Bureau of Indian Affairs facts for kids

"Indian Office" redirects here. For the former British government department, see India Office.

Quick facts for kids
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agency overview
Seal of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Flag of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Formed	March 11, 1824; 201 years ago (1824-03-11)
Preceding agency	Office of Indian Affairs, United States Department of War
Jurisdiction	Federal Government of the United States
Headquarters	Main Interior Building 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240
Employees	4,569 (FY2020)
Annual budget	$2.159 billion (FY2021)
Agency executives	Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Darryl LaCounte, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs Tony Dearman, Director, Bureau of Indian Education Jerry Gidner, Director, Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
Parent agency	United States Department of the Interior
Child agencies	Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, Bureau of Indian Education

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a special agency of the U.S. federal government. It is part of the Department of the Interior. The BIA helps carry out federal laws and rules for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

It also manages over 55.7 million acres (225,000 km²) of land. This land is held in trust by the U.S. government for indigenous tribes. The BIA provides services to about 2 million indigenous Americans. These services are for 574 tribes that the government officially recognizes. The BIA is led by a director. An Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs oversees the director. This Assistant Secretary reports to the Secretary of the Interior.

The BIA works with tribal governments. They help with law enforcement and justice. They also support farming, building projects, and economic growth. The BIA helps tribes manage their own governments and natural resources. Their main goal is to improve life in tribal communities. The Bureau of Indian Education handles school services. Health care for Native Americans is managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is done through its Indian Health Service.

The BIA is one of the oldest U.S. federal agencies. It started in 1775 as the Committee on Indian Affairs. Benjamin Franklin was one of its first leaders. This committee managed trade and agreements with different indigenous groups. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was officially created in 1824. It was set up by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun. In 1849, it moved to the new Department of the Interior. Before 1947, it was known by many names. These included the Indian Office and the Indian Bureau.

For a long time, the BIA's main goal was to make Native peoples adopt American ways of life. It also helped take over their land. But since the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act in 1975, things have changed. Now, the BIA focuses more on helping tribes make their own decisions. It works with tribal governments as partners.

Since 1977, all the Assistant Secretaries for Indian Affairs have been Indigenous people. This includes Bryan Newland, who started in 2021. As of 2020, most BIA employees are American Indian or Alaska Native. This is the highest number ever for the agency.

How the BIA is Organized
History of the BIA
The BIA's Mission Today
Images for kids
See also

How the BIA is Organized

Main Interior Building, the main office for the Department of the Interior

The BIA's main office is in the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C.. A bureau director leads the BIA. This director reports to the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. The current Assistant Secretary is Bryan Newland.

The BIA works with 574 federally recognized tribes. It does this through four main offices:

Office of Indian Services: This office helps with general support and disaster relief. It also deals with child welfare for Indian families. It supports tribal governments and helps tribes manage their own affairs.
Office of Justice Services (OJS): This office runs or funds law enforcement, tribal courts, and jails on federal Indian lands. It supports many police agencies. Some are run by the BIA, and others by tribes. The OJS helps with criminal investigations and police services. It also manages jails, drug enforcement, and police training.
Office of Trust Services: This office helps tribes and individual Native Americans manage their trust lands. It also helps them with their money and natural resources.
The Office of Field Operations: This office oversees 12 regional offices. These offices are located across the U.S., including Alaska and the Great Plains. They also manage 83 smaller agencies. These agencies carry out the BIA's work directly with tribes.

History of the BIA

Ely S. Parker was the first Native American to be Commissioner of Indian Affairs (1869–1871).

Cato Sells, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1913.

Early U.S. Agencies (1775–1822)

The first agencies dealing with Native Americans started in 1775. The Second Continental Congress created three such agencies. Leaders like Benjamin Franklin helped make agreements with Native Americans. The goal was to keep them neutral during the American Revolutionary War.

In 1789, the U.S. Congress put Native American relations under the new War Department. By 1806, Congress created the "Superintendent of Indian Trade." This office was in charge of government trading posts. These posts were set up to control trade in Indian territories.

Bureau of Indian Affairs is Formed (1824)

After the trading post system ended in 1822, a new agency was needed. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was officially formed on March 11, 1824. Secretary of War John C. Calhoun created it as a part of his department. The first head of the office was Thomas L. McKenney.

The Removal Era (1830–1850)

During this time, the U.S. was expanding westward. This led to the forced movement of Native Nations. In 1831, a court case called Cherokee Nation v. Georgia happened. The Supreme Court later recognized Native American tribes as "domestic dependent nations." This meant they were like nations but still under U.S. control. This ruling was important for future agreements.

Despite court rulings, the Cherokee Nation was forced to move from Georgia in 1838. This event is known as the Trail of Tears. In 1832, Congress created the job of Commissioner of Indian Affairs. In 1849, the Indian Affairs office moved to the new U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1869, Ely S. Parker became the first Native American to be Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Assimilation Policies (1890–1930)

One of the most debated policies of the BIA was the use of American Indian boarding schools. These schools, like the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, aimed to teach Native children American customs. The idea was for them to fit into American society. However, these schools often stopped students from using their own languages and cultures.

The BIA also created its own tribal police force. This force was meant to reduce the power of traditional American Indian leaders.

Changes and Reorganization (Mid to Late 20th Century)

The 1940 Indians at Work magazine, published by the Office of Indian Affairs, which later became the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The agency's name changed from "Office of Indian Affairs" to "Bureau of Indian Affairs" in 1947.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a rise in Native American activism. Groups like the American Indian Movement (AIM) demanded that treaty rights be honored. This was a challenging time for the BIA. BIA police were involved in major protests, such as:

The occupation of BIA headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1972: On November 3, 1972, about 500 American Indians with AIM took over the BIA building. This was part of their "Trail of Broken Treaties" march. They wanted to bring attention to Native American issues. They asked for new talks on treaties and better living conditions. The protesters stayed in the building for a week.
The Wounded Knee Incident of 1973: Activists occupied land on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for over two months.
The 1975 Pine Ridge shootout: This was another serious event on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Many Native peoples still disagree with some BIA policies. There have been problems with enforcing treaties and managing land records.

The 21st Century

In 2002, Congress worked with the BIA on new laws. These laws set up ways for tribes to be officially recognized. Other laws aimed to give tribes a fair say in BIA decisions. These laws defined what services, duties, and rights a federally recognized tribe has.

In 2013, the BIA faced big budget cuts. This especially affected the Indian Health Service, which was already short on money.

The BIA's Mission Today

Today, the BIA is trying to change its role. It wants to move from telling tribes what to do to advising them. This has been hard because many Native Americans remember the BIA's past. Historically, the U.S. government used the BIA to control tribes based on treaties.

Images for kids

Flag of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Seal of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs