Methods of Consultation and Communication

The Office of the Secretary of State recommends the following methods to staff, partners, and other agencies for consultation and communication with Nevada Tribes. This is not an exhaustive list and by no means should communication with Tribes cease beyond these recommendations.

1. When a project or agency guidance may directly or indirectly have an impact on Tribes, contact said Tribe(s) and determine the collective best path forward.
2. Tribal leadership are elected officials in the same capacity as high offices in the Federal and State Government; contact methods should begin with the Tribal administrator or other similar position unless relationships are developed directly with Council members. Tribes may also have identified preferred methods of communication that should be followed.
3. Tribes are sovereign nations and follow unique laws and governance. As best practice – permission to visit the Tribe should be made through a formal request.
4. Beyond meeting agency requirements of resource-sharing during council meetings, make an effort to learn about the community and operations other than traditional scopes of work.
5. Regularly check-in with Tribal leadership; communication with Tribes should not be dependent only on the needs of the agency.

Summaries of Tribal Consultation

 The Secretary of State’s Office Tribal Liaison and Tribal Outreach Coordinator held government-to-government consultation with Tribal leaders across the state to discuss the 2024 election cycle and ensure meaningful engagement with Tribes and Nevada’s Native community on how election administration should operate. Additionally, discussion focused on areas of notary, business, and securities, to gain insight into how the Secretary’s Office can further offer services to Tribes and Native community members.

A number of programs created by the Secretary of State are the result of consultation. The Shoshone Language Access Project, where elections-related material will be translated into the Shoshone language. This is especially important because of the number of people who speak Shoshone and live in Nye County. For a project like this to be done meaningfully, Tribal participation is needed to guide best practices and holistic language-use. As of December 2025, this project remains in progress.