NCR Office of Native American Affairs

Detail of eagle medallion made by Mario Harley of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe.

The National Capital Region (NCR) honors our relationship with Tribes by upholding trust and treaty responsibilities. We strive to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, and know that robust consultations are the cornerstones of Federal Indian policy. Essential to this engagement is the development of a sincere understanding of Tribal relationships to their ancestral homelands during the evolution of the United States.

This page provides links to NCR and National Park Service resources as well as other information that may be helpful to Tribes in their consultations with the NPS.

NPS and Other Department of Interior Links

NPS

• NPS Office of Tribal Relations and American Culture
• NPS NAGPRA Information
• State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division
• Tribal Historic Preservation Program (THPP)
• National Capital Region Museum Resource Center

 

• National Capital Region Office of Native American Affairs SharePoint Site [NPS employees only]

INTERIOR

• Consultation on Improving Consultation
• Detailed Plan to Improve Interior's Implementation of E.O. 13175
• Joint Secretarial Order on Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility to Indian Tribes in the Stewardship of Federal Lands and Waters

♦ BIA

• Tribal consultations
• Office of Federal Acknowledgement

♦ BLM

• Manual 1780 Tribal Relations
• Guidelines for Conducting Tribal Consultation

OTHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

• DOJ Office of Tribal Justice
• Executive Order 13175

Topics of Interest

• American Indian Heritage
• Environmental Justice - stewardship of the natural and cultural resources entrusted to us in a manner that is sustainable, equitable, accessible, and inclusive of all populations.
• Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes  (36 CFR 2.6)
• Indigenous Cultural Landscapes -  represent large landscapes from the perspective of American Indian nations. They are characteristic of the natural and cultural resources that supported American Indian lifeways and settlements.
• Native American Heritage Month - NPS Commemorations and Celebrations - throughout the year, and especially during November -- Native American Heritage Month -- the National Park Service and our partners celebrate the rich traditions, languages, and contributions of Indigenous people.
• Native Histories at American Sites of Conflict
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) - knowledge about the environment derived from the experience and traditions of a people.
• Tribal Land Acknowledgement
  • NCSL: Tribal Land and Nation  Acknowledgement
  • Native Governance Center
  • MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project

Federal Laws and Regulations

• American Indian Law -- Cornell Legal Information Institute
• Federal Historic Preservation Laws: The Official Compilation of U.S. Cultural Heritage Statutes, 2018 Edition (PDF)
• Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes  (36 CFR 2.6)
• Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
  • 15 USC 3001-3003 - Law as amended
  • 43 CFR 10 - Federal Regulations
• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) -- Section 106
  • An Introduction to Section 106 by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
  • The National Historic Preservation Act
• Procedures for Federal Acknowledgment of Indian Tribes (25 CFR Part 83)

Potomac Watershed Park Information

• Detailed Map of National Capital Region Parks
• Links to National Capital Area Parks and Interactive Map
• Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
  • American Indian Tribes Today
• Potomac Heritage Trail
  • Planning for American Indian Interpretation

State Information

Maryland
There are three state-recognized tribes in Maryland, none currently federally recognized.

• Maryland Commision on Indian Affairs
• Maryland Historical Trust Tribal Consultation
• MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project
• Peoples, Tribes, and Bands in Maryland

Virginia
There are eleven state recognized tribes in Virginia, seven of which have been federally recognized.

• Virginia Indian Advisory Board on State Recognition
• Executive Order #82: Consultation with Federally Recognized Tribal Nations for Environmental and Historic Permit Reviews (2021) (PDF)
• Virginia State-Recognized Tribes   2021 Bluebook

Washington, DC

• Native Peoples of Washington, DC
• The Struggle for Sovereignty: American Indian Activism in the Nation’s Capital, 1968-1978

NCR Reports of Interest

Source: Data Store Saved Search 5019. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Contact

Noel Lopez
Regional Tribal Liaison
National Capital Region
e-mail us