Bureau of Indian Affairs in the United States
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs, agency of the United States government, generally responsible for administering federal policy for Native Americans and Inuits. It shares some responsibilities – for example, in education and housing – with other federal agencies.
One of the oldest federal agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was created in 1824 by the War Department; it was added to the new U.S. Department of the Interior in 1849. Its early mission was to assimilate Native Americans into white American culture, but by the 1930s it had succeeded only in drastically disrupting Native American life. Its present mandate from the U.S. Congress is to provide technical assistance to tribal governments, as well as to aid them in obtaining maximum benefits from Native American resources.
Bureau of Indian Affairs in this Section: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs Administration and Bureau of Indian Affairs Current Programs.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
In Legislation
Bureau of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Code: Title 25, Chapter 1
The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating bureau of indian affairs are compiled in the United States Code under Title 25, Chapter 1. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to Indians (including bureau of indian affairs) of the United States. The readers can further narrow their legal research on the topic by chapter and subchapter.
Resources
Notes and References
See Also
Bureau of Indian Affairs in the United States
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created as part of the War Department in
1824 and transferred to the Department of the Interior when the latter was established
in 1849. The mission of BIA is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote
self-determination on behalf of federally recognized tribal governments, American
Indians, and Alaska Natives. BIA provides services directly or through contracts,
grants, or compacts to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, members of 564 federally recognized Indian tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.
The scope of BIA’s programs is extensive, covering virtually the entire
range of State and local governmental services. The programs administered by
either tribes or BIA include: management of natural resources on 55 million acres
of trust land, fire protection, emergency natural disaster relief, economic
development programs in some of the most isolated and economically
depressed areas of the United States, law enforcement, administration of
tribal courts and detention centers, implementation of legislated land and
water claim settlements, building, repair, and maintenance of roads and bridges,
repair and maintenance of high-hazard dams, and operation of irrigation systems and agricultural programs on Federal Indian lands.
BIA works with American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and
organizations, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and other
groups interested in the development and implementation of effective programs.
For a complete listing of Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Offices, go to www.bia.
gov/whoweare/regionaloffices/index.htm.
For further information, contact the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Office of Public Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., MS–3658–MIB, Washington, DC 20240. Phone, 202–208–3710. Internet, http://www.bia.gov.
Bureau Of Indian Affairs in State Statute Topics
Introduction to Bureau Of Indian Affairs
The purpose of Bureau Of Indian Affairs is to provide a broad appreciation of the Bureau Of Indian Affairs legal topic. Select from the list of U.S. legal topics for information (other than Bureau Of Indian Affairs).
Resources
Further Reading
- Information about Bureau Of Indian Affairs in the Gale Encyclopedia of American Law.
Bureau of Indian Affairs in relation to Crime and Race
Bureau of Indian Affairs is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (1), beginning with: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as the Office of Indian Affairs, provides an array of services to the 561 Native American tribes that are federally recognized in the United States. These services include developing forests, overseeing and directing agricultural programs, developing and maintaining the infrastructures of Indian reservations, and economic development. The agency also provides to Native Americans who live on or near reservations housing, health care, and educational services to nearly 48,000 students in 60 schools. It manages 55.7 million acres of land entrusted to Native American tribes, including Native Alaskans. This section reviews the formation and the history of the BIA as well as the controversies that surround the agency. Before the establishment of the BIA, the United States had made efforts to provide services to Native Americans.
Resources
Notes and References
- Entry about Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime
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