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BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Term Paper ID:28696
Essay Subject:
History, administration, current BIA programs, position of American Indian Movement, 1999 study of BIA management. Recommends abolishment of BIA.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
History, administration, current BIA programs, position of American Indian Movement, 1999 study of BIA management. Recommends abolishment of BIA.
Paper Introduction:
Should the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Be Abolished?
Introduction
On November 6th 2000, President Clinton signed into effect an Executive Order meant “to establish regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with tribal officials in the development of Federal policies that have tribal
implications.”
“Once again,” said Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin Gover, “President Clinton has demonstrated his
administration’s commitment to the government-to-government
relationship between the Federal government and the Tribes. With this order, the Tribes’ right to self-government and self-determination w
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Additionally, most of the attending members of theAssistant Secretary'smanagerial staff (e.g., the Deputy Assistant Secretary, theDeputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the Acting Director for the BIA'sOffice of Management and Administration, etc.) areNative Americans or of Native American descent.[7]Current Programs The Bureau's current mandate - as defined by Congress - is toadminister federal policy for Native Americans and Inuits (Alaskan nativeIndians). "The more contentiousand nasty things become, the less we feel we are able to do it." The interesting sidebar here is that many more "tribes" have soughtfederal recognition since the U. It is interesting to note that the study also found a need for"reduced friction among the program and service units of the Bureau" and aneed to audit the Bureau's financial position. This "official" overview of the BIA suggested that theBureau is not properly carrying out its existing functions and "needs tobuild credibility and trust through the development of strong and competentadministrative and management processes, priorities, and structures." The Academy went on in this report to recommend at "series ofreforms," self-acknowledging the fact that none of thesuggested reforms were new and were "likely" to result in"positive changes" in the Bureau's programs. S. Online at http://encarta.msn.com©1997-2 Microsoft Corporation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs doesn't need reorganization; it needs tobe dismembered and reconstituted in other, moreapplicable and rational departments of the federal government. Establish a communal lodge house withinthe White House where the President of the United States can meet, one onone, with the elected representatives of those sovereign nations who cometo Washington to make peace, once and for all, with the United States andto seek its help in creating a better life for all. To them,it was a sad joke.The American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM), begun in 1969, hascontinually advocated the abolition of the BIA. S. The Bureau also oversees thepreservation and use of land and other valuable natural resources that areheld in trust for tribes by the federal government. It also sponsorsvocational training and employment programs for adults on reservations andin urban areas. The AssistantSecretary is also responsible for seeing to the administration of the sameprograms and policies. The current Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs is Kevin Gover, aNative American member of the Pawnee Tribe. The regional offices serve as intermediarystations between the agencyoffices and the central office in the nation's capitol. The Department's earliest mission was to assimilate NativeAmericans into the white American culture.[4]Part of this program, official or otherwise, is claimed to be the massannihilation of the huge buffalo herds that once roamed the American plainsand were at the center of Native American culture and religion. Paul Minnesota- and much needed for inclusion here to present the most recent perspectiveof the workings of the BIA - Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin Goversaid: "...I knew this job was not going to be easy. Most important, make the leadership of this country work closer withits Native American contingent. Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that tribesmay open casinos on their reservation lands. D. I was told that taking this job was professional suicide, that the Bureau was too far gone to be turned around, and that the Congress and the White House was so hostile to the Bureau that there would be nothing but headaches, and that it was only a matter of time before the problems would lead to personal and professional disaster."[15] Naturally, Mr. Gover denied that any of this had or would happen,that he was just happy to have gained the many measures of success hedeemed worthy of defining as successful, and that all the people he had metand had the pleasure of working with were among the most wonderful peoplein the world. The BIA serves 556 federally recognized tribal entities (in both thecontinental United States and Alaska) and employs nearly fifteen thousandpeople - most of whom are Native Americans. Department of the Interior press release: Remarks of KevinGover, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. The 'bottom line' of the report was that the currentmanagement and administration of the BIA were not fully adequate to meetall of its trust responsibilities. Department of the Interior, Bureau of IndianAffairs. The challenge - which continually faces the Bureau of IndianAffairs - is to implement U. These wrongs must be acknowledged if the healing is to begin ...Let us begin by expressing our profound sorrow for what this agency has done in the past." In spite of the Assistant Secretary's seemingly sincere apology, manyNative American leaders took insult at his words, finding little comfort inone Native American seeking closure with other Native Americans. © 2 , InfonauticsCorporation.[12] "Indian Affairs Boos Wants Changes." Caren Benjamin, Associated PressWriter. November 6, 2 [2] ibid.