2025 was an exciting year for NATHPO. NATHPO entered the year committed to dedicating more staff time and resources to visiting THPOs, listening to their stories, shining a light on their work, and communicating their needs to policymakers in Washington, DC, and beyond. Those visits brought NATHPO staff to, among other places, California, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and New Mexico. NATHPO will continue to prioritize THPO visits in 2026 and beyond. Hopefully we can see you on the road soon!

We also continued our work of advocating on behalf of THPOs and the Tribal Nations they serve in Washington, and part of the advocacy includes connecting THPOs with Congressional members and staff and officials within the Administration. We were especially excited to support Pueblo of Acoma THPO Steven Concho when he came to Washington to testify before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

2025 was also a big year for NATHPO's Protecting Native Places program. Thanks to a grant from the Mellon Foundation, we were able to vastly expand the size and scope of the program, increasing the grant size to $40,000 and increasing the number of recipients to 25. NATHPO members should stay tuned for information in the new year about applying for 2026 Protecting Native Places grants.

We also can't talk about the year without mentioning our Annual Conference & Sacred Places Summit. 2025's conference was another massive success, thanks in no small part to our host Tribe, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, and their fantastic THPO, Michon Eben, whom we honored with our annual THPO Award.

Last but not least, 2025 brought exciting changes to NATHPO itself, with the appointment of Ira Matt as NATHPO's Executive Director for Indigenous Diplomacy and Federal Relations. Working alongside Valerie Grussing, Executive Director for Legislative Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, Ira brings a wealth of valuable skills and experience to the organization, and he has already helped the organization serve Tribal Nations and their THPOs better than ever.

2025 began on a solemn note for NATHPO when we lost Lance Foster, a longtime NATHPO Board Member who served as THPO for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska since 2013. A friend and mentor to so many on Teram NATHPO and throughout the THPO community, Lance's loss was felt across the country. NATHPO was proud to rename our Lifetime Achievement award after Lance, and the first recipient of the Lance Forster Lifetime Achievement Award was Guy Moura, THPO for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. You can read NATHPO's tribute to Lance HERE.

Our heroes don’t wear capes.
They carry the people on their backs,
Knowledge of the ancestors in their hearts,
And the roots from their steps on the earth extend to the descendants.
  - Stacy Laravie (Ponca), NATHPO Indigenization Director

Last week, NATHPO was excited to announce that our 26th Annual Conference & Sacred Places Summit will take place August 24-26, 2026, in Albuquerque, NM.

We will have more details to announce in the new year, but we wanted to share the dates with you as soon as we could. Of course, no NATHPO Conference could be successful without the partnership of the host Tribe, and 2026 will be no exception. NATHPO is honored and grateful to be working with our host Tribe, Pueblo of Acoma, and their THPO, Western Region Board Representative Steven Concho. Co-Executive Directors Valerie Grussing and Ira Matt were in New Mexico last week meeting with Steven, and they returned energized and excited to get to work planning next year's conference.

So please mark August 24-28 on your calendars, watch your email, a stay tuned to NATHPO's website for more information as it comes available. 

From our colleagues at The Alexandria Group:

We are writing to share an opportunity for compensated participation in a CARE focus group. 

This work is part of an NSF-funded FAIR Open Science Research Coordination Network project that the team at The Alexandria Archive Institute / Open Context will be spearheading. The project focuses on the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA), an online and open access database of archaeological sites located in the United States. We're hoping to collaborate with liaisons working with and especially representatives from Tribal communities to launch a focus group around DINAA and related tools and resources in early 2026. 

Members of this group will provide feedback to improve this heritage resource to better serve Tribal needs. The group will focus on capacity-building and training as well as ways in which DINAA can promote Tribal sovereignty and support Tribal accessibility, perspectives, and initiatives. 

Participants in the working group can expect to attend virtual meetings and work sessions where they'll address certain questions and brainstorm around certain topics, and they will be compensated for their time, opinions, and expertise. You can read more about the anticipated work here. 

If you're interested in participating or learning more about our goals for this work, please reach out to us directly via the email addresses below. We would be happy to set up a video call to chat and answer any questions you or others might have about this project. And please feel free to pass this call along to others that you think may be interested in learning more about this resource and this initiative.

With gratitude and warm wishes for the holiday season,
Melissa Cradic (melissa@opencontext.org)
Eric Kansa (eric@opencontext.org)
Leigh Anne Lieberman (leigh@opencontext.org)

As the year comes to an end, NATHPO will be closed from until January 4, 2026, in order to rest and prepare to kick off 2026 with renewed energy and focus. We hope each of you is able to do the same, and we wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

Holiday art provided by NATHPO Indigenization Director Stacy Laravie (Ponca).

NATHPO is excited to bring its 26th Annual Conference & Sacred Places Summit to Albuquerque, NM, August 24-28, 2026. We're grateful to our hosts, Pueblo of Acoma and their THPO, NATHPO Southwest Region Board Representative Steven Concho. Stay tuned to NATHPO's website for more details as they come available, and if you or your organization are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Operations Director Melissa Madrigal (Melissa@NATHPO.org) for more information.

NEED GIS Assistance? NATHPO is here to help!

In addition to his work on NATHPO's LAND (Location And Name Directory) Initiative, GIS Coordinator John Swigart is also available to provide technical assistance for all things GIS to THPOs and THPO staff. You can reach him by email at GIS@NATHPO.org or by phone at 402-476-3746.

Stay current on important happenings using our new Calendar of Events, and post your own to share! And let us know if you have a job posting you would like to share and we'll post it on our Community Job Board. AND don't forget to browse our listing of relevant Grant Opportunities.

Thank you for all you do to protect culturally important places that perpetuate Native identity, resilience, and cultural endurance, and to empower Tribal preservation leaders.

Valerie J. Grussing, PhD
NATHPO Executive Director for Legislative Affairs & Strategic Partnerships
valerie@nathpo.org | 202-628-8476

Ira L. Matt
NATHPO Executive Director for Indigenous Diplomacy & Federal Affairs
Ira@nathpo.org | 406-241-4927