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What is TOSNAC?

The Technical Outreach Services for Native American Communities (TOSNAC)
program provides technical assistance to Native Americans dealing with
hazardous substance issues. This program is national in scope and
coordinated through the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center
at Haskell Indian Nations University. It provides first contact, needs
assessment, initial support, and long-term technical support arrangements
by regional TOSC programs and other resources, as necessary.

Why is it needed?

In any community involvement situation, the diverse backgrounds and
interests of stakeholders may complicate public participation in the
environmental decision-making process. This is also true when Native
American communities are involved, where added levels of cultural, social,
and historical differences exist. In addition, tribal communities consider a
much broader range of environmental effects and risks when dealing with
environmental concerns. While human health is one factor, certain other
living and physical resources in the surrounding environment are also
critically important. An evolving process that considers this broader range
of factors is called "Cultural Risk Assessment."

How does TOSNAC work with Tribes and other stakeholders?

Brenda Brandon, TOSNAC Program Coordinator, and student assistants
receive requests for technical support from tribal groups or from referrals
from EPA and other officials. Brenda determines if TOSNAC and TOSC can
help, and then:

Provides relatively quick support using TOSNAC staff ,
Performs assessment work that may lead to long-term support by regional
TOSC programs and/or TOSNAC, or
Refers them to other resources that can help.

A major part of the TOSNAC effort involves assisting tribes to develop
Cultural Risk Assessment processes meeting specific cultural values/beliefs,
in terms that both tribes and other stakeholders (such as EPA, DoD, and
states) can understand. This requires co-learning among the tribal, TOSNAC,
and other stakeholders. The end result, if successful, is a consensus
approach to detecting, assessing, and addressing impacts to important tribal cultural resources.

Reference:

Haskell and HERS - Flyers

Haskell and HERS - A Brief History