What is a Federally recognized tribe?
There are about 562 federally recognized Tribes in the United States. “Federally recognized” means these tribes and groups have a special, legal relationship with the United States government. This relationship is referred to as a government-to-government relationship. A number of Indian Tribes and groups in the United States do not have a federally recognized status, although some are state recognized. This means they have no relations with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or the programs it operates. A special program of the BIA, however, works with those groups seeking federal recognition status.
There are 558 Federally recognized Tribes in the United States, including 223 village groups in Alaska. A “Federally Recognized” Tribe is a Tribe and/or Tribal group that has a Federally acknowledged legal and political relationship with the Federal government. This relationship is referred to as a government-to-government relationship. The government-to-government relationship is collectively defined in the United States Constitution, treaties, agreements, statutes, and numerous court cases.
Related Questions
- Regarding identification of the applicants legal status (A. ii) - if the applicant is a Federally Recognized Tribe, do we need to submit articles of incorporation, or the constitution?
- Is a consortium of 11 federally recognized tribes that administers public health programs to a variety of their tribe members eligible to apply?
- If a federally recognized tribe is applying would a tribal government resolution be required?
