Office of the Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nedra Darling
January 30
, 2014 202 219 4152
Bureau of Indian Affairs Publishes Updated Federally Recognized Tribes
List WASHINGTO, DC
The Bureau of
Indian Affairs
(BIA)
published in the Federal Register
on Jan. 29
a
notice
with
the
updated
list
ing
of all
federally recognized tribes
in the United States
,
as requi
red by law
.
The list is maintained, updated and published by the BIA’s Office of Indian
Services
,
Division of Tribal Government Services.
The list was last published on May 6, 2013.
“The Bureau of Indian Affairs notice in the Federal Register of Indian
entities recognized and
eligible to receive services from the BIA
is the official listing of all federally recognized tribes in
the United States,”
Assistant Secretary
–
Indian Affairs Kevin K.
Washburn said. “
The
publication of this
list is vital to the
United States for its
government
-
to
-
government
relationship
with the
federally recognized
tribes
, to Indian Affairs and other agencies who work with them,
and to inform the general public of who they are.
The BIA
works diligently with all
of
the listed
tr
ibal entities to ensure
each
name
is accurate and complies with the tribes’
governing
documents.”
The list comprises
566
American Indian and Alaska
Native
tribal entities
–
nations, tribes, bands,
communities, Pueblos, and villages
–
that are acknowledged
to have:
•
T
he immunities and privileges available to federally recognized tribes by virtue of their
government
-
to
-
government relationship with the Unit
ed States,
•
T
he responsibilities, powers, limitations and obli
gations of such tr
ibes, and
•
A
re recognized
and eligible for fund
ing and services from the BIA
by virtue of their status as
Indian tribes.
The
tribal entities
list
is
or
ganized in two sections:
those
in the
48
contiguous
states and
those
in
Alaska.
Alaska Native
tribal
entities are listed
separately solely for the purpose of facilitating
their identification given
the large number of complex
names.
All
of the entities
are listed in
alphabetical order
with
in each section
.
-
Continued
-
Page 2
–
Federally Recognized Tribes List
To aid in identifying
name cha
nges and corrections, an entity’s
previously listed or forme
r name
is shown
in parenthesi
s after its
correct
current
name.
Changes to this list are included after the
BIA has verified such changes with the Indian entity.
The
notice is published pursuant to Se
ction 104 of the Act of Nov.
2, 1994 (Pub. L. 103
-
454, 108
Stat. 4791, 4792), and in exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary
–
Indian
Affairs under 2
5 U.S.C. 2
and 9 and 209 DM 8.
The Assistant Secreta
ry
–
Indian Affairs oversees th
e Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Office of Indian
Services
,
Division of Tribal Government Services
which
maintains
and
updates the list of
federally recognized tribes
and publishes
the
list in the Federal Register
.
-
DOI
http://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/text/idc1-025279.pdf
2. lmost half of the Native Americans live in large cities and rural
areas, whereas the other half live on federal reservations. Most of the
tribes have their own tribal laws and are not subject to state laws. 
Local Native Americans selling their arts and crafts
The majority of the reservations are situated west of the Mississippi
River, and the Indians continue to live there to maintain their
traditions. There is a growing self-awareness in the American Indian
population today. Native Americans are becoming increasingly conscious
and proud of their values, traditions and culture.
Today, the 562 federally-recognized tribes possess the right to form their own government, to enforce laws (both civil and criminal), to tax, to establish requirements for membership, to license and regulate activities, to zone and to exclude persons from tribal territories. Limitations on tribal powers of self-government include the same limitations applicable to states; for example, neither tribes nor states have the power to make war, engage in foreign relations, or coin money (this includes paper currency).
The BIA states that its responsibility is the “administration and management of 55,700,000 acres (225,000 km2) of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaskan Natives." Many Native Americans and advocates of Native American rights believe that it is condescending for such lands to be considered "held in trust" and regulated in any fashion by a foreign power, whether the US Federal Government, Canada, or any other non-Native American authority.
http://ndla.no/en/node/6203
Local Native Americans selling their arts and crafts
The majority of the reservations are situated west of the Mississippi
River, and the Indians continue to live there to maintain their
traditions. There is a growing self-awareness in the American Indian
population today. Native Americans are becoming increasingly conscious
and proud of their values, traditions and culture.Social Challenges
Nevertheless, there are severe social problems on many of the reservations, such as unemployment, poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse. High rates of diabetes and heart disease are also a concern. Agencies working with Native American communities are trying better to respect their traditions and integrate benefits of Western medicine within their own cultural practices. Government efforts to alleviate the problems have sometimes done more harm than good. National policy on this matter wavers somewhere between integration of Native Americans and isolation on reservations. It is important to note that Indians were not made full US citizens until 1924.Today, the 562 federally-recognized tribes possess the right to form their own government, to enforce laws (both civil and criminal), to tax, to establish requirements for membership, to license and regulate activities, to zone and to exclude persons from tribal territories. Limitations on tribal powers of self-government include the same limitations applicable to states; for example, neither tribes nor states have the power to make war, engage in foreign relations, or coin money (this includes paper currency).
Sovereignty “held in trust”
Many Native Americans and advocates of Native American rights point out that the US Federal Government's claim to recognize the "sovereignty" of Native American peoples falls short. The US still wishes to govern Native American peoples and treat them as subject to US law. True respect for Native American sovereignty, according to such advocates, would require the US Federal Government to deal with Native American peoples in the same manner as with any other sovereign nation. This would include handling matters concerning relations with Native Americans through the Secretary of State rather than the Bureau of Indian Affairs.The BIA states that its responsibility is the “administration and management of 55,700,000 acres (225,000 km2) of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaskan Natives." Many Native Americans and advocates of Native American rights believe that it is condescending for such lands to be considered "held in trust" and regulated in any fashion by a foreign power, whether the US Federal Government, Canada, or any other non-Native American authority.
http://ndla.no/en/node/6203
