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                            Tribal and Native American Issues
    Tribal and Native American Issues Jump To:
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                    Issue Summary
    There are 574 ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse federally recognized Indian Tribes in the United States. These Tribal Nations are distinct political entities whose inherent sovereignty predates the United States and is reflected in their government-to-government relationship with the U.S. government. The United States has undertaken a unique trust responsibility to protect and support Tribal Nations and their citizens through treaties, statutes, and historical relations with Tribal Nations. The 2022-2027 Strategic Plan addresses the federal government’s responsibilities to Tribal Nations and their citizens.

In 2018, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reported that—due to a variety of reasons such as historical discriminatory policies, insufficient resources, and inefficient federal program delivery—American Indians and Alaska Natives continue to rank near the bottom of all Americans in terms of health, education, and employment.

Several federal agencies provide direct services or funding to federally recognized Tribal Nations and their citizens—including the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and the Indian Health Service (IHS). However, they face a number of challenges to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their tribal programs. Improving federal management of programs that serve Tribal Nations and their citizens is on the High Risk List.

For instance:

IHS has faced numerous challenges in administering health care services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. For example, recent cases of provider misconduct, including sexual abuse and physical assault, have raised questions about the agency’s ability to protect patients from harm.
	BIE-funded schools are required to provide services for eligible students with disabilities, such as learning disabilities or health impairments. Each of these students has an individualized education plan outlining the type, frequency, and duration of services the school is legally required to provide—e.g., physical therapy. Schools must log when and for how long the services in each plan are provided to students. However, schools didn’t provide or didn’t log almost 40% of students’ planned service time. Strengthening oversight and support activities can help BIE address the unique needs of students with disabilities.
	Federal agencies are required by law to provide a variety of programs and services to Tribal Nations and their citizens. The Office of Management and Budget publishes an annual report on federal funding for programs that benefit Native Americans but has not developed a formal process to regularly solicit and assess feedback from federal agencies and tribal stakeholders.  Additionally, some agencies do not have a formal process for incorporating tribal input and needs into their budgets.
	More than 70 out of over 200 Alaska Native villages face significant threats from erosion, flooding, or thawing permafrost—and climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats. Federal agencies have worked to repair damaged infrastructure in Alaska Native villages and build their resilience to environmental threats. However, federal assistance would be more effective if there was interagency and intergovernmental coordination among federal agencies and state and tribal governments to address these threats.**Erosion and thawing permafrost undermine the land beneath homes in Newtok, Alaska**

Image
              Erosion and Permafrost

Broadband is critical to modern life, but despite federal efforts, broadband access on tribal lands has lagged behind the rest of the country. In 2020, 18% of people living on tribal lands couldn’t access broadband service, compared to 4% of people in non-tribal areas. Numerous federal programs are working to increase broadband access on tribal lands. However, Tribal Nations have struggled to identify which federal program meets their needs and have had difficulty navigating complex application processes.
	Research shows that violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in the U.S. is a crisis. Cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women persist nationwide, but without more comprehensive case data in federal databases, the full extent of the problem is unknown. The Department of Justice should develop a plan—including key steps, who will achieve them, and by when—for accomplishing ongoing analyses of data in existing federal databases (as well as future data that may be gathered) to identify relevant trends in these cases.
	Demand for homeownership is high on reservations and other tribal areas, but access to mortgage loans may be limited. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the Native American Direct Loan program to provide loans to eligible Native American veterans to purchase, construct, or improve homes on certain types of land. However, the VA has made relatively few loans under this program.
	Native American human remains and cultural items—including pottery, weapons, and sacred objects—have long been the target of theft by individuals seeking to collect or sell them. Several federal agencies manage or administer publicly accessible federal and Indian lands that contain Native American cultural resources, but various factors (such as limitations with data to support decision-making) hinder agency efforts to prevent the theft and damage of these resources. In addition, agencies have faced challenges proving violations of existing U.S. laws when Tribal Nations seek to repatriate items that have been taken without their consent and auctioned overseas.

  Recent Reports
          Indian Health Service: Actions Needed to Improve Use of Data on Adverse EventsGAO-23-105722
      
	Published:  Jul 10, 2023


	Publicly Released: Jul 10, 2023
                        Tribal Programs: Actions Needed to Improve Interior's Management of Trust ServicesGAO-23-105356
      
	Published:  Apr 27, 2023


	Publicly Released: Apr 27, 2023
                        Broadband Funding: Stronger Management of Performance and Fraud Risk Needed for Tribal and Public-Private Partnership GrantsGAO-23-105426
      
	Published:  Jan 24, 2023


	Publicly Released: Jan 24, 2023
                        COVID-19 Relief Funds: Lessons Learned Could Improve Future Distribution of Federal Emergency Relief to Tribal RecipientsGAO-23-105473
      
	Published:  Dec 15, 2022


	Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2022
                        Tribal Economic Development: Action is Needed to Better Understand the Extent of Federal SupportGAO-22-105215
      
	Published:  Aug 30, 2022


	Publicly Released: Aug 30, 2022
                        Tribal Funding: Actions Needed to Improve Information on Federal Funds That Benefit Native AmericansGAO-22-104602
      
	Published:  May 19, 2022


	Publicly Released: May 19, 2022
                        Alaska Native Issues: Federal Agencies Could Enhance Support for Native Village Efforts to Address Environmental ThreatsGAO-22-104241
      
	Published:  May 18, 2022


	Publicly Released: May 18, 2022
                        Native American Veterans: Improvements to VA Management Could Help Increase Mortgage Loan Program ParticipationGAO-22-104627
      
	Published:  Apr 19, 2022


	Publicly Released: Apr 19, 2022
                        Indian Energy Service Center: Support Activities Have Been Provided, but Goals and Performance Measures Should Be DefinedGAO-22-103514
      
	Published:  Mar 10, 2022


	Publicly Released: Mar 10, 2022
                        Small Business Administration: Steps Taken to Verify Tribal Recognition for 8(a) ProgramGAO-22-104146
      
	Published:  Dec 02, 2021


	Publicly Released: Jan 03, 2022
                        Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway but Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal ResponseGAO-22-104045
      
	Published:  Oct 28, 2021


	Publicly Released: Nov 01, 2021
                        Indian Education: Schools Need More Assistance to Provide Distance LearningGAO-21-492T
      
	Published:  Apr 28, 2021


	Publicly Released: Apr 28, 2021
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                                                      MultimediaVideo
    
      Road Conditions on Tribal Lands and Indian Student Attendance
      
        
        Road Conditions on Tribal Lands and Indian Student Attendance
          Monday, May 22, 2017Transcript
Podcasts
    
      Our Work on Racial Disparities and Diversity Issues--Special Edition for GAO's 100th Anniversary
    Tuesday, February 23, 2021
      
            Transcript
          Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women
    Monday, November 01, 2021
      
            Transcript
          The Theft of Native American Cultural Resources and Federal Efforts to Protect Them
    Monday, April 05, 2021
      
            Transcript
A billboard in a desert environment reads "You are in Indian Country. Respect Archaeological Sites. It's illegal to vandalize or steal artifacts. Report Violations, Up to $500 Reward.
          Blog Post
              Efforts to Protect and Repatriate Native American Cultural Items and Human Remains
            Tuesday, November 1, 2022
      
            Native American cultural items—including pottery, weapons, and sacred objects—have long been the...
          Photo showing a person working at their desk on a laptop with a WIFI router in the foreground
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