Tribal liaison briefs commission on tribal relations, consultation and data sovereignty

Michelleia Jack Gonzalez, the commission’s tribal liaison, gave a condensed training on tribal relations and data sovereignty, urging commissioners to plan for respectful, reciprocal engagement and to treat tribal data as subject to tribal ownership and governance.

Gonzalez summarized the Centennial Accord (originally signed by tribes in 1989) and noted recent developments, including legislation cited in the presentation (SB6034) that formalized the governor’s office role in state‑tribal relations. She also described RCW provisions that outline agency tribal‑liaison duties and consultation processes.

On data, Gonzalez warned of historical harms when researchers publish findings about tribal communities without meaningful consultation and stressed that tribes should own and control collection, storage and use of their data. She recommended data sharing and security agreements and suggested tailoring survey instruments when work targets specific tribal communities to honor cultural context and data sovereignty.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff are planning statewide surveys and outreach (for childcare, VOCA advocacy and other work) and must ensure protocols respect tribal sovereignty, consultation timelines and culturally appropriate methods.

What happens next: Commissioners agreed to post the tribal consultation guidance and training recording on the commission website and to consult the tribal liaison when survey or outreach work could substantially involve tribal members.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A by Michelleia Jack Gonzalez during the training segment.