Strategic Planning and Resource Mobilization
- Concept Papers and Program Strategies – Conceived and contributed to numerous concept papers for developing studies, indices, and comprehensive program strategies that address policy development, coalition building, legislative advocacy, and grassroots community engagement. Examples include devising the concept of an annual index measuring Native hiring and contracting practices among corporations and U.S. federal agencies, as well as a study to identify barriers and opportunities for linking U.S. Indigenous communities to regional and rural development opportunities.
- Securing Financial Support – Worked with non-profits and other organizations to identify and secure funding for a variety of projects. By providing advocacy plans, strategic outreach, and progress updates for clients, NSG leverages its wide network of contacts to mobilize resources and form sustainable strategic partnerships.
Coalition Building and Advocacy
- Northern Network – Curated an in-house, subscription-based service for individuals and organizations looking to build their presence in the North. Services include a Congressional guide for Northern advocates, a glossary of Arctic-related concepts, exclusive reports, other promotional services, and information about relevant conferences and events, as well as global networking opportunities.
- Outreach and Lobbying Support – Work with clients to plan delegation visits to DC involving relevant appointments and strategic connections with decision-makers and national entities. Leveraging an extensive network in Washington, D.C., NSG tracks federal issues, prepares advocacy documents, organizes schedules, arranges appointments, and prepares post-trip reports and follow-up materials.
Practice Area Highlight:
Mining Industry Outreach – Over the past dozen years, NSG has provided communities and social consultancy services to Rio Tinto, a global mining company. Work projects involved examining an investment proposal on the proposed Pebble Mine project in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, advising on the design of a comprehensive conceptual plan for community engagement and outreach, monitoring and attending meetings and debates regarding the Pebble project, planning and implementing a major donation of stock in Northern Dynasty Minerals/Pebble Partnership to the Alaska Community Foundation and the Bristol Bay Native Corporation Education Foundation (which monetized the stock to invest in vocational education programs and to fund scholarships and other educational opportunities), developing a plan for meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities throughout the U.S., recommending a strategy for working with Native American news media outlets, organizing a planning session for mining company executives to develop strategies and practices for engaging with Indigenous Peoples in the U.S., promoting the formation of an Indigenous minerals association to advocate for the common interests of Indigenous people involved in the mining industry in Alaska and throughout North America, recommending candidates for a proposed U.S. Indigenous Peoples (USIP) Advisory Panel, preparing a stakeholder map and communication/outreach plan for the clean-up of an abandoned mine in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, and helping to maintain national relations with Indigenous peoples. One special project was the USIP Stakeholder Map and Report (2015, with periodic updates) to identify tribal leaders, opinion leaders and individuals with recognized influence in Indigenous communities at the local, regional, and national levels to assess potential allies and candidates for engagement. NSG maintained core reference documents including:
- An events calendar (listing all notable meetings and events relating to Indigenous Peoples and mining, primarily in North America)
- Acronyms reference directory
- USIP federal policy updates
- USIP 101 – A primer on the Indigenous Peoples of the United States
- Rio Tinto Engagement Matrix
- Native Library USIP reading list