We learned that the Content Management System (CMS) on which the site was built would no longer be functional as of November 2022. Additionally, the web support provided by UArizona’s Office for Research, Innovation and Impact – a service we relied on to sustain that database – would no longer be available.

Without quick action, this meant that the site would cease to function before the end of the year, resulting in the loss of access to more than 1700 valuable resources to a base of over 2600 Tribal professionals, scholars, and Native nation-builders and more than 4000 monthly site visitors across North America and beyond.

The NNI team jumped into action knowing they had to act quickly to ensure the future of the site. Amy Jorgensen, manager of the IGD and NNI Senior Graphic Designer & Program Coordinator for Communications, began working with the Communications & Cyber Technologies Team at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in March to ensure that the site and the resources it supports would continue to remain active and accessible to its thousands of users.

After a thorough review of the database’s content, structure, and navigation, the team began building the new and improved IGD from scratch on the UArizona’s CMS. Most of the resources were automatically migrated over to the new site, along with all of the active accounts.

Despite a number of unforeseen setbacks during the rebuild and redesign process, the site was successfully launched in early October, just before the November deadline. The improvements made to the database include an improved user experience, a more effective search function, and greater security for all UArizona accounts.

This is the third and final major re-build of the IGD. NNI will continue to regularly add and update our compendium of resources in support of strengthening Indigenous governance and rebuilding Native nations.

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