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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families
August 2000
Administration for Native Americans Programs
Promoting the Goal of Social and Economic Self-Sufficiency for Native Americans
The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) promotes the goal of social and economic self-sufficiency of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Native American Pacific Islanders, including Native Samoans. Self-sufficiency is that level of development at which a Native American community can control and internally generate resources to provide for the needs of its members and meet its own economic and social goals. Social and economic underdevelopment is the paramount obstacle to the self-sufficiency of Native American communities and families.
ANA is the only Federal agency serving all Native Americans, including over 550 federally recognized Tribes, 60 Tribes that are state recognized or seeking federal recognition, Indian organizations, all Indian and Alaska Native organizations, Native Hawaiian communities, and and Native populations throughout the Pacific basin. ANA's fiscal year 2000 budget was $35.4 million. ANA provides grants, training, and technical assistance to eligible Tribes and Native American organizations representing 2.2 million individuals.
Major Goals
Major goals are to: 1) assist Tribal and village governments, Native American institutions, and local leadership to exercise control and decisionmaking over their resources; 2) foster the development of stable, diversified local economies and economic activities which will provide jobs, promote economic well-being, and reduce dependency on public funds and social services; and 3) support local access to, control of, and coordination of services and programs which safeguard the health and well-being of people and are essential to a thriving and self-sufficient community.
Examples of the range of projects which help to promote the economic and social development of Native Americans are: creation of new jobs and development or expansion of business enterprises and social service initiatives; establishment of new Tribal employment offices; formulation of environmental ordinances and training in the use and control of natural resources; enactment of new codes and management improvements to strengthen the governmental functions of Tribes and Native American organizations; and establishment of local court systems.
Social and Economic Development Strategies
ANA promotes lasting self-sufficiency and enhances self-government largely through grants with social and economic development strategies (SEDS). These are competitive financial assistance grants in support of locally determined and designed projects to address community needs and goals. This approach of promoting self-sufficiency has moved the focus from dependency on services to increasing community and individual productivity through community development.
These programs affirm that Indian Tribes are fully sovereign nations, entitled by treaty and law to be dealt with on a direct, government-to-government basis. SEDS implements this policy of committing the Federal Government to foster self-determination and self-governance for Native American people, and promotes consultation and increased Tribal authority in the administration of Federal funds.
Environmental Regulatory Enhancement
Despite an increasing environmental responsibility and growing awareness of environmental issues on Indian lands, resources available to tribes to develop tribal environmental programs that are responsive to tribal needs have been lacking. The FY 2000 budget was approximately $3 million for environmental regulatory enhancement projects.
Language Preservation
The Congress has recognized that the history of past policies of the United States toward Indian and other Native American languages has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of Native American languages that have survived over the past five hundred years. Consequently, Congress enacted the Native American Languages Act (Public Law 102-524) to address this decline. Approximately $2 million was available in FY 2000 for projects that promote the survival and continuing vitality of their languages.
Intra-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs
The Commissioner of the ANA is the Chair of the Intra-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs (IDCNAA) and advises the Secretary on Native American issues. The Council is composed of 25 of the heads of the Department's major agencies. The IDCNAA is the Departmental focal point for all initiatives affecting Native American people.
Under its Charter, the IDCNAA coordinates and encourages the cooperation of the Department's and other federal agencies' resources for Native American people. It also develops and implements a meaningful policy on Native American affairs for the entire Department. It ensures that this policy will be applied consistently throughout the Department and, where possible, throughout the Federal Government.
This document is not necessarily endorsed by the Almanac of Policy Issues. It is being preserved in the Policy Archive for historic reasons.