tribal Organizations Submit Comments to FCC Endorsing a Tribal Licensing Window for Upcoming AWS-3 Wireless Spectrum Auction

  /  Morgan Gray

On February 28, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding its upcoming AWS-3 spectrum…

Legislation  Leadership

Capacity Building

ILA Alumni Asheli Mann-Lofthouse: Using Cultural Values to Drive Systems Change

  /  Kristen Talbert

The American Indian Policy Institute’s Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA) is currently supporting its second cohort. Community members and…

ILA  Leadership  NDNLed  Indian Country  Sovereignty

Explainer

Cultural Sovereignty in Practice: Recognizing the Right to Wear Regalia at Graduation

  /  Brooke Curleyhair

Across the country, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students, citizens of sovereign Tribal Nations, are reaching an incredible…

Education Policy

Explainer

Policy Explainer: The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Upholding the Federal Trust Responsibility as Applied by Arizona State University

  /  Dr. Traci Morris, PhD and Brooke Curleyhair, Research Analyst

This brief follows up on the recent AIPI Policy Explainer: Federal Trust Responsibility and Higher Education, which clarified the status of programs…

Legislation  Governance  Sovereignty  Education Policy