the term “tribe” interchangeably with “American Indian”, “Native American”, and “tribal nations.” As used throughout this study, these terms refer to “any Federally-recognized governing body of an Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe under the Federally Recognized Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C 479a (FEMA, 2010 AU71: The in-text citation "FEMA, 2010" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).” For clarification purposes as designated by the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (2013) AU72: The in-text citation "Indian Affairs (2013)" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. , “federally recognized tribes are recognized as possessing certain inherent rights of self-government (i.e., tribal sovereignty) and are entitled to receive certain federal benefits, services, and protections because of their special relationship with the United States.”
Published in Chapter:
Assessing the Interactions between Native American Tribes and the U.S. Government in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Policy
Leigh R. Anderson (The Ohio State University, USA)
Copyright: © 2017
|Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0703-1.ch003
Abstract
The working relationships between Native American tribes, the states, and the federal government have been strained for centuries. These intergovernmental interactions have led to a fragmented system whose attempt to deliver public service is consistently met with opposition. One area where this has become increasingly evident is within homeland security and emergency management policy. This study used a cross sectional survey to gather information about the beliefs tribes held about the various aspects of their working relationships with states and the federal government within the context of homeland security and emergency management. Analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the intergovernmental relationships that existed between tribes and the U.S. government did not possess the characteristics of an effective working relationship. Evidence also suggests that the intergovernmental relationships were actually having a negative impact on the U.S. government's goal to achieve a unified system of homeland security and emergency management on American soil.