Federal Agencies

This page contains links to Native American specific federal agencies.

Echo Hawk launches initiative to strengthen BIA law enforcement training on domestic violence in Indian country (December 13, 2010) - Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk recently announced that he has directed the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Michael S. Black, and the BIA’s Deputy Bureau Director for Justice Services, Darren A. Cruzan, to increase the training of BIA and tribal law enforcement officers to aid them as they respond to domestic violence incidents in the tribal communities they serve. "Violent crime in Indian country is twice the national average and more than 20 times the national average on some reservations," Echo Hawk said. "Our records show the majority of calls that Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal police respond to are related to domestic violence. While our first duty is to prevent crime, I am directing the BIA’s Office of Justice Services to better train its officers to address domestic violence issues." More Information >>>

President Obama signed a memorandum on Tribal Consultation at the November 5, 2009 White House Tribal Nations Conference which pronounced Tribal consultations “a critical ingredient of a sound and productive Federal-Tribal relationship.” The President’s Memorandum directs all Federal agencies to develop a plan of action to implement President Clinton’s Executive Order 13175 on “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments” within ninety days (by February 3, 2010).

Attorney General Announces Significant Reforms to Improve Public Safety in Indian Country – Attorney General Eric Holder today announced sweeping reforms intended to improve public safety on tribal land. The new directive is part of a larger Justice Department initiative to create better communication and coordination to fight crime and promote justice in Indian Country. “The public safety challenges we face in Indian Country will not be solved by a single grant or a single piece of legislation,” Holder said. “There is no quick fix. While today’s directive is significant progress, we need to continue our efforts with federal, state and tribal partners to identify solutions to the challenges we face, and work to implement them.” The Attorney General directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with districts containing Indian Country (44 out of 93) to: meet and consult with tribes in their district annually; develop an operational plan addressing public safety in Indian Country; work closely with law enforcement to pay particular attention to violence against women in Indian Country and make these crimes a priority; and to provide summaries of their operational plans to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and make those summaries available to the tribes in their districts. The Attorney General also announced that the Justice Department’s FY 2010 appropriation includes an additional $6 million for Indian Country prosecution efforts. At least 35 additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 12 additional FBI victim specialists will be added in offices with an Indian Country caseload. These new resources will enable the Justice Department to bring the federal justice system closer to Indian Country, including through a Community Prosecution Pilot Project that the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys is currently developing. More Information >>>

Indian Child Welfare Act; Designated Tribal Agents for Service of Notice: A Notice by the Indian Affairs Bureau on 05/25/2011 - The regulations implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act provide that Indian tribes may designate an agent other than the tribal chairman for service of notice of proceedings under the Act. This notice includes the current list of designated tribal agents for service of notice.

A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country reveals that federal funding directed to Native Americans through programs at federal agencies has not been sufficient to address the basic and very urgent needs of indigenous peoples. Among the myriad unmet needs are: health care, education, public safety, housing, and rural development. The United States Commission on Civil Rights finds that significant disparities in federal funding exist between Native Americans and other groups in our nation, as well as the general population. Among immediate requirements for increased funding are: infrastructure development, without which tribal governments cannot properly deliver services; tribal courts, which preserve order in tribal communities, provide for restitution of wrongs, and lend strength and validity to other tribal institutions; and tribal priority allocations, which permit tribes to pursue their own priorities and allow tribal governments to respond to the needs of their citizens.

Tribal Justice and Safety in Indian Country is the newest resource guide developed specifically for Indian country at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The goal of this resource is to provide a user-friendly, current, and comprehensive resource for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal governments to further improve the safety of their communities. It also is designed as a resource to assist the general public and other Federal agencies learn more about Crime Prevention and Justice Services in Indian Country. This Web-based resource guide has several sections, including educational materials to assist the reader with learning more about the Government-to-Government Relationship between the Federal government and Tribal governments, Current DOJ Initiatives and Activities, and numerous tribal justice and public safety resources for Indian Country. This Web site also includes Funding/Grant Opportunities and Research and Statistics. A Calendar of our Activities is accessible to aid the reader in locating tribal justice and safety related events.

USDA Rural Development announced the launch of a new website designed to better serve American Indian and Alaska Natives. The website can be found at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/aian/ and provides information about Rural Development programs available to assist American Indians and Alaska Natives in one convenient location. The site also has success stories of how Rural Development has assisted tribes and individuals in the past and links to American Indians and Alaska Natives Coordinators, Success Stories, Funding, Publications/Resources and other helpful materials.

The following are links to the four federal departments which are most closely involved in Native American issues - the U.S. Departments of Justice; Interior; Health and Human Services (HHS); and Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The U.S. Department of Justice has many programs concerning Native American tribal courts and law enforcement.

Attorney General Janet Reno established the Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ) in January of 1995 to coordinate tribal issues for the Department of Justice and increase the responsiveness of the Department to Indian tribes and American Indian citizens. The site include.

The American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Desk has been established in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to enhance access to information by Federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes regarding funding opportunities, training and technical assistance, and other relevant information. Additionally, the American Indian & Alaska Native Affairs Desk coordinates with the Office of Tribal Justice on department wide AI/AN initiatives.

The U.S. Government Printing Office disseminates official information and publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. Of particular interest to Native Americans are: Native Americans under Browse Topics; House Committee on Natural Resources, and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is the Justice Department's grants making agency. OJP has numerous bureaus and programs, including the following:

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

The Justice Department also provides resource services:

The U.S. Department of the Interior has many Native American programs, including:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has critical Native American programs, including:

Indian Health Service
Administration for Children and Families
Administration for Native American
Office of Community Services (Tribal Services)
Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center
Office of Child Support Enforcement (Tribal Resources)
Administration for Children and Families programs (ACF)
ACF Grant Opportunities

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides Native American housing programs.

The Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) is the Native American housing program in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). ONAP is established within HUD because HUD is the federal agency designated to provide housing assistance. Code Talk is the official website of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Native American Programs (ONAP).

General Links to Federal Government Agencies

Thomas, the site of the Library of Congress, contains links to Federal Governmental Agencies, including all federal departments and independent agencies.

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