Tribal Officials

There are many strategies a tribal nation can take to address flooding, from planning to the adoption of standards to participation in federal programs to the undertaking of individual mitigation projects, both large and small. Depending on the type of tribal land, different strategies may or may not be options and/or may or may not be subject to the standards of nearby local or state governments and/or the federal government. Explore what actions your tribal nation may want to pursue to reduce the risk of flooding and flood damages across its lands and to its people by visiting the pages linked below.

Tribal Strategy Success Story

In 1997, two tribal nations in Oklahoma’s Ottawa County – the Modoc and Miami – partnered to build The Stables Casino in the City of Miami. The casino was elevated 12 feet above ground level as recommended by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps. Ten years later, in July 2007, the project paid off when the region experienced severe flooding, with 12 feet of water collecting over a three-day period. No water entered the casino during the flooding, and business was able to resume immediately after the floodwaters receded, because the building was elevated. It is estimated the tribes avoided over $3 million in flood-related losses. (FEMA)

Technical Assistance

Site Visit

ASFPM has limited funding to support one-to-two day site visits where ASFPM will bring in a team of flood resilience experts to discuss flood risk on the nation’s tribal lands and strategies to build its flood resilience. For the site visits, ASFPM will work with the tribal nation to develop the final agenda and identify who to invite, both internally and externally. Flood risk maps based on available data can be developed and provided to the tribal nation as part of the visit. Contact us to inquire about site visit options and availability using the below expression of interest form.

Example site visit agenda.

Virtual Support

If you are looking to address flooding on tribal lands, pre- or post- disaster, ASFPM is available to provide support. Contact us with any questions or to request a virtual support call using the below expression of interest form.

Express interest in a site visit or virtual support

Training

Upcoming Events

• Tribal Emergency Management Summit, Rapid City, SD, May 6-8, 2026 (Register here!)
• ASFPM Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI, May 31-June 4, 2026
• Tribal Climate Workshop with Blackfeet Nation, Browning, MT, June 16-18, 2026

Webinars

No webinars are currently scheduled.

Vote on potential future webinar topics via Survey Monkey

ASFPM Education Center

ASFPM has a number of free and low-cost courses available on its virtual, on-demand Education Center. While none are specifically designed for a tribal audience, they are very informational and generally designed to advance users’ knowledge, regardless of sector, in key areas including floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery.

Access the ASFPM Education Center

FloodZone

• Connect with peers and colleagues
• Participate in professional discussions
• Share resources and best practices
• Stay informed on community conversations
• Achieve professional growth through mentorship

To get the most out of this community, take a few moments to explore the site and make it your own. Start by completing your profile—add a photo, a short bio, and details about your professional background so others can get to know you and connect more easily.

When you’re ready, jump into the conversation. You can post something casual on the social feed to introduce yourself, or start a topic-focused discussion to share an idea, ask a question, or spark dialogue around floodplain management issues that matter to you.

If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the platform or if you need additional information, please feel free to reach out.

ASFPM Membership

ASFPM individual members, corporate partners, agency partners, and chapters represent a diverse cross section of the floodplain management community, including all 10 FEMA regions, 50 states, U.S. territories, local, state, tribal and federal government, private industry, nonprofit and academia. Members have the opportunity to provide input to national leaders on issues important to their interests. They have members-only access to a bi-monthly newsletter, The Insider; a free, half-hour webinar every month on the most pressing national policy issues impacting the floodplain management community; and ASCE 24-24, the most recent American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) model code and standard for Flood Resistant Design and Construction which is typically paywalled. Members also receive access to the ASFPM Member/Partner Directories and discounts on ASFPM webinar and conference fees, as well as CFM exam and renewal fees, except for residents of AR, IL, NM, NC, OK and TX (where states are accredited to administer the CFM Program though their local association).

Learn more about ASFPM and join here

Tribal Flood Resilience Support Directory

The Tribal Flood Resilience Support Directory is a networking search engine designed to help connect tribal nations with tribal resilience support organizations, and the programs and resources they offer, to build capacity to prepare for and respond to disaster events. It was initially created to support tribal nations in the Great Plains region, but is slowly being expanded nationally.  

Listed organizations may provide support services around more than just flood resilience (e.g., air quality, etc.); those services and related programs are not captured here.

ASFPM Tribal Resources Special Collection

From November 2024 to May 2025, the Association of State Floodplain Managers conducted research to understand how the organization could better support the needs of Tribal Nations. The resources featured in the below linked special collection were primarily identified during this initial research phase. They can be viewed by topic, explored as a whole, or browsed via three featured subcollections on Tribal Resilience, Tribal Engagement, and Flooding & Floodplain Management. Resource collections from other organizations are also featured.

New resources are added as appropriate. If you have a recommendation for a resource to add to the ASFPM Tribal Resources Special Collection, please contact our Librarian and let us know.

Explore the ASFPM Tribal Resources Special Collection

The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Tribal Engagement Initiative aims to strengthen connections with and between representatives of Tribal Nations (who handle floodplain and/or emergency management responsibilities) and organizations listed in the Tribal Flood Resilience Support Directory, in order to build the capacity of Tribal Nations to reduce flood risk.

