Panel weighs Washington 'Centennial Accord' as model for state–tribal relations; agencies describe existing partnerships

Savannah Collins, legislative attorney with the Legislative Service Office, told a state committee that Washington’s Centennial Accord (1989), its 1999 Millennium Agreement and implementation guidelines create a formal policy framework for government-to-government relations and require agency accountability, tribal liaisons and annual evaluation.

"The Centennial Accord is an accord in the state of Washington that provides a policy framework for issues of mutual concern between the state of Washington and the 26 federally recognized tribes in the state of Washington," Collins said, summarizing the memorandum she presented at the chairman’s request. She noted Washington’s recent Executive Order 2510 (Oct. 22) requires additional training, consultation updates and reporting.

Committee members and tribal leaders responded that some topics—education, transportation and cultural-resources protocols—could be practical starting points, while water and jurisdictional matters are likely to be more contentious and take longer to resolve. One tribal chair suggested establishing an education office or prioritizing education-related provisions: "A start would be open up our own education office right here within the state. That'd be a good start," the chair said.

Agency witnesses described a patchwork of formal and informal relationships rather than a single statewide model. Jennifer Neely of the Department of Family Services (DFS) said her agency has integrated tribal awareness into new-staff training and is updating Indian Child Welfare Act policy, but also called for a "roadmap" so future agency leaders inherit institutional knowledge.

Cody Beers, WDOT tribal liaison, described long-term, project-focused cooperation and said the department seeks formal tribal approval for transportation projects affecting reservation residents. He highlighted pedestrian-pathway and road projects and said local safety work helped push seat-belt use on the Wind River Reservation above 90% in recent years.

Angie Bruce, director of Wyoming Game and Fish, and wildlife staff cited joint projects on data-sharing for mule-deer migration, use of department property for feral-horse operations, and a proposed $25 million wildlife crossing. They also said the department protects cultural resources on wildlife habitat areas and notifies tribes when those resources are identified.

Education officials reported existing mechanisms for tribal input. Nishko Kua, the department’s chief policy officer, said the Native American Education Cabinet was established in 2024 to provide ongoing tribal advice to the superintendent; Rob Black, the department’s tribal liaison, said he routinely urges potential project leads to consult tribal business councils before working on reservation lands.

Committee members said the level of formality varies by agency—some relationships are contract- or project-based while others have more codified agreements—and they discussed alternatives to a single accord, such as department-specific documents or protocols. One member warned the Legislature may be skeptical of any arrangement perceived to cede state authority and said any proposal must make clear benefits to the state.

The committee did not vote on an accord at the meeting; members said they will continue the discussion, hear tribal leaders’ perspectives directly and may convene additional agencies to decide whether to pursue a formal statewide model or targeted departmental protocols.

What comes next: the committee scheduled additional agency appearances and public hearings; no formal adoption or legislative action on an accord was taken at this meeting.