[3] ibid.[4] "Indian Affairs, Bureau of," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia2 . Struggle," Chet Brokaw, Associated PressWriter, AP Online, 5-21-2 . At the very beginning then,it appears the BIA sat squarely between the fledgling country's desire tosubjugate the Native American population while maintaining trade with it. © 2 ,Infonautics Corporation.[15] U. After 8 years of mismanagement and misguided agendas, it becameclear that the Bureau of Indian Affair's mission ofassimilation had only served to drastically disrupt Native American Cultureand had relegated the American Indian's status to that of a second-classcitizen. While headquartered in Washington, D.C., most of theBureau's employees and resources are scattered among 84 agency officessituated on Native American reservations which are, in turn, assigned toone of 12 BIA regional offices. The BIA builds, maintains, and staffs schools on the largerreservations where public schools are inaccessible. It is important to thispaper, as relative to and as close as one can get to an"official" Native American perspective on the issue of thecontinued establishment or abolishment of the Bureau of Indian Affair, toquote AIM's published position: "A New Structure: The Congress working through the proposed Senate-House "Joint Committee on Reconstruction of Indian Relations and Programs," in formulation of an Indian Community Reconstruction Act should direct that the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall be abolished as an agency on or before July 4, 1976; to provide for an alternative structure of government for sustaining and revitalizing the Indian-federal relationship between the President and the Congress of the United States, respectively, and the respective Indian Nations and Indian people at last consistent with constitutional criteria, national treaty commitments, and Indian sovereignty, and provide for transformation and transition into the new system as rapidly as possible prior to abolition of the BIA."[8]Russell Means on the Abolishment of the BIA Russell Means, the first national director of the American IndianMovement, enjoys referring to the BIA as "The Bureau of IdiotsAnonymous,[9]" and firmly believes that "the sooner we rid this country ofthe Bureau of Indian Affairs, the sooner Indian people will pull themselvesout of poverty."[1 ] Russell Means believes he speaks for a lot of Native Americans and alot of Native Americans believe he speaks for them.Many other Native Americans have a much differing view of the words thatcome out of Russell Means' mouth.The 'Official' Study of the BIA In August of 1999, The National Academy of Public Admin-istration released its "Study of Management and Administration: The Bureauof Indian Affairs," commissioned, in part, by theBureau, itself. It is important to note that,in this speech, Gover said: "And so today, I stand before you as the leader of an institution that in the past has committed acts so terrible that they infect, diminish, and destroy the lives of Indian people decades later, generations later. To made evident their displeasure, about 1 of the 12,1 membertribe took over tribal headquarters in January of this year.[14] Electedtribal leaders said that money problems and budgetary cutbacks are at thebottom of the dispute. It maintains a loan fund toassist individual and tribal businesses. Additionally, the Act authorized funds for theestablishment of a revolving credit program for tribal landpurchases, for educational assistance, and for aiding tribalorganization. "A Study of Management and Administration: The Bureau of Indian Affairs." Washington, D.C. It also provides programs of education, technical assistance,economic development, and trust protection to tribal governments. AP Online, 5-24-2 .[13] "Indian Casinos Largely Failing as Salvation," David Pace, AssociatedPress, The Columbian, 9- 1-2 , pp World-Nation.[14] "Oglala Sioux in S. This Executive Order builds onprior actions and strengthens our government-to-government relationshipwith Tribes and willinsure that all Executive departments and agencies consult with Tribes asthey develop policy on issues that impact Indiancommunities."[3]History One of our nation's oldest federal agencies, the Bureau of IndianAffairs (BIA) was created - without Congressional authorization - in 1824by Secretary of War John Calhoun.Using a Continental Congress committee originally formed to for the purposeof negotiating treaties with the Indians, theSecretary of War carried forward a stated responsibility for placing anarmed militia at the disposal of regional Indiancommissioners. August, 1999. Calhoun appointed former Superintendent of Trade ThomasMcKinny to head the newly formed organization. Departmentof the Interior. To gain such recognition, theBIA has required reams of historical documentation from tribes in a processthat can sometimes take as long as 12 years to reach a decision. S. In short, it was Mr. Gover's swan song before leaving office. Let the NativeAmericans sort out more of the issues that directlypertain to who and what they are and where they want to go. Not onlydoes this require a high degree of legalmaneuvering, but an accomplished diplomacy of the highest level when viewedin terms of the ancestral relationships of those managing the Bureau ofIndian Affairs and those whom they are attempting to manage. Paul, Minnesota, November 14, 2 . I knew that there would be decisions that would disappoint friends, and ever turn some people against me... Let the U. In its 1972 "Trail ofBroken Treaties 2 -Point Position Paper," AIM leaders sought, among anumber of other issues, the abolishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs by1976. Further, Gover said, the BIA's current administrative systemshave been reviewed, found wanting, and that corrective action plansprepared in the past have failed due to "limited resources and inadequatemonitoring."