Why Gov. Ferguson’s commitment to WA tribes is so important

Gov. Bob Ferguson, left, and Bill Iyall, Cowlitz Indian Tribe chair, at the 36th Annual Centennial Accords between tribal and state governments. The accords, held Oct. 20-23 in Ridgefield, hail a new era in intergovernmental relations, the authors write. (Courtesy of the Governor’s Office)

The Seattle Times, Opinion | Oct 30, 2025
By Robert de los Angeles, Bill Sterud, Leonard Forsman and Jarred-Michael Erickson

At the 36th Annual Centennial Accords between tribal governments and Gov. Bob Ferguson, the governor issued Executive Order No. 25-10, giving us hope for a new era of state/tribal relations based on equality, cooperation and mutual respect.

It more than merits the order’s title: “A New Foundation for Washington State’s Relations with Sovereign Tribal Nations.”

This executive order has the potential to be the most historically significant leap forward in tribal policy since the original Centennial Accord in 1989, where the state and tribes committed to respecting tribal sovereignty and engaging with sovereign nations through regular government-to-government consultation.

Much like the 2019 “free, prior, and informed consent” tribal consultation policy Ferguson adopted as attorney general — requiring the AG’s office to seek consent from affected tribes before starting any AGO project that could impact tribal rights or lands — this executive order demonstrates a serious commitment to respecting the sovereignty of tribal governments and protecting the human rights of tribal citizens.

The weakness of the original accord has always been in the understanding of the phrase “government-to-government consultation.” In practice, this has often amounted to a box-checking exercise, where a government agency informs a tribe of its plans, goes through the motions of listening to tribal feedback and then proceeds unilaterally toward its predetermined outcome.

This has created a dichotomy in which sovereign tribal governments can sign agreements like treaties as equals with the federal government in Washington, D.C., but are regularly ignored as disempowered stakeholders by agencies in Olympia.

Gov. Ferguson’s executive order aims to change that power imbalance. The order does this by redefining the entire expectation of tribal consultation within agencies under the governor’s direction; instead of simply informing tribes of proposals, the first goal of consultation will be to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of that tribal government.

This consultation process may not always work, and nothing in the executive order gives a tribe a veto over state actions or compels the state, after due process, to change its position.

However, by changing the expectation of consultation from “the state must inform a tribal government” to “the state must make a good-faith effort to negotiate with and come to an understanding with a tribal government,” Gov. Ferguson is fundamentally transforming consultation into a process rooted in equity, mutual respect and genuine consideration of tribal feedback.

With this reform, Ferguson becomes the first governor in U.S. history to adopt an approach to consent-based tribal consultation, much like he was the first state attorney general to do so.

This commitment to respecting tribal nations is woven throughout the order, which includes removing barriers in contracting practices with tribal governments and increasing the efficiency of state-tribal partnerships and investments in economic development. Research shows that for every $1 the state invests in tribal projects, the tribes return $4 worth of economic benefit because they invest locally and for the long term.

Given the immense responsibilities facing Gov. Ferguson during his first year in office, this shows his commitment to supporting tribal-state relations. He has raised the bar for himself and his own administration.  

Other provisions of the order include directives for agencies to improve and adopt tribal consultation policies across state agencies, promote existing tribal liaisons to state agency executive teams and support Native artists. 

There is no way for any one administrative action to remedy all of the power imbalances and historic exploitation that’s built into state-tribal relations — many existing problems can only be solved by the Legislature or county/city governments through the rewriting of outdated laws.

Washington tribes look forward to collaborating with the state to implement this vision with the shared goal of better using our resources to address the serious problems our state faces. The governor’s vision of all state governments working together with respect and patience will indeed be the foundation for a brighter future.

Robert de los Angeles: is the Snoqualmie Tribal chairman.

Bill Sterud: is chairman of the Puyallup Tribe.

Leonard Forsman: is chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, a signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott.

Jarred-Michael Erickson: is chairman of the Colville Confederated Tribes.

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