State Committees and Commissions on Indian Affairs

 

 

Updated January 2010

The need for state forums on Indian affairs has increased in conjunction with the need for improved state-tribal relations. Traditionally, these forums have been under the direction of the executive branches in the states. More legislatures, however, are recognizing the benefits of having dedicated committees on Indian affairs or state-tribal relations. This compilation includes both legislative and executive branch committees and commissions, contact names and numbers.  Please contact Sia Davis with any errors or omissions.
 

Alabama Alaska Arizona
Arkansas California Colorado
Connecticut Delaware Florida
Georgia Hawaii Idaho
Indiana Illinois Iowa
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana
Maine Maryland Massachusetts
Michigan Minnesota Mississippi
Missouri Montana Nebraska
Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey
New Mexico New York North Carolina
North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma
Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island
South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee
Texas Utah Vermont
Virginia Washington West Virginia
Wisconsin Wyoming  

 
 

State

 State Legislative Committees Dedicated to Indian Affairs State Executive Branch Indian Affairs Commissions or Contacts

Statistics
 

 

     Tribes Pop.
Alabama   Alabama Indian Affairs Commission 
771 S. Lawrence St., Suite 106 
Montgomery, AL 36104
(334) 242-2831
(334) 240-3408 (FAX) 
Eloise Josey, Executive Director

(Ala. Code 1975 s41-9-708 to 717)

 9 22,430

22,019
Alaska   Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 110001
Juneau, AK 99811
(907) 465-3500
(907) 465-3532 (FAX)		 226 98,043

21,198
Arizona Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day is a statutorily required annual meeting with legislators and tribal leaders. (Ariz. Rev. Stat. 41-1108) 


 

 Arizona Commission on Indian Affairs
1700 W. Washington, Ste. 156
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-4421
(602) 542-3712 (FAX)

The Commission submits an annual report to the Legislature and makes recommendations to governor & legislators on Indian issues. (Ariz. Rev. Stat. 41-541 to 543)

 21 255,879

36,673
Arkansas     0 17,808

19,194
California Assembly Select Committee on California Indian Nations
(Not currently active)		 Native American Heritage Comm.
915 Capitol Mall, Room 364
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-4082
(916) 657-5390 (FAX) 
James Ramos, Chairman

Attorney General's Office 
Office of Native American Affairs
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
(916) 322-1818
Olin Jones, Director

 108 333,346

294,216
Colorado   Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs
Office of Lieutenant Governor
130 State Capitol
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 866-3027 
Carol Harvey, Executive Secretary

(Colo. Rev. Stat. 24-44-101 to 108)

 2 44,241

35,448
Connecticut   Department of Environmental Protection 
Connecticut Indian Affairs Council
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 424-3066
Ed Sarabia, Indian Affairs Coordinator		 6 9,639

14,849
Delaware   Nanticoke Indian Assoc. 
 27073 John J. Williams Hwy. 
Millsboro, DE 19966
(302) 945-3400
Larry Jackson, Chief

State of Delaware
Div. of Historical and Cultural Affairs 
21 The Green
Dover, DE, 19901
(302) 736-7400
(302) 739-5660 (FAX)

 1 2,731

3,338
Florida   Florida Governor's Council on Indian Affairs, Inc.
1341 Cross Creek Circle
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(850) 488-0730
(850) 488-5875 (FAX)
Joe A. Quetone, Executive Director		 2 53,541

64,339
Georgia   Council on American Indian Concerns 
2600 Highway 155, SW 
Suite D 
Stockbridge, GA  30281 
(770) 389-7265
Mr. Nealie McCormick, Chairman

(Ga. Code 44-12-280 to 285)
 

 3 21,737

31,460
Hawaii House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs 

Senate Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs

 Office of Hawaiian Affairs
711 Kapiolani Blvd. Suite 500
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 594-1835
(808) 594-1865 (FAX)
Clyde Namu'o, Chief Executive Officer
 		 0 83,672 *

223,877
Idaho Idaho Council on Indian Affairs
Monitors and reviews legislation and state policies that impact state/tribal relations; advises governor, legislature and state departments.		 Commission on Human Rights
 P.O. Box 83720
1109 Main Street, Suite 450
Boise, ID 83720-0040
(208) 334-2873
(208) 334-2664 (FAX) 
Pamela Parks, Director		 4 17,645