[11] If BIA past performance could be graded, it would have received an"F."BIA Reactionary Measures It is not without undue expectation that AssistantSecretary Gover and his managerial staff would, so to speak, "circle thewagons" in an effort to stem a further onslaught of Bureau criticisms anddemands for improvement. To tribal governments, the Bureau offers technical adviceandservice on administrative procedures, construction projects, and economicdevelopment projects. It operates on an annualbudget of nearly two billion dollars. S. In response to the Academy's findings, Assistant Secretary Goveraddressed the Congressional Committee on Indian Affairs in April of thisyear, saying that the Study validated many of the Bureau's inadequacies dueto its limited responsibilities in providing its own administrativesupport. More simply put, the 'problem' wasbigger than the BIA could handle. Public Law 93-638,which was passed in 1975, offers new employment opportunities to tribes bypermitting them toassume managerial control of some Bureau programs and services underfederal contracts.The Big Picture Elected tribal governments - and the Native Americans they represent- enjoy certain sovereign rights in their relations with the federalgovernment. Since its creation, the officeof Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs has traditionally been held by aNative American. Department of theInterior's web site at http://www.doi.gov/bia/as-ia.htm[8] American Indian Movement, "Trail of Broken Treaties 2 -Point PositionPaper." October 1972, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ofprimary concern to the BIA is helping Native Americans derive maximumbenefits from Native American resources, specifically the gas-oil andmineraldeposits which are buried beneath Native America land (i.e., tribalreservations). U. In the monthfollowing this, again commenting before the CongressionalCommittee on Indian Affairs, Assistant Secretary Gover made the "surprise"announcement that his agency no longer wanted to be the entity that grantedfederal recognition to Indian tribes.[12] "I have reluctantly reached the conclusion that I will not besuccessful in reforming this program," Gover said. These things occurred despite the efforts of many good people with good hearts who sought to prevent them. The Reorganization Act remains the basis offederal legislation concerning Indian Affairs.[6]Administration The BIA is directed by an Assistant Secretary of the U. This person is responsible fordeveloping policies and programs of mutual interest and benefit to NativeAmericans and the federal government. The Congressional Committee on Indian Affairs is currentlyconsidering legislation that would create a three-person commissionappointed by the President to decide which tribes are recognized, a movethat many claim would streamline the process.Fear and Loathing on the Reservations Ironically, despite an explosion of Indian gaming operations andrevenues - up from $1 million in 1988 to $8.26billion a decade later - an Associated Press computer analysis of federalunemployment, poverty and public assistance records indicates the majorityof Native Americans have benefited very little.[13] In Pine Ridge, South Dakota, a group of irate Oglala Sioux blametribal woes on corruption and mismanagement by the elected leaders of thattribe, maintaining that a big part of their problems are traceable to theirtribe's government restructuring under the Indian Reorganization Act of1934. The local BIA Superintendent, trying to stay clearof siding with one faction or the other, said federal changes in tribalgovernment structure were only meant to strengthen those governments,including promises of additional help and oversight from the BIA.Conclusion In remarks before the Fifty-Seventh Annual Convention of the NationalCongress of American Indians held November 14, 2 , in St. Online athttp://www.aimovement.org/page15.html[9] "Russell Means Commentary" Found online at the Russell Means Internetweb site, also purporting to represent an official "voice" of the AmericanIndian Movement, at http://www.russellmeans.com/clubnotices.htm[1 ] ibid.[11] "BIA Management Revisions: Kevin Gover." Congressional Testimony, 4-12-2 . Yes, do away with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. During this time, the BIA had "forbade the speaking ofIndian languages, prohibited the conduct of traditionalreligious activities, outlawed traditional government, and madeIndian people ashamed of who they were."[5] The 1934 "Indian Reorganization Act" sought to somewhat rectify thesewrongs by decreasing federal control of Native American affairs andincreasing Indian self-government andresponsibility. This latterissue was nowhere moreapparent than in a recent speech by Assistant Secretary-Indian Affair KevinGover (see footnote 5) "celebrating" the 175thAnniversary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Viewable online, in PDF format, at http://www.doi.gov/bia/as-ia.htm-----------------------[1] Press release. Work CitedNational Academy of Public Administration. With thisorder, the Tribes' right to self-government and self-determination withinthe framework of Federalism is affirmed and protected."[2] It is interesting to note that this order modifies andsupersedes two previous executive orders - in as many years - whichessentially attempted to do the same thing. S.government help as much as possible. Should the Bureau of Indian Affairs Be Abolished?Introduction On November 6th 2 , President Clinton signed into effect anExecutive Order meant "to establish regular and meaningful consultation andcollaboration with tribal officials in the development of Federal policiesthat have tribalimplications."[1] "Once again," said Interior Assistant Secretary - Indian AffairsKevin Gover, "President Clinton has demonstrated hisadministration's commitment to the government-to-governmentrelationship between the Federal government and the Tribes. Department of the Interior,Fifty-Seventh Annual Convention of the National Congress of AmericaIndians, St. All rights reserved.[5] Remarks of Kevin Grover, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, Departmentof the Interior, at the Ceremony Acknowledging the 175th Anniversary of theEstablishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, September 8, 2 .[6] Encyclopedia Britannica, "Indian Reorganization Act." Found online athttp://www.britannica.com© 1999-2 , Britannica.com Inc.[7] Most of this information can be found on the U.S. In signing the order,President Clinton said, "I reaffirm our commitment to Tribal sovereignty,self-determination, and self-government. In 1849, the BIA was moved into the newly created Department of theInterior. S.congressional policy mandates without infringing on these rights.
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