• 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

Download the Tribal Green Building Toolkit

• 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)(102 pp, 3MB, About PDF)
  • 2010-2011 Native Housing Needs Outreach Sessions
  • Southwest Housing Traditions: Design Materials Performance
• Bureau of Indian Affairs: School Facilities Design Handbook (PDF)(574 pp, 6 MB, About 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)(71 pp, 2.4 MB, About PDF)

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.

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
• Ecological Building Network
• First Nations National Building Officers Association (FNNBOA)
• Intertribal 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 (PDF)(59 pp, 89K, About PDF)
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.