Significance to Tribes- NTAA Documents - Related Documents - Related Links
Tribal Consultation
Overview
One of the fundamental rights of a sovereign tribal government is "government to government consultation" as outlined in Executive Order 13175. Recognizing this one of NTAA's goals is to "encourage and support appropriate consultation with all tribal governments in accordance with tribal structures and policies." Recently in a letter to the EPA, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) stated their "fundamental request is that the federal government goes beyond dialogue and takes meaningful action to meet its responsibilities toward tribal governments. Tribal governments have a unique status in the federal system under the U.S. Constitution and numerous federal laws, treaties, and federal court decisions. Indian tribes have the power and responsibility to enact civil and criminal laws, and provide a broad range of governmental services to our citizens including law enforcement, education, health care, and management of lands the size of seven states.
Significance to Tribes