Tribal Self-Governance

To further the goals of Tribal Self-Governance compacting for Tribes to administer a wide rage of programs with broad administrative and programmatic flexibility. The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) authorizes Tribes

The Tribal Self-Governance Program authorizes participating tribes to enter into self-governance compacts and funding agreements through which they may provide programs, services, functions, and activities the federal government would otherwise provide. Through self-governance agreements, Federal law authorizes greater flexibility for participating tribes to shape programs to meet the unique social, economic, and cultural needs of their respective citizens.

Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and Consortia of Indian Tribes. There are two types of entities who may participate in Tribal self-governance: (a) Indian Tribes; and (b) Consortia of Indian Tribes

Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and their Members. Indian Tribe or Tribe means any Indian Tribe, band, nation or other organized group or community, including pueblos, rancherias, colonies and any Alaska Native village, or regional or village corporations as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, that is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

Funds may be used by the Tribe/Consortium to provide a wide range of programs, services and activities such as social services, law enforcement, tribal courts, scholarships, social services, road maintenance and construction, forestry, agriculture, real estate services, wildlife and parks, employment and training. Except where a statute contains specific limitations on the use of funds, a Tribe/Consortium may redesign or consolidate programs included in a compact funding agreement and reallocate funds for such programs in any manner which it deems to be in the best interest of the Indian community being served.

Funds are provided on an annual basis and remain available until expended by the tribe/consortium.

The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Self-Governance, may select not more than 50 new Indian Tribes per year from those Tribes eligible to participate in self-governance. A Consortium of Indian Tribes counts as one Tribe for purposes of calculating the 50 additional Tribes per year. Applicants are selected in the order in which complete applications are received. For more information contact the offices listed under Information Contacts.

The annual dollar value of the funding agreement is subject to negotiation between the applicant, the local Bureau agency office, the servicing Regional office, and the Office of Self-Governance. Final funding agreements are signed by the authorized tribal representative and the Director, Office of Self-Governance.

Tribe may submit a request to participate at any time, but no later than 180 days before the proposed effective date per 25 CFR - Part 1000.160 An informal pre-application conference is recommended. Technical assistance in preparing the application is available upon request.

If OSG determines that a Tribe's/Consortium's request is not complete, OSG will notify the Tribe/Consortium that the request is not complete no later than 45-days after receipt of the Tribe's/Consortium's request. The correspondence will explain what the Tribe/Consortium must do to complete the request.

Funding agreements may be for a single or multi-year period. A funding agreement shall have the term mutually agreed to by the parties. Absent notification from a Tribe/Consortium that it is withdrawing or retroceding the operation of one or more programs identified in a funding agreement or by the nature of any noncontinuing PSFA contained in a funding agreement, the funding agreement shall remain in full force and effect until a subsequent funding agreement is executed.

Applicable appeal procedures are contained in 25 CFR Part 1000.