Government-to-Government Dialogue Focuses on Meeting Natural Resource Education Needs
Spokane Colleges today announced that, together with the Spokane Tribe of Indians and the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, it will host the Government to Government Natural Resource Summit on June 2, 2025 at the Spokane Tribe Resort and Casino.
“Spokane Colleges is excited to host this important event, to foster meaningful connections between higher education leaders and Washington Tribes,” said Spokane Colleges Chancellor Kevin Brockbank. “This summit aims to advance traditional knowledge and improve access to education and career training that serves our Indigenous communities.”
The all-day event will include addresses from tribal, higher education, and tribal student leaders from the Spokane Tribe of Indians and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and from Spokane Colleges, Eastern Washington University, and the University of Idaho.
Afternoon panels will feature tribal subject matter experts in natural resources and education, focusing on current projects underway by the Tribes’ Departments of Natural Resources and how education and training can best support future needs.
"More now than ever, Mother Nature needs our assistance,” said Warren Seyler, member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians and summit keynote speaker. “The Spokane Tribe looks forward to this historic event. This education summit will help prepare students to have the building blocks to assist not just the Tribes’ natural resource programs, but the whole region in all efforts that lay before us.”
To meet the region’s need for expertise in natural resource management across governments and agencies, Spokane Community College (SCC, a component of Spokane Colleges) offers programs including Associate Degrees in Forestry, Water Science, and Wildlife and Fisheries, among others. Some of these programs are offered through SCC’s rural campuses in Colville, Inchelium, Newport, and Republic.
Attend the Government to Government Summit June 2, 2025 at the Spokane Tribe Resort and Casino in Airway Heights, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
About Spokane Colleges - Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College are part of Spokane Colleges, one of the largest higher education providers in Eastern Washington, serving about 20,000 students each year. Spokane Colleges provide higher education, early learning and corporate and continuing education services across a six-county region in northeastern Washington. Both colleges are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.