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Brief Guide to the Bureau of Indian Affairs



What is the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the United States federal government. That  operates within the United States Department of the Interior and is solely responsible for the administration and management of approximately 55,700,000 acres of land held in trust for Native American Tribes living in the United States.The Bureau of Indian Affairs is one of two government agencies under the jurisdiction of the Assistant Secretary—the Bureau of Indian Education is the other. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs Quick Facts:

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs was formed on March 11th of 1824; the preceding agency was known as the Office of Indian Affairs. 

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs maintains jurisdiction over the Federal Government of the United States. 

• The headquarters for the Bureau of Indian Affairs are located at 1849 C Street in the Northwestern portion of Washington, D.C.

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs operates with approximately 8,700 employees and with an annual operating budget of nearly $2.5 billion.

• The current agency executive for the Bureau of Indian Affairs is Larry EchoHawk; the Deputy Bureau Director is Michael Smith.

• The parent agency to the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the United States Department of the Interior.


What does the Bureau of Indian Affairs do?

As stated earlier, the Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for administering and managing sovereign Indian land in the United States. This job function carries a number of responsibilities and legal issues, revolving around the fair treatment of Native Americans and the proper obtainment of government-subsidized services and products.Currently, the Bureau of Indian Affairs is attempting to evolve from a supervisory position to an advisory role.

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