The PNWH2 Hub’s proposed projects will focus on creating economic opportunity across all demographics to improve the lives and futures of people throughout the region.
TRIBAL RELATIONS OVERVIEW
Tribal engagement is an essential element of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, and PNWH2 is committed to having ongoing conversations to ensure real economic opportunities for the benefit of tribal members and the communities they share, through sustainable and responsible environmental, cultural and socially equitable efforts.
In addition to having Tribal governments as part of the PNWH2 Board, the Association has engaged tribes in planning for all deployment elements of the Hub. This engagement includes formal government-to-government consultation when requested by tribes, and other communication venues to inform tribes that choose not to participate in Hub planning but may be impacted by the work. State Tribal Liaisons are also an important resource included as part of the proposal development.
Tribal Engagements
2025 Planned Tribal Engagement Activities
The following planned Tribal engagements for 2025 have been halted due to the cease work order:
- January 28 – February 1, 2025:
- Scheduled Tribal engagement and hub reporting at the ATNI Winter Summit (57 Northwest Tribes).
- Impact: Engagement activities were interrupted by the stop work order.
- February 12, 2025:
- Tribal Engagement Training Part 1.
- Impact: Activity paused due to the cease work order.
- March 11, 2025:
- Tribal Engagement Training Part 2.
- Impact: Activity paused due to the cease work order.
- March 12 – April 15, 2025:
- Collaboration with each of the 8 Nodes to schedule regional Tribal engagement meetings and listening sessions. This includes scheduling dates, drafting “Dear Tribal Leaders” letters, outreach support, and follow-up communications.
- Impact: All activities in this phase are paused due to the cease work order.
- April 15 – July 15, 2025:
- Planned visits to each of the 6 Node locations to attend meetings, conduct listening sessions with regional Tribal communities, and document feedback and potential collaborations.
- Impact: All visits and associated engagements are paused due to the cease work order.
- May 11–15, 2025:
- Attendance and presentation at the ATNI Convention, with regular engagement planned for nearly 20 node-area tribes on hub updates.
- Impact: Event participation is paused due to the cease work order.
- July 15 – December 31, 2025:
- The Tribal Relations team intended to continue supporting individual meetings with Tribes and Nodes, documenting impact, facilitating partnerships, guiding Tribal government consultations, and addressing mitigation needs.
- Impact: These ongoing supports and engagements will be significantly affected, as regular interactions are on hold.
- January – December 2025:
- Ongoing monitoring of website communications, handling Tribal outreach requests, and providing presentations to Tribal Council Boards when requested.
- Impact: Routine monitoring and outreach processes will continue but under restricted conditions due to the cease work order.
- Additional Staffing Impact:
- One Tribal Energy Specialist—who has established strong relationships with Northwest Tribes—will need to be laid off, further impacting the capacity for direct engagement.
Completed Tribal Engagement to Date
The following is a detailed list of Tribal engagement activities that have been completed:
- April 2022:
- Former Commerce Director Lisa Brown and PNWH2 Chairman Chris Green sent “Dear Tribal Leaders” letters to all 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington.
- These letters notified tribes of the intention to apply for DOE hub funding, invited participation in the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, and offered opportunities to join in the full proposal development.
- Follow-up engagements included individual meetings and email communications with tribal leadership and staff.
- Spring 2022:
- The Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe joined the PNWH2 board.
- Throughout 2022:
- Tribal-led organizations, such as the Northwest Tribal Indian College, participated in the PNWH2 project review process.
- January 2023:
- PNWH2 presented the proposed H2 Hub to the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Economic Development Committee.
- April 2023:
- PNWH2 chairs and tribal board members sent an update letter to tribal leaders in Washington, Oregon, and Montana, reiterating the invitation for formal participation in the Hub proposal process.
- March–December 2023:
- Representatives from the Chehalis and Cowlitz tribes provided feedback during the scoping and application process, involving multiple meetings, emails, and other communications.
- April 2023:
- WSU Office of Tribal Relations joined the PNWH2 team, becoming the central contact point for tribal relations through established MOUs and Executive Policy 41 on Tribal Engagement, Consultation, and Consent.
- April 28, 2023:
- Higheagle Strong presented to WSU’s Native American Advisory Board (with representatives from 13 tribes).
- May 7–10, 2023:
- Attendance and reporting at the ATNI Convention (representing 57 tribes) at the Coeur D’Alene Tribal Reservation.
- June 2023:
- PNWH2 delivered a presentation on the proposed H₂ hub at the ATNI Clean Energy Summit.
- September 18–21, 2023:
- Presentation and planning meeting at the ATNI Convention, along with further engagement with the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Chehalis Indian Tribe.
- October 1, 2023:
- Presentation to WSU’s Native American Advisory Board (14 tribes represented).
- October 30, 2023:
- Presentation and engagement with tribes at the Washington State Annual Centennial Accord meeting, involving all Washington tribes, two bordering Idaho tribes, and state officials.
- March 28, 2024:
- A joint visit to the Umatilla Tribe in Oregon with OCED/Brian ODonnchadha and Node 6 to discuss future partnerships.
