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You are here: Home » Policy Issues » Other Issues » Federal Recognition Federal Recognition
The Federal Recognition Task Force
The Federal Recognition Task Force was formed at the 58th Annual Conference in Spokane, Washington in recognition that all tribes, both federally and non-federally recognized, have a governmental interest in any recommended changes in policies, procedures or strategic plans in the tribal acknowledgment process currently being administered by the Branch of Acknowledgment and Research (BAR). Co-Chairs of this task force are: Rosemary Cambra, Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and James Cunha, Chairman of the Eastern Pequot Nation.
For more information about the Task Force contact Christina Morrow at cmorrow@ncai.org or 202.466.7767.
Federal Recognition Status
There are roughly 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States, with a total membership of about 1.7 million. In addition, there are several hundred groups seeking recognition, a process that oftentimes takes decades to complete.
Federal recognition is important for tribes because it formally establishes a government-to-government relationship. Status as a sovereign entity carries with it significant privileges, including exemptions from state and local jurisdiction. These exemptions generally apply to lands that the federal government has taken into trust for a tribe or its members. Additionally, federally recognized tribes are eligible to participate in federal assistance programs. Through these programs, tribal governments may receive funds that they can then use to provide community services, such as health clinics.
Historically, tribes have been granted recognition through treaties, by the Congress, or through administrative decisions within the executive branch. In 1978, the Bureau of Indian Affairs established a regulatory process for recognizing tribes. The current process for federal recognition, found in 25 C.F.R. 83, is a rigorous process requiring the petitioning tribe to satisfy seven mandatory criteria, including historical and continuous American Indian identity in a distinct community. Each of the criteria demands exceptional anthropological, historical, and genealogical research and presentation of evidence. The vast majority of petitioners do not meet these strict standards, and far more petitions have been denied than accepted. In fact, only about 8 percent of the total number of recognized tribes have been individually recognized since 1960.
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