Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) | Indian Affairs
The Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior (Department) implements Part 83 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (25 CFR Part 83), Procedures for Federal Acknowledgment of Indian Tribes. The acknowledgment process is the Department’s administrative process by which petitioning groups that meet the criteria are given Federal “acknowledgment” as Indian Tribes and by which they become eligible to receive services provided to members of Indian Tribes.
Through the Department’s Office of the Solicitor, OFA makes recommendations to the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs (AS-IA). The AS-IA has the authority to make the decision whether to acknowledge Tribal existence and establish a government-to-government relationship or to deny acknowledging a petitioning group as an Indian Tribe.
By applying anthropological, genealogical, and historical research methods, OFA reviews, verifies, and evaluates groups’ petitions for Federal acknowledgment as Indian Tribes. OFA makes recommendations for proposed findings and final determinations to the AS-IA, consults with petitioners and third parties, provides copies of 25 CFR Part 83 and its guidelines, prepares technical assistance review letters, maintains petitions and administrative correspondence files, and conducts special research projects for the Department. OFA also performs other administrative duties that include maintaining its web page and responding to appeals, litigation, and Freedom of Information Act requests.
NOTICE February 23, 2023:
Proposed Finding for Petitioner #146 and Comment Period: The Department has issued a Proposed Finding against the acknowledgment of Petitioner #146. According to Section 83.10(i) of the 1994 revision of the acknowledgment regulations, “the petitioner or any individual or organization wishing to challenge or support the proposed findings shall have 180 days to submit arguments and evidence to the Assistant Secretary to rebut or support the proposed finding.” The regulations also require that “interested and informed parties who submit arguments and evidence to the Assistant Secretary must provide copies of their submissions to the petitioner.”
The address for the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs is:
Department of the Interior
Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs
Attention: Office of Federal Acknowledgment
Mail Stop 4071 MIB
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
The address for Petitioner #146 is:
Mr. Ron Yob
PO Box 2937
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2937
Comments must be postmarked no later than 2023-08-26.
NOTICE February 6, 2018:
Mailing Address Clarification: As noted elsewhere on this web site, OFA’s current mailing address is 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. Because OFA moved to a new building in the autumn of 2017, the acknowledgment regulations in § 83.20 reflect OFA’s old address on 1951 Constitution Avenue. Please submit documented petitions to:
Department of the Interior
Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs
Attention: Office of Federal Acknowledgment
Mail Stop 4071 MIB
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
The above tables list all the petitioners that, as of September 29, 2015, have submitted documented petitions to the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. The above tables also indicate which petitioners chose to be evaluated under the provisions of the 1994 acknowledgment regulations and which petitioners chose to be evaluated under the provisions of the 2015 acknowledgment regulations, pursuant to 25 CFR 83.7(b). The petitioners in the second table have stated that they will supplement their petitions with additional material. When one of these petitioners submits new materials and declares that its submissions are complete, the Department will review the materials and move the petitioner onto the Register of Documented Petitions in accordance with 25 CFR 83.21-22.
25 CFR Part 83 ACKNOWLEDGMENT REGULATIONS as revised in 2015 (the current regulations):
Recent Acknowledgment Actions: This is a listing of some of the Department’s latest actions regarding the 25 CFR Part 83 acknowledgment process.
Opportunities for Comment
In accordance with 25 CFR 83.22(b)(iv), the Department posts opportunities for individuals and entities to submit comments on documented petitions.
Petitions in Process
This is a listing of the petitions that the Department is now evaluating under the 25 CFR Part 83 acknowledgment process.
Decided Cases
This is a listing of the petitions that have resolved through the 25 CFR Part 83 acknowledgment process.
Register of Documented Petitions
This is a list of the petitioners who have submitted a documented petition as defined by 25 CFR Part 83 and are waiting for the evaluation process to begin.
Supplemental Administrative and Regulatory Documents
These are additional documents that may be of assistance in preparing petitions and in better understanding the Federal acknowledgment process. These documents include the previous revisions of the acknowledgment regulations (in 1978 and 1994); several guidance directives from the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs; general timelines for the 25 CFR 83 acknowledgment process; technical assistance (TA) guidelines; GAO reports; and other documents.
Guidelines, Precedent Manual, and Sample Petition Narrative
The documents include general guidelines intended for the petitioning group, as well as more specialized guidelines for researchers. Also included is a precedent manual that may better help petitioners understand how the Department has interpreted the regulations. A sample petition narrative provides an example of a narrative written by a member of a petitioning group, who volunteered for the project, along with the help of other group members.
Sample Formats for Petitioner Submissions
This is a collection of sample forms that might be helpful in corresponding with the Department during the acknowledgment process.
Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA) Documents
The IBIA is an appeals court within the Department of the Interior to which, under the 1994 revision of the acknowledgment regulations, petitioners or interested parties could appeal decisions by the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs.