- April 6, 2024:
- “Dear Tribal Leaders” letter sent to tribal government leaders in Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho bordering Washington State, inviting feedback and partnership opportunities.
- October 2, 2024:
- Participation at the ATNI Annual Convention with regular engagement with nearly 20 node-area tribes.
- October 21, 2024:
- PNWH2 Tribal Webinar held to update and answer preliminary questions from representatives of node-area tribes (over 100 participants).
- October 23, 2024:
- PNWH2 Tribal leads served as panelists at the CleanTech Alliance Seattle Fusion Week, discussing tribal engagement.
- November 1, 2024:
- Engagement with the WSU Native American Advisory Board regarding PNWH2 Hub updates.
- November 7, 2024:
- WSU Tribal Engagement Training Part 1 provided to nodes (over 100 attendees) as part of the PNWH2 project.
- November 18, 2024:
- Participation at the ATNI Natural Resources Summit with regular updates to nearly 20 node-area tribes.
- November 20, 2024:
- PNWH2 Tribal leads served on a panel at the RE+CHARGE Conference, addressing tribal engagement in front of node members and a larger audience.
- December 5, 2024:
- A visit to the Yakama Nation, engaging directly on PNWH2 project discussions.
- December 11, 2024:
- WSU Tribal Engagement Training Part 2 provided (over 80 attendees) with continued updates to nearly 20 node-area tribes.
- January 15, 2025:
- Engagement with Node 4 (Atlas Agro) where PNWH2 Tribal leads assisted in drafting a letter to tribes regarding project engagement.
- January 26–30, 2025:
- Participation in the ATNI Winter Summit for hub updates with nearly 20 node-area tribes, which was paused mid-conference due to the cease work order.
Tribal Relations: Frequently Asked Questions
How were tribes engaged and consulted during the H2Hub planning process?
The PNWH2 Hub’s projects will drive economic opportunity across all demographics, creating or supporting more than 10,000 good-paying jobs and stronger energy security to improve the lives and futures of people throughout the region.
The following activities are some examples in which the PNWH2 Hub and the Washington State Department of Commerce engaged and consulted tribes during the application and review process:
- April 2023:
- Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee held a celebratory event along with the Chehalis Indian Tribe Chairman and tribal members to announce the submission of the PNWH2 Hub’s final application to DOE. Chehalis Indian Tribe Chairman Dustin Klatush said the application “brings the opportunity for thousands of family wage jobs to the entire community and exciting partnerships that will make this venture successful for all communities in the Northwest.”
- April 2022:
- Former Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown and PNWH2 Chairman Chris Green sent letters to all 29 federally-recognized tribes in Washington notifying them of the intention to apply for DOE hub funding, inviting interested tribes to join the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, and participate in the development of a full proposal. For those that followed up, PNWH2 and Commerce engaged with tribal leadership and staff to answer questions and discuss involvement.
- January – December 2022:
- Tribal-led organizations such as the Northwest Tribal Indian College participated in the PNWH2 project review process.
- January 2023:
- PNWH2 presented on the proposed H2Hub to the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Economic Development Committee.
- April 2023:
- PNWH2 chairs and tribal board members sent a letter to tribal leaders in Washington, Oregon, and Montana, providing an update on the Hub proposal process and a second invitation to formally participate.
- June 2023:
- PNWH2 presented on the proposed H2Hub at the ATNI Clean Energy Summit.
- October 2023:
- Commerce presented to tribal government leaders at the Centennial Accord pre-meeting.
How will tribes be engaged and consulted during the H2Hub implementation process?
As the Hub moved through award negotiations with DOE, PNWH2 and the Washington Department of Commerce were strategic in their engagement with and consulting tribes further to explore potential interests and opportunities to get involved with the Hub. The negotiations took longer than anticipated; however, the Association entered into its Cooperative Agreement in July 2024 and began sharing more detailed information about its projects.
As the Hub completes Phase 1 of its work and transitions into Phase 2, Washington State University’s Office of Tribal Relations will continue to lead the Tribal efforts for the Hub, supporting and partnering with the respective State Tribal Liaisons and Project partners in this work.
How will the tribes benefit from the anticipated hydrogen production and increased usage?
At the state, regional and national levels, there is a clear recognition that tribes should be engaged and involved as environmental stewards, as project validators, and as partner governments. The tribes are committed to ensuring real economic opportunities for the benefit of tribal members and the communities they share, but only through sustainable and responsible environmental, cultural and socially equitable efforts.
The details of these opportunities vary by project and tribe, but generally, the focus is on training programs and new energy economy jobs, including supply chain and contracting opportunities for local businesses. PNWH2 expects reductions in local pollution burdens in some communities as fossil fuel infrastructure is converted to hydrogen. In addition, the Association is planning a variety of programs to support workers, including family care, transportation and hydrogen safety awareness and training. These programs build on the strong partnerships that the Hub projects and the Association have developed with tribal governments, as evidenced by the presence of at least one tribal government representative on the PNWH2 Board.
DOE and the state governments involved in PNWH2 remain committed to multiple pathways of providing access to tribes, including government-to-government consultation.