9,592
Illinois   American Indian Center of Chicago
1630 W. Wilson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 275-5871
(773) 275-5874 (FAX)		 0 31,006

42,155
Indiana   Native American Indian Affairs Commission
 10 North Senate Avenue 
Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

 3 15,815

23,448
Iowa     1 8,989

9,257
Kansas Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations Kansas Office of Native American Affairs
Department of Human Resources
401 S.W. Topeka Boulevard
Topeka, KS 66603
(785) 368-7319
(785) 296-8146 (FAX)
Brad Hamilton, Director 		 4 24,936

22,427
Kentucky   Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission
300 Washington Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-7005		 0 8,616

15,936
Louisiana   Louisiana Governor's Office of Indian Affairs
150 N. Third Street 
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
(225) 219-8715 
Mark Ford, Director		 9 25,477

17,401
Maine The legislature has two Tribal representatives from the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe, who have seats on the floor of the House, sponsorship privilege and are each members of the State Government & Judiciary Committee. They have no voting privileges.
(per House Rule 525, Joint Rule 206 (3) ) 		 Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission
P.O. Box 241
Stillwater, ME 04489
(207) 394-2045
 		 4 7,098

6,058
Maryland   Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs
301 W. Preston St.,  Suite 1500
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 767-7631
E. Keith Colston, Executive Director

(Md. Ann. Code Art. 41 s. 15-301)

 0 15,423

24,014
Massachusetts   Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 573-1291
(617) 573-1515 (FAX)

(Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6A, s. 8A)

 2 15,015

23,035
Michigan   Michigan Dept. of Human Services 
P.O. Box 30037
235 S. Grand Avenue
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 373-2035
 		 16 58,479

65,933
Minnesota   Minnesota Indian Affairs Council 
 161 Saint Anthony Ave., Suite 919
St. Paul, MN  55103
(651) 296-0041
Annamarie Hill, Executive Director

(Minn. Stat. Ann. 3.922)

 8 54,967

26,107
Mississippi     1 11,652

7,903
Missouri     0 25,076

35,023
Montana State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee Montana Office of Indian Affairs 
State Capitol Bldg., Room 202
Helena, MT 59620 
(406) 444-3702
Jennifer Perez Cole, Director

State-Tribal Economic Development Commission, created 1999 per HB 670

 7 56,068

10,252
Nebraska State-Tribal Relations Committee Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs
6th Floor East, State Capitol
P.O. Box 94981
Lincoln, NE 68509-4981
(402) 471-3475
Judi gaiashkibos, Executive Director 

(Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2501 to 2508)

 6 14,896

7,308
Nevada   Nevada Indian Commission 
5366 Snyder Avenue 
Carson City, NV  89701
(775) 687-8333
Sherry Rupert, Executive Director 

(Nev. Rev. Stat. 233A.010 to .100)

 19 26,420

15,802
New Hampshire      0 2,964

4,921
New Jersey   New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs
125 W. State Street
Trenton, NJ  08608
(609) 341-2740
Autumn Wind Scott, Chair

(N.J. Stat. s. 52:15A-53)		 1 19,492

29,612
New Mexico Joint Indian Affairs Committee
(Meets periodically during the year when Legislature is not in session)

Senate Indian and Cultural Affairs Committee
(Meets regularly during legislative sessions)

Joint Legislative Committee on Compacts
(Created 1999 per SB 737, meets when required.)

 New Mexico Indian Affairs Department
Wendell Chino Building, 2nd Floor
1220 South St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM  87505
(505) 476-1600
Alvin Warren, Cabinet Secretary		 23 173,483

17,992
New York   New York State Office of Children & Family Services 
 Native American Services 
295 Main Street, Room 545
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 847-3123
 		 9 82,461

89,120
North Carolina House Federal Relations and Indian Affairs Committee
 		 North Carolina Commission on Indian Affairs
116 W. Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 807-4440
Gregory Richardson, Exec. Director 

(N.C. Gen. Stat. 143B-404 to 411) 

State Advisory Council on Indian Education
(N.C. Gen. Stat. 115C-210)

