Program Compliance

The Program Compliance department monitors and addresses client service programs for compliance, including handling program appeals or client complaints, and administers the Tribal Enrollment program which identifies and certifies tribal citizens. The department also provides technical assistance to Tlingit & Haida’s Community Councils and Southeast Alaska Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) tribes on enrollment and tribal elections.

ƒ Restored 25% of all tribal enrollment record hard files which included cleaning all files of only pertinent records and creating new file folders with updated labels. ƒ Prepared tribal enrollment records for digitization after clean-up of hard files. ƒ Reviewed and documented errors in data conversion from RiteTrack database to TribeVue data management system. ƒ Sent letter to tribal citizens with a null (blank) or other in voting community. Updates continue to come in correct voting community. Ya Kon T’leix’ Valerie Hillman Manager

Audits/Complaints

A client who is not satisfied with the service he or she received from a Tlingit & Haida program may submit a written complaint. All complaints are taken seriously and are reviewed and responded to. ƒ Addressed 16 formal complaints in 2021. Interviews were conducted with staff followed by meetings with supervisors and/or managers to resolve complaints. ƒ Reviewed customer service-related complaints (e.g., phone calls not being returned or employee conduct) and addressed each with their supervisor and/or the Human Resources department.

Tribal Enrollment

The Tribal Enrollment program maintains Tlingit & Haida’s tribal citizen enrollment records and enrolls those persons of Tlingit and/or Haida descent into the Tribe. Services include certifying tribal enrollment, correcting blood quantum records, and issuing tribal photo identification (ID) cards and certification and verification letters for enrolled citizens. Relinquishment and disenrollment actions are also held and reviewed by the Tribal Enrollment Committee.

A Tribal Enrollment committee appointed by the Tlingit & Haida President is authorized to certify new tribal citizens, act on relinquishment and disenrollment requests, and make corrections to citizen records. In 2021, two enrollment committee meetings were held. ƒ Coordinated two successful on-site Tribal

Enrollment committee meetings.

ƒ The committee approved 1,553 enrollment applications, 15 relinquishment requests, and 7 blood quantum corrections. No disenrollment actions were taken. ƒ Received a significant increase in enrollment applications due to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and

Economic Security (CARES) Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) financial assistance programs provided to tribal citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. ƒ Created tribal enrollment population demographic reports at the request of Tlingit & Haida

Community Councils for their services being offered under the ARPA program. ƒ Facilitated elections for two Associate Justices, an Emerging Leader, and a Delegate/Citizen of the Year during the Tribe’s 86th Annual Tribal Assembly using SimplyVoting, an electronic voting software program. ƒ Provided tribal enrollment information to Tlingit & Haida Community Councils who have a standard service agreement with Tlingit & Haida to assist in updating enrollment data in their community. ƒ Held several virtual tribal enrollment training sessions to ensure staff working remotely maintain proper procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tribal Enrollment Committee

Ella Bennett Chair LaVerne Wise, Vice-Chair Stephanie Rainwater, Secretary Judy Helgesen, Member Frank Wright, Member Patricia Alexander, Member

ƒ Restore 40% of tribal enrollment record hard files by cleaning all files of only pertinent records and creating new file folders with updated labels. ƒ Prepare tribal enrollment records for archiving after clean-up of hard files. ƒ Research and clean data conversion errors from RiteTrack database to TribeVue data management system. ƒ Obtain funding for the Enhanced Tribal ID. ƒ Remove 20% of null (blank) or other in voting community to current address and correct voting community. ƒ Implement staff development plans to increase efficiency in the areas of writing skills, proofreading, budgeting, and data management.