Indian Rights Protection
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.036
- Agency
-
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 21 $52,564,159 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Block Grant
- Direct Payment for Specified Use
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-2100-0-1-452
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education funds Indian rights protection litigation and legal services through CFDA 15.036, with the most recent grant award dated January 1, 2025.
The program supports litigation, legal services, and related activities to protect Indian rights guaranteed through treaty or statute. Funded activities have included judicial services, litigation support in administrative and regulatory proceedings such as Federal Energy Regulatory Commission matters, and trust services delivery. Recent awards show grant recipients covering periods of two to three years, indicating sustained litigation and legal support commitments rather than short-term episodic funding.
Awards are predominantly Block Grants, which comprise 90 percent of the portfolio, with smaller shares of Direct Payments for Specified Use and Project Grants. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education accounts for 17 of 21 awards totaling $52.2 million federal dollars obligated, with regional BIA offices (Eastern Region and Southern Plains Region) funding 4 awards totaling $353 thousand. Combined federal dollars obligated across all awards total $52.6 million since the program's inception in 1991.
Recent grant activity has been sporadic: one award each in 2025, 2024, and 2022, and one each in 2018 and 2017. Award magnitudes vary substantially, ranging from approximately $43 thousand to $1.4 million in recent years, though historical awards include two mega-awards—one for $20.6 million (2001) and another for $20.7 million (2009)—likely representing multi-year or comprehensive tribal litigation funding envelopes. The source does not report any currently open grant opportunities.
Applicants meeting criteria under 25 CFR Part 900 will be funded. Award amounts depend on tribal priorities established through the Bureau of Indian Affairs' budget formulation process. Tribes submit applications through their local BIA agency office, with applications processed within 90 days and indefinite renewal available upon satisfactory performance with 90 days' notice of intent to renew.
Objective and description
- Objective
To protect Indian rights guaranteed through treaty or statute by obtaining the services or information needed to litigate challenges to these rights.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and Native American Organizations authorized by Indian tribal governments.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and their members.
- Credentials and documentation
Initial application must be accompanied by a resolution of the governing body of the Indian tribe.
- Uses of assistance
Awards fund projects to collect information needed by the Federal government to litigate challenges to Indian rights which have been guaranteed through treaty or statute.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Awards are made on an annual basis and the funds remain available until expended by the contractor or grantee. Payments may be made in advance or by way of reimbursement. The timing of payments will be negotiated with the grantee.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Informal preapplication conference is recommended. Technical assistance in preparing the application is available upon request.
- Application procedure
Initial applications must contain the information specified in 25 CFR, Part 900, Subpart C, "Contract Proposal Contents." Completed applications should be submitted to the local Bureau of Indian Affairs agency office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
All applicants meeting the criteria in 25 CFR Part 900 will be funded.
- Award procedure
The dollar value of the awards depends upon the amount that has been prioritized by the individual Tribe through tribal participation in the BIA's budget formulation process.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Applications will be processed within 90 days.
- Renewals
Awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance by the contractor/grantee. A notice of intent to renew should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the current award. The amount of the award may be adjusted as a result of individual tribal priorities established in the budget formulation process.
- Appeals
An unsuccessful applicant may request an informal conference with the deciding official or may appeal the denial of the application directly to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, or may bring suit in U.S. District Court. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR, Part 900.
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian rights protection | Narragansett Indian Tribe | $107,630 | |
| Indian rights protection | Seminole Tribe Of Florida | $42,850 | |
| Environmental management_indian | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | $152,856 | |
| Wind river inter-tribal council judicial services | Wind River Inter-Tribal Council | $99,287 | |
| A18AV00489 | 1854 Treaty Authority | $1,424,517 | |
| To add FY2020 wildlife funding - amendment #1 | Iowa Tribe Of Kansas And Nebraska | $49,994 | |
| Rights protection - tribal youth initiative | Iowa Tribe Of Oklahoma | $22,066 | |
| Trust services program | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | $119,756 | |
| Nctribe wildlife and parks | Northern Cheyenne Tribe | $59,092 | |
| Master contract | Akiachak Native Community | $83,990 |
Latest 10 of 21 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Klamath Tribes | $20,685,708 | 39% |
| 2 | Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission | $20,561,672 | 39% |
| 3 | Puyallup Tribe Of Indians | $4,079,680 | 8% |
| 4 | Confederated Tribes And Bands Of The Yakama Nation | $2,346,446 | 4% |
| 5 | 1854 Treaty Authority | $1,424,517 | 3% |
| 6 | DOI TRB WA Upper Skagit Indian Tribe | $1,391,600 | 3% |
| 7 | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | $312,900 | 1% |
| 8 | Narragansett Indian Tribe | $107,630 | <1% |
| 9 | Skagit River System Cooperative | $105,326 | <1% |
9 of 17 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | $241,306 |
| FY2020 | $2,728,360 |
| FY2019 | $13,000 |
| FY2018 | $153,776 |
| FY2017 | $111,188 |
| FY2016 | $5,379,291 |
| FY2015 | $28,024,599 |
| FY2014 | $27,373,004 |
| FY2013 | $18,724,456 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.036?
Assistance Listing 15.036 is Indian Rights Protection, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Indian Rights Protection?
Its CFDA number is 15.036: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.036 awarded?
21 grant awards under 15.036 have obligated $52,564,159 in federal funds to 17 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.036?
The recipients obligated the most under Indian Rights Protection are The Klamath Tribes ($20,685,708), Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission ($20,561,672) and Puyallup Tribe Of Indians ($4,079,680).
How much did 15.036 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.036 obligated $241,306 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
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