How many indian tribes in the us

For information about the U. Indian Health Service, visit www. Frequently Asked Questions. What is the legal status of American Indian and Alaska Native tribes? What is the federal Indian trust responsibility? What is a federally recognized tribe? How is federal recognition status conferred? Part 83, or By decision of a United States court. What does tribal sovereignty mean to American Indians and Alaska Natives? What is a federal Indian reservation? Are there any federal Indian reservations in Alaska?

Are there other types of "Indian lands"? Other types of Indian lands are: Allotted lands, which are remnants of reservations broken up during the federal allotment period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although the practice of allotting lands had begun in the eighteenth century, it was put to greater use after the Civil War. By , over 11, patents had been issued to individual Indians under various treaties and laws. Starting with the General Allotment Act in also known as the Dawes Act until the Indian Reorganization Act of , allotments were conveyed to members of affected tribes and held in trust by the federal government.

As allotments were taken out of trust, they became subject to state and local taxation, which resulted in thousands of acres passing out of Indian hands. Today, 10,, Restricted status, also known as restricted fee, where title to the land is held by an individual Indian person or a tribe and which can only be alienated or encumbered by the owner with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior because of limitations contained in the conveyance instrument pursuant to federal law.

State Indian reservations, which are lands held in trust by a state for an Indian tribe. With state trust lands title is held by the state on behalf of the tribe and the lands are not subject to state property tax. They are subject to state law, however. State trust lands stem from treaties or other agreements between a tribal group and the state government or the colonial government s that preceded it. Does the United States still make treaties with Indian tribes?

What is the relationship between the tribes and the United States? What is the relationship between the tribes and the individual states? What is Public Law and where does it apply? What are inherent powers of tribal self-government? How do tribal members govern themselves? How are tribal governments organized?

What is the jurisdiction of tribal courts? What is meant by tribal self-determination and self-governance? Who is an American Indian or Alaska Native? How large is the national American Indian and Alaska Native population?

Do American Indians and Alaska Natives have the right to vote? Do American Indians and Alaska Natives have the right to hold public office? Do American Indians and Alaska Natives have special rights different from other citizens? Do American Indians and Alaska Natives pay taxes?

They pay the same taxes as other citizens with the following exceptions: Federal income taxes are not levied on income from trust lands held for them by the U.

State income taxes are not paid on income earned on a federal Indian reservation. State sales taxes are not paid by Indians on transactions made on a federal Indian reservation. Local property taxes are not paid on reservation or trust land. Do laws that apply to non-Indians also apply to Indians? Do all American Indians and Alaska Natives speak a single traditional language? Must all American Indians and Alaska Natives live on reservations? Who is the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs?

Gerard, Blackfeet Thomas W. Fredericks, Mandan-Hidatsa Kenneth L. Smith, Wasco Ross O. Swimmer, Cherokee Nation Dr. Eddie F. What is the Bureau of Indian Affairs? What is the BIA's history? The BIA Mission Statement, which is based on principles embodied in federal treaties, laws and policies, and in judicial decisions, clearly describes the bureau's relationship today with the American Indian and Alaska Native people: "The BIA's mission is to enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.

How does the BIA carry out its mission? The following are just some examples of what we do: We provide funding to and administer government program services for the federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes located in 34 states, and through them to their approximately 1. We work with tribes in the administration of approximately 56 million acres of trust land, and the natural resources therein, for the use and benefit of the tribes and individual Indians.

We maintain five law enforcement district offices nationwide to provide police protection and investigative services for both Indian and non-Indians living in Indian Country. We also directly operate or fund tribally operated law enforcement programs, courts, and detention facilities in tribal communities across the U. We build and maintain thousands of miles of roads, as well as bridges, dams, and other physical infrastructure throughout Indian Country which benefit both Indians and non-Indians alike.

Within the U. The largest are Navajo, Cherokee and Sioux. More than 3 million people in the U. Gilbert R. Boucher II Staff Photographer, For Native people living in urban areas such as Chicago, efforts to retain cultural traditions are forged at powwows, Native Indian centers and local universities.

The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston fosters awareness of native cultures through its extensive collections and events. Source: Federal Register, State tribal recognition for the states below specifically refers to states that have created a formal process for recognition.

Please note, some states, even if they have not established a formal process for recognition acknowledge the historical and cultural contribution of tribes, however they are not captured in this list. Native American Topics. Buffalo Hunt under the Wolf-Skin Mask. Beginning Research. Fed Recognized Tribes 5 Civilized Tribes. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Area Offices Reservations Superintendencies.

Cultural Groups Forts Glossary. Record Types. State Indian Pages. Reser- vations by State.