White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the summit coincides with National Native American Heritage Month and is being hosted by the White House for the first time. The summit was not held during the Trump administration, and past conferences took place at the Interior Department.

American Indians and Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely to be victims of a violent crime and at least two times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted compared to other races, according to the Association on American Indian Affairs.

Biden’s order will mandate the Justice, Homeland Security and Interior departments work together to help combat human trafficking and crime on native lands, officials said. They are looking at ways to strengthen participation in Amber Alert programs and national training programs for federal agents. They will also create the position of a liaison who can speak with family members and to advocates.

The administration is also announcing steps to protect Chaco Canyon, a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site a few hours northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Bureau of Land Management will begin a study on the possible withdrawal from federal lands within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, which would bar new federal oil and gas leasing on those lands. Those lands will not be eligible for leasing while the study is underway, though past administrations had already opted to impose the buffer administratively.

The complaint by environmentalists and some tribes has been that the move is only temporary and that permanent protections are needed. But it isn't so simple; while some tribes have fought for protections, the Navajo Nation, which has more to lose by curbing oil and gas, have asked for a smaller radius around the site.

Since taking office in January, Biden has taken steps several steps that the White House says demonstrate his commitment to tribal nations.