USDA - APHIS - About APHIS - ANAW

APHIS Native American Working Group (ANAWG)

APHIS Native American Working Group Charter (ANAWG)
Organizational Charter
Article I Preamble
APHIS provides leadership and coordination to ensure the health and care of animals and plants, while improving agricultural productivity and competitiveness and contributing to the national and tribal economy and the public health. APHIS is committed to building day-to-day working relationships with Native American* governments and respecting tribal heritage and cultural values when planning and initiating its programs.

Article II Purpose:
ANAWG:
1. Advises APHIS management on effective ways to enhance program delivery and accessibility to tribes, intertribal committees, and related organizations, such as the Intertribal Agriculture Council.
2. Facilitates the coordination of active partnerships with tribal governments by providing assistance and advice to the agency units.
3. Is responsible for designing policies that will increase the delivery of program services and active partnerships with American Indian tribes, committees, and organizations primarily through assistance and advice to the existing programs.
4. Recommends, develops, and ensures policies and activities are completed.
5. Recommends procedures to establish consistent direction and coordination with the tribes, and thus adequately provide access to the services and expertise available through APHIS.
The Administrator retains authority for establishing agency policy relating to coordination of activities of interest to the American Indian population.

Article III APHIS Policy:
It is the policy of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve opportunities for all rural Americans by providing effective and efficient coordination of Federal agricultural programs. Therefore, APHIS is responsible for directing assistance and resources to the American Indian segment of rural populations. When, how, and what assistance and resources are directed toward rural American Indians are included in the policies developed by ANAWG, approved by APHIS management, and implemented by APHIS managers.

Article IV     Officers:
Section 1    The officers shall be as follows:
1. Chairperson
2. Alternate Chairperson
3. Animal Care representative
4. PPQ representative
5. VS representative
6. WS representative
7. HR representative
Section 2    General Duties/Qualifications
1. All officers shall attend ANAWG meetings and have full voting rights on issues.
2. Each will complete all ANAWG program work as assigned
Section 3     Eligibility
1. All officers shall be full-time permanent employees of their respective APHIS unit.
2. The respective Deputy/Director must appoint the officers.

Article V Operations:
The APHIS representative to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Native American Working Group (NAWG) serves as chairperson of the ANAWG, with the alternate representative, rotating every 2 years (or as needed) from one of the APHIS units serving as vice-chair. When needed, the ANAWG chairperson will designate committees, as she or he deems necessary to carry out the activities of the ANAWG. Each APHIS unit will have a designated representative to the ANAWG. The Deputy Administrator/Director of each APHIS unit will assign the APHIS unit representative to the ANAWG. The chairperson will be responsible for meeting monthly with the Administrator to present policy recommendations for approval, discuss resource needs and to keep the Administrator informed of Native American activities. The unit representative will also be responsible for meeting with the Deputy Administrator/Director monthly to keep him/her informed of; 1) ANAWG policy recommendations being presented to the Administrator; 2) ANAWG activities for that month; 3) action items for that unit that need attention; and 4) resource needs.
In addition to the ANAWG representatives from the APHIS units, the APHIS Native American Program Manager, and the Native American recruitment specialist will also be in the group. Each member is responsible for maintaining an awareness of the activities of their unit and reporting it in writing to the chairperson monthly. Field employees working directly with the tribes will be required to provide a written quarterly report of activities.

Article VI Meetings:
The ANAWG will meet at the call of the chairperson or monthly, in close conjunction with the USDA NAWG meetings. The chairperson is authorized to meet with individual members or committees of the ANAWG, as she or he deems appropriate. At least once a year the ANAWG will arrange a "listening" meeting with interested American Indian representatives or attend a national Native American meeting and provide opportunities for information sharing directly with tribal member representatives and outreach activities. The ANAWG will also meet yearly with the AMT to discuss ANAWG and program goals for the following year.

Article VII Quorum:
A quorum of the working group for the purpose of legal transaction of business will be at least 51% of the officers.

Article VIII Committees:
1. The Chairperson can select any person within the ANAWG to lead a committee.
2. At least one member of the ANAWG must serve on any committee formed.
3. The committee must have a formal objective/charge given to them and a deadline for completion.
4. The committee shall submit a written report upon completion of their assigned activity.

Article XI Voting procedure:
1. Any recommendation for the Administrator must be voted on and shall require a simple majority of the quorum at the time the measure was passed.
2. A vote is taken by the raising of hands.

Article XII Future needs:
It is anticipated that a fulltime staff will be needed to assist the APHIS units with coordination and outreach activities for Native Americans in the future. The ANAWG will develop a yearly staffing/budget plan, based on the needs and resources approved by the Administrator the year before and the new responsibilities/activities identified for the next year. The chairperson will present this plan to the Administrator with justifications for additional needs.
* "Native American" and "American Indian" refer to a member of any American Indian tribe, band, group, or nation, including Alaska Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos, and Alaska Native villages of the United States of America.