February 8,1983
Statement by the President—Indian
This A dm inistration believes th at
responsibilities and resources should be
restored to the governments which are
closest to the people served. This
philosophy applies not only to state and
local governments, but also to federally
recognized American Indian tribes.
When European colonial powers began
to explore and colonize this land, they
entered into treaties with sovereign Indian
nations. Our new nation continued to
make treaties and to deal with Indian tribes
on a government-to-government basis.
Throughout our history, despite periods of
conflict and shifting national policies in
In d ian affairs, the governm ent-to-
government relationship between the
United States and Indian tribes has
endured. The Constitution, treaties, laws
and court decisions have consistently
recognized a unique political relationship
between Indian tribes and the United
States which this Administration pledges
to uphold.
In 1970, President Nixon announced a
national policy of self-determination for
Indian tribes. At the heart of the new
policy was a commitment by the federal
government to foster and encourage tribal
self-government. That commitment was
signed into law in 1975 as the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance
Act. •
The principle of self-government set
forth in this Act was a good starting point.
However, since 1975, there has been more
rhetoric than action. Instead of fostering
and encouraging self-government, federal
policies have by and large inhibited the
political and economic development of the
tribes. Excessive regulation and self-
perpetuatng bureaucracy have stifled
local decisionmaking, thwarted Indian
control of Indian resources, and promoted
dependency rather than self-sufficiency.
This Administration intends to reverse
this trend by removing the obstacles to self-
government and by creating a more
f a v o r a b l e e n v i r o n m e n t f o r th e
development of healthy reservation
economies. Tribal governments, the
federal government and the private sector
will all have a role. This Administration
Policy
will take a flexible approach which
recognizes the diversity among tribes and
the right of each tribe to set its own
priorities and goals. Change will not
happen overnight. Development will be
charted by the tribes, not the federal
government.
T his A d m in istratio n h o n o rs the
commitment this nation made in 1970 and
1975 to strengthen tribal governments and
lessen federal co n tro l over trib a l
governmental affairs. This Administration
is determined to turn these goals into
reality. Our policy is to reaffirm dealing
with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis and to pursue the policy
of self-government for Indian tribes
without threatening termination.
In support of our policy, we shall
continue to fulfill the federal trust
responsibility for the physical and
financial resources we hold in trust for the
tribes and their members. The fulfillment
of this unique responsibility will be
accomplished in accordance with the
highest standards.
Tribal Self-Government
I
near iAe N ation ’s CapitoL
Tribal governments, Jik e
state and local governments,
are more aware of the needs
and desires of their citizens
than is the federal government
and should, therefore, have the
prim ary responsibility fo r
meeting those needs. The only
effective way for Indian
reservations to - -develops is
through tribal governments
w h ic h a r e r e s p o n s i v e
accountable to- their members.
E arly in th is n a tio n 's
dealings with Indian tribes,
federal employees began to
p e rfo rm In d ia n tr ib a l
government functions. Despite
the Indian Self-Determination
Act, major tribal government
fu n ctio n s—enforcing trib al
laws, developing and managing
tribal resources, providing
health and social services,
e d u c a t in g c h i l d r e n — a;re
frequently still carried on by
federal employees. The federal
government must move away
from this surrogate role which
undermines the concept of self-
government.
It is important to the concept
of self-government that tribes
reduce their dependence on
federal funds by providing a
greater percentage of the cost
of their self-government. Some
tribes are already moving in
this direction. This Adminis
tration pledges to assist tribes
in s t r e n g th e n i n g t h e i r
governments by removing the
federal impediments to tribal
self-government and tribal
r e s o u rc e d e v e lo p m e n t.
Necessary federal funds will
continue to be available. This
A dm inistration affirms the
right of tribes to determine the
best way to meet the needs of
their members and to establish
and run programs which best
meet those needs.
For those small tribes which
have the greatest needs to
develop core governm ental
capacities, this Administration
has developed, through the
Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Indian Affairs, the
Small Tribes Initiative. This
program will provide financial
support necessary to allow
these tribes to develop basic
trib al adm in istrativ e' and
management capabilities.
In k e e p in g w ith th e
government-to-government re
lationship, Indian Tribes are
defined by law as eligible
entities and receive direct
funding, if they-wish, h r five
b lo c k g r a n t p r o g r a m s
administered by the Depart
ment of Health and Human
Services. These and other
blocks to the states consoli
dated dozens of categorical
federal domestic assistance
programs to reduce fragmenta
tion and overlap, eliminate
excessive federal regulation,
and provide for more local
control. : This Administration
now proposes that Indian
tribes be eligible for direct
funding in the Title XX social
services block, ihe block with
the largest appropriation and
the greatest flexibility in service
delivery.
In addition, we are moving
the White House liaison for
federally-rèeognized tribes
from the Office of Public
Liaison to the Office of
In tergovernm ental A ffairs,
which maintains liaison with
state and local governments. In
the past several administra
tions, tribes have been placed
along with vital interest groups,
such as veterans, businessmen
and religious leaders. In
moving the tribal government
contact within the White
H ouse In te rg o v e rn m e n ta l
Affairs staff, this Administra
tio n is u n d e rsc o rin g its
commitment to recognizing
trib al governm ents on a
governm ent to government
basts.
Further, we are recommend
ing that the Congress expand
the authorized membership of
the Advisory Commission on
Intergovernm ental Relations
(42 U.S.C. 4273) to include a
representative of Indian tribal
governments. In the interim
before Congressional action,
we are requesting that the
Assistant Secretary for Indian
Affairs join the Commission as
an observer. We also supported
and signed into law the Indian
T ribal G overnm ental Tax
Status Act which provides
t r i b a l . g o v ern m en ts w ith
essentially the same treatment
under federal' tax laws as
applies to other governments
with regard to revenue rising*
and saving mechanisms.
In addition, this Administra
tion calls upon Congress to
rep lace House C o ncurrent
Resolution 108 of the 83 rd
C o n g ress, th e re s o lu tio n
which established the now
discredited policy of termina
tin g th e f e d e r a l - t r i b a l
relationship. Congress has
im p li c it ly r e je c te d th e
termination policy by enacting
the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act
of 1975. However^ because the
termination policy declared in
H. Con. Res. 108 has not been
e x p re s s ly an d fo rm a lly
repudiated by a concurrent
resolution of Congress, it
continues to create among the
Indian people an apprehension
that the U nited States may not
in the future honor the unique
re la tio n sh ip betw een th e
Indian people and the federal
government. A lingering threat
of termination , has no place in
this Administration’s policy of
self-government for Indian
tribes, and I ask Congress' to
again express its support of
self-government.
These actions are but the first
steps in restoring control to
tribal governments. Much
more needs to be done.
W ithout sound reservation
economies, the concept of self-
government has little meaning.
In the past, despite good
i n t e n t i o n s , th e f e d e r a l
government has been one of the
major obstacles to economic
progress. This Administration
in te n d s to rem o v e th e
im pedim ents to econom ic
development and to encourage
cooperative efforts among the
tribes, the federal government
and the private sector in
d e v e lo p in g r e s e r v a tio n
economies.