Monday, March 28, 2016

M3 blog, BIA FAQ website

           I chose to review Bureau of Indian Affairs- Native American and Law Frequent Questions online resource for the M3 academic blog. This site was created by and is maintained by the United States Department of Interior-Bureau of Indian Affairs. This site is written to inform the reader of the legal basis of the relationship between the U.S. Government and the federally recognized Native American tribes. The website is intended to answer the questions that are commonly encountered in regard to policies and rights of Native Americans. An example of the legal viewpoint of this website is references such as Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution that requires Congress, the Executive and Judicial branches the power to establish relationships with the various Native American tribes.
            I believe that this online resource was selected for use in this course because it is operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that is responsible for providing services to Native Americans as well as information to Congress and the entire population as to the status of the relationship between the U.S. Government and Native American tribes. This website is operated by the federal government and therefore subject to legal review for accuracy. I feel that a quality academic website is truthful, verifiable and unbiased. This BIA operated website is a quality academic website because it repeatedly lists references to rights and policies and provides multiple ways to contact the agency for additional information. This website provides mailing addresses, phone numbers, email links and the ability to request a meeting with BIA officials demonstrating the legitimacy of this site for academic use.
            I was unaware of what the Federal Indian Trust was before reviewing the BIA FAQ site. I had heard this term before but assumed that it was a fund managed by the federal government for use by Native Americans. From reviewing this site I have learned that the trust is actually a legal obligation for ethical treatment of Native Americans by the federal government. I also was unaware that the smallest federally recognized reservation is the 1.32-acre Pit River Tribe’s cemetery in California.  


                                                                        Work Cited


            Frequently Asked Questions. US Department of Interior Indian Affairs, 23 March 16.                              Web. 28 March 2016.

6 comments:

  1. I found this site very interesting as well. The frequently asked questions section was very helpful in explaining things such as federal Indian trust responsibilities, aspects of a federally recognized tribes, tribal sovereignty, etc. There was good information regarding the unique legal and political relationship between Indian tribes as outlined in the Constitution of the United States, treaties, court decisions and Federal statutes.

    I enjoyed learning about the role that Indian Affairs programs actually plays in improving tribal government infrastructure, community infrastructure, education, job training, and employment opportunities as well as long term sustainable development that assists with improving quality of life for their members. Based on what we have read in Peter Nabokov's Native American Testimony, there were some real challenges with early agents who were supposed to be the liaison between the United State government and Native American tribes. Many of these interactions were deceitful and full of empty promises. Bureau of Indian affairs is really committed to improving quality of life for Native Americans, based on the insight on their Website.

    There was also a lot of really great information on the News tab of the Website, allowing viewers to remain informed on current events, including legal settlements, new programs, and well as a number of other important governmental affairs updates. The Indian affairs library offers a wealth of information for viewers as well.


    References:

    Nabokov, Peter. (1999). The Treaty Trail. Native American Testimony. New York, NY. Penguin Group 1999. Print

    U.S. Department of Interior Indian Affairs. Accessed at http://www.bia.gov/index.htm Web. 28 March 2016.

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  2. Hi Tad. Like you I also found this to be a good resource to learn more about the current relationship between Native American Nations and the United States. Before this course, I never heard of the United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Indian Affairs. It’s just something you don’t hear about much in the newspapers or headlines. I enjoyed reading their frequently asked question section, as it paints a clear picture of what the Bureau of Indian Affairs does and who they are. It also gives clear explanations of treaties, land rights and many other issues relating to Native American tribes and their sovereignty. I think it is a great source for those who are just starting to learn the aspects the relationship between Native American Tribes and The United States of America.

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    1. I was able to attend some training with a large group of BIA personnel in New Mexico several years ago. I found them to be a great group of people that are committed to serving their communities. During my time in New Mexico I learned that BIA makes an effort to assign staff to their own tribes when possible. I feel that this is a great policy as personal relationships and shared heritage makes these people better suited to serve the community.

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    3. I was able to attend some training with a large group of BIA personnel in New Mexico several years ago. I found them to be a great group of people that are committed to serving their communities. During my time in New Mexico I learned that BIA makes an effort to assign staff to their own tribes when possible. I feel that this is a great policy as personal relationships and shared heritage makes these people better suited to serve the community.

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  3. I had also never heard of the BIA prior to this course and I'm glad that you mentioned it in your blog post. I was really surprised that the smallest known reservation is 1.32 acres. I haven't gotten the chance to review the website yet but I definitely will as it seems very interesting and as you stated it a useful resource.

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