The Office of Indian Affairs functions at the full committee level and oversees all matters regarding Native Americans, including the 562 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Corporations, and nearly 1.9 million American Indians.  Republicans on the Natural Resources Committee are working to ensure freedom and economic development opportunity for Indian tribes across the country.

Click here to view the Office’s specific jurisdiction.

Hot Topics:

• Proposed Cobell v. Salazar Settlement Agreement
• Native Hawaiian Recognition (Akaka Bill)

Did You Know?

• The Department of Interior holds 56 million acres of land in trust for the benefit of Indian tribes and individual Indians.
• Some experts estimate that up to 10 percent of the nation’s untapped energy resources (including oil, gas, coal, wind, and solar) lie under or on tribal lands.
• According to the Department of the Interior, the production of energy and mineral resources in 2007 generated $524 million in royalty revenue paid to Indian individuals and Tribes.  These resources are critical not only for national energy security, but for the generation of jobs, royalties, and other benefits for members of the tribes that own the energy.
• All 10.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge can be produced utilizing just 2,000 acres of surface land throughout the whole 1.5 million-acre area.