 6 99,551

32,185
North Dakota  

 

 Tribal and State Relations Committee 		 North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission
600 East Boulevard Avenue
First Floor-Room 117
Bismarck, ND 58505
(701) 328-2428
Scott Davis, Executive Director 

(N.D. Cent. Code 54-36-01 to 07)

 4 31,329

3,899
Ohio     0 24,486

51,589
Oklahoma Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations (Okla. Stat. Ann. 74-1222)

Native American Cultural and Educational Authority (section 74-1226.2) "to promote the history and culture of American Indians for the benefit of the state of Oklahoma and its Indian and non-Indian citizens."
Gena Howard, Acting Executive Director
http://www.nacea.com/		 Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission
4545 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 282
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 521-3828
Barbara Warner, Executive Director

(Okla. Stat. Ann. 74-1201 to 1205)

 37 273,230

118,719
Oregon Legislative Commission on Indian Services
13 members appointed to two-year staggered terms. All nine federally recognized tribes are represented. Commission compiles information about services for Indians; develops and sponsors programs to outreach to Indians as well as other public and private agencies; supports agencies in expanding Indian services and assesses existing programs.		 Legislative Commission on Indian Services
900 Court St., NE,  Room 167
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 986-1067
(503) 986-1071 (FAX) 
Karen Quigley, Executive Director

(Or. Rev. Stat. 172.010 to .140)

 10 45,211

40,456
Pennsylvania      0 18,348

34,302
Rhode Island     1 5,121

5,604
South Carolina   The Commission for Minority Affairs
6904 N. Main, Suite 107
Columbia, SC 29203
(803) 333-9621
Janie Davis, Executive Director		 1 13,718

13,738
South Dakota  

Five members from the House and five members from the Senate, appointed biannually. Committee may present draft legislation and policy recommendations to the Legislative Research Council Executive Board.

 State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee		 Office of Tribal Government Relations
Capitol Lake Plaza
711 East Wells Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-3369
(605) 773-3415
(605) 773-6592 (FAX)
Roger Campbell, Commissioner

(S.D. Stat. s. 1-4-1)

 9 62,283

5,998
Tennessee   Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs
401 Church Street
Nashville, TN 37243
(931) 598-5953
Valerie Ohle, Chair

(Tenn. Code Ann. 4-34-101 to 108)  

 0 15,152

24,036
Texas   Office of Attorney General
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
(512) 463-2100
(512) 476-2653 (FAX)		 3 118,362

97,237
Utah Native American Legislative Liaison Committee
(Not currently active)

11 members - seven from House and four from Senate. Committee serves as liaison between Utah tribes and the Legislature.

 Utah Division of Indian Affairs
324 South State, Suite 500
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
(801) 538-8808
(801) 538-8803 (FAX)
Forrest S. Cuch, Executive Director 

(Utah Code Ann. 1953 s9-9-109)

 7 29,684

10,761
Vermont   Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs
109 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05609
 		 0 2,420

3,976
Virginia   Virginia Council on Indians
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 225-2084
Asst. Chief Earl Bass, Chair

13 members - eight from Virginia tribes officially recognized by the Commonwealth, two members at-large from Indian population in Virginia, one from House of Delegates, one from Senate, and one from Commonwealth at-large.

(Va. Code Ann. 9-138.1 to 138.4)

 8 21,172

31,692
Washington House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee Governor's Office of Indian Affairs 
210 11th Avenue, SW, #415
P.O. Box 40909 
Olympia, WA 98504-0909
(360) 902-8827
Craig Bill, Director		 29 93,301

65,639
West Virginia     0 3,606

7,038
Wisconsin Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations

Studies issues related to American Indians and the American Indian tribes and bands and develops specific recommendations and legislative proposals relating to these issues. Includes six-12 legislative and six-11 tribal members.

(Wisc. State. 13.83(3))

 Wisconsin State-Tribal Relations
Initiative
101 East Wilson Street, 9th Floor
Madison, WI  53708
(608) 267-1824
Brian Vigue, Administrator


 

 11 47,228

22,158
Wyoming

 

 		 Select Committee on Tribal Relations Wyoming Indian Affairs Council

(Wyo. Stat. 9-2-1901 to 1905)