By building relationships with Tribal Nations as well as the regional entities who work with them, ASFPM strives to better understand the support needs of Tribal Nations as they work to reduce flood risk, as well as what support is already available as provided by non-profit organizations, academia, the federal government, and other support entities.

Our Approach

• AUTHENTICITY in every interaction, approaching Tribal Nations with a genuine desire to build a meaningful relationship, and a deep curiosity and willingness to work on projects that are of value and interest to the Tribal Nation;
• RESPECT for each Tribal Nation as a people and individual Nation state; in particular, respect for their data sovereignty, lived experience, traditional ecological knowledge and existing, long-standing resilience work, and for the network of support organizations with whom they engage and we hope to partner;
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the long history of mistreatment and cultural oppression and appropriation of Tribal Nations and that fact that ASFPM is newly entering the network of support organizations and cannot become a trusted partner without first investing in relationship building; and 
• LISTENING y la LEARNING to ensure that this approach stays true and personalized to the Tribal Nations with whom we engage.

Data Sovereignty Acknowledgement

ASFPM recognizes the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and the responsibility that comes with compiling and sharing information meant to support Tribal floodplain management and resilience. We acknowledge that each Nation has its own laws, values, protocols, and Tribal Knowledge, and that multiple knowledge systems contribute to understanding risk and adaptation. As part of any equitable and productive relationship with research and project partners, the use of said knowledge systems should be guided by the principles and values of each Indigenous community and mutually defined with each partner.

ASFPM is committed to respecting data sovereignty and continuously improving our practices through Tribal engagement. In developing tools and guidance, ASFPM uses only publicly available information and does not reinterpret or redistribute Tribal Knowledge without consent. Our work is guided by ongoing relationship-building and by two core principles, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent and Cause No Harm, as they are defined in the materials featured in the ASFPM Tribal Resource Special Collection.

ASFPM recognizes that this acknowledgement was influenced by the Data Sovereignty acknowledgement on the Tribal Resilience Action Database.

La asociación de administradores de llanuras de inundación del estado (ASFPM por su sigla en inglés)

The Association of State Floodplain Managers is a national non-profit organization dedicated to reducing flood risk and strengthening community resilience. ASFPM supports professionals involved in floodplain management through training, certification, policy/advocacy, and technical resources that promote sound floodplain practices and policies that protect lives, property, and the natural functions of floodplains—without causing adverse impacts. Learn more about ASFPM, e read our Social Justice Policy Statement. 

A core team of six ASFPM staff are spearheading this initiative. This team of six have completed the Indian Country 101 ethical engagement training and conducted a literature review focused on existing research on flooding, climate change, and related environmental governance issues as they pertain to Tribal Nations in the United States. The literature review provided critical insights into:

• Cultural perspective(s) of Tribal Nations (i.e., TEK, phenology),
• Concerns around floodplain management of Tribal Nations,
• Indigenous knowledge related to floodplain management and stewardship,
• Previously identified support needs of Tribal Nations, and
• Engaging with Tribal Nations as an external partner.

Advisory Committee

The initiative is guided by an advisory committee of 15 members, which was established to help inform each phase of the work and ensure that anything developed is done in a culturally sensitive, easily accessible, and useful format. Current advisory board members include representatives from both Tribal Nations and support organizations that work with them from across the country; Advisory Committee invitees were not limited to the Great Plains region.

Initial members of the committee were identified from existing ASFPM partners and Margaret A. Cargill Foundation grantees engaged with Tribal Nations. As the literature review and support network research reached its mid-point, additional individuals were invited to participate. As this work continues, ASFPM anticipates continuing to add members to the Advisory Committee to bring in more direct tribal representation. 

• J.D. Arce, President/CEO, Partnership With Native Americans; Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
• Janna Black, Assistant Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison, Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance; Athabaskan descent
• Nnenia Campbell, Executive Director, Bill Anderson Fund
• Aaron Carranza, Regulatory Division Director, North Dakota Department of Water Resources; ASFPM Board Chair
• Amelia Cook, Sustainability Science Manager, Chickasaw Nation; Tribal Liaison, South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center; Chickasaw Nation
• Erin Coryell, Program Officer for Disaster Relief & Recovery, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
• Patty Hernandez, Executive Director, Headwaters Economics
• Ummekulsoom Lalani, Project Manager, AtkinsRéalis
• Nadia Madden, Floodplain Management Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation; Co-chair ASFPM Social Justice Task Force
• Portia Osborne, Executive Director, National Association of Wetland Managers
• Mary Angelica Painter, Research Associate, Natural Hazards Center
• Laura Schad, Director, Long-Term Solutions, Partnership With Native Americans; Cheyenne River Lakota
• Cheyenne Sun Eagle, NFIP Specialist, Kansas Department of Agriculture; ASFPM Board Secretary
• Kynser Wahwahsuck Bell, Senior Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison, Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance; Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas
• Yvette Wiley, Research Associate and Tribal Liaison, South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center; Muscogee Creek Nation

Seed funding to create the ASFPM Tribal Engagement Initiative was provided by the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.