Additional Resources

• Federal Resources
• Building Code and Building Design Resources
• Other Green Building Resources and References
• National Summit to Advance Tribal Green Building Codes (link opens new window)

Federal Resources

Tribal Models

The Spokane Tribe in Washington used its Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant funds to develop a Sustainable Community Master Plan. The Plan identifies areas for development of new affordable, energy-efficient housing in areas that will not require expansion of infrastructure and will avoid concentrations of low-income housing.

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The Pueblo de Cochiti Housing Authority in New Mexico is undertaking Cochiti Plaza Revitalization Project to revitalize their community by re-examining the historic settlement patterns and affordable housing at the heart of the Pueblo, the “Plaza.”

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The Oglala Lakota of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota worked with a consortium of community organizations, nonprofits, and Oglala Lakota Tribes led by the Thunder Valley Community Development Organization to develop a Sustainable Development Plan.

• EPA Tribal Portal
• ENERGY STAR
• Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Office of Native American Programs (ONAP)
  • ONAP Program Guidance
  • ​Sustainable Construction in Indian Country
  • Continuity and Change: Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Housing Conditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives (pdf)
  • Southwest Housing Traditions: Design Materials Performance
• Bureau of Indian Affairs: School Facilities Design Handbook (pdf)
• Indian Health Service, Indian Health Manual - Environmental Compliance
• Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act
• U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Housing and Rural Development: Buildings of the Land: Energy Efficiency Design Guide for Indian Housing
• U.S. Department of Energy: Building Energy Codes Program
• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Native American Housing: Tribes Generally View Block Grant Program as Effective, but Tracking of Infrastructure Plans and Investments Needs Improvement (pdf)

Building Code and Building Design Resources

• Building Codes Assistance Project
• Development Center for Appropriate Technology
• Columbia Law School: Center for Climate Change Law Model Ordinances
• First Nations National Building Officers Association (FNNBOA)
• Inter-Tribal Council On Utility Policy (ICOUP)
• National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Housing and Infrastructure
• National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) and Regional Indian Housing Associations
• National Indian Law Library, Tribal Law Gateway
  (Search "Building" for Tribal Building Code information)
• National Tribal Air Association Indoor Air Quality Workgroup
• Native Learning Center Training on Green Building, Energy Efficiency, and Affordable Housing
• Rural Housing Assistance Council
• Sustainable Nations Development Project
• Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC)
• Tribal Law and Policy Institute: Tribal Legal Code Project: Tribal Building Codes

Other Green Building Resources and References

Affordable Green Building in Rural Communities
This guide provides a green building framework to build healthier, more efficient and environmentally sustainable communities.

Building and Buying Green in Indian Country: A Practical Guide for California Tribes
This comprehensive guide provides Tribal project decision-makers and planners an overview of "green" building practices to help them evaluate and choose sustainable options as they develop projects with Tribes, architects, contractors, suppliers, and others.