About NALB

Caltrans Native American Liaison Branch (NALB) works with the wider Tribal Relations team to provide leadership and direction that guides the Department’s collaboration, diplomatic relations, and consultation responsibilities with Tribal nations and Native American community members. About 30 full-time employees at Caltrans work on Native American issues involving transportation. Team members serve as liaisons between California’s Native American Tribes and Caltrans leaders, managers, and staff, as well as local and regional transportation agencies and other key stakeholders. The responsibilities of NALB and the District Native American Liaison (DNAL) team include work done on transportation policy, planning, programming, and sometimes even maintenance.

NALB works in partnership with the Native American Cultural Studies (NACS) team and District Native American Coordinators (DNACs) who work with Tribes in the context of the cultural resources studies that are conducted as part of the Department's environmental review and compliance process to identify, evaluate, and minimize impacts to Tribal cultural resources and heritage resources that may be affected during transportation project delivery.

Our Team

Lonora Graves
Senior Transportation Planner
Native American Liaison Branch
(916) 653-6315

Abteen Kashkouli
Associate Transportation Planner
Native American Liaison Branch
(916) 879-6969