ABOUT THE TRIBAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) is a training and technology transfer resource for Native American tribes in the United States. The program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

TTAP CENTERS ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST TRIBAL NATIONS WITH TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

In 1993, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognized a need to expand the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) to serve tribal nations. LTAP centers were originally established by the FHWA in 1982 to enable local government units to improve their transportation networks.

In the same way that the local LTAP centers assist state, county, and city governments, the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) centers provide information and training about the latest technological ideas and improvements related to road and bridge maintenance, repair, construction, and other issues.

Four TTAP centers were initially established in Colorado, Michigan, Montana, and Washington. The TTAP center at Oklahoma State University (OSU) was started in 1995. Also that year a sixth center began operation in California, followed shortly by a seventh center in Alaska.

Currently, the seven TTAP Centers include the Colorado State University TTAP, the Northwest TTAP at Eastern Washington University, MTU TTAP at Michigan Tech, the Alaska TTAP at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the California/Nevada TTAP at the National Indian Justice Center (NIJC), the Northern Plains TTAP at Bismerk ND, and the OSU TTAP at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

TRIBAL CENTER AT OSU SERVES FOUR STATES

The TTAP Center at OSU serves 44 tribes in four states: Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Jim Self is the TTAP center director and oversees all activities for the tribes. Karla Sisco serves as the Local Government Specialist for the center.

The TTAP at Oklahoma State University resides in the College of Engineering and Architectural Technology (CEAT). CEAT also hosts the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), which serves County and Local governments in Oklahoma. Collocation of the TTAP and LTAP at OSU has provided a unique synergy between the programs, allowing for joint training opportunities and enhanced government to government relations between the Tribes and County governments. This relationship is especially important in Oklahoma, given the nature of tribal jurisdictions in the state and the necessity of a close working partnership between tribes and counties in the Indian Reservation Roads Program.