Native American Program--Mid-Pacific Region

The Mid-Pacific Native American Affairs Program serves as a bridge between Tribes in the Mid-Pacific (MP) Region and Reclamation. MP's Native American Affairs Office (MP-NAAO) coordinates with other Reclamationwide activities and programs to provide a bridge between Reclamation and the Tribes. In this approach, the program coordinators from each of the five Area Offices in the MP Region seek to obtain Tribal perspectives and to present Reclamation's perspective to Tribes. Understanding each of these perspectives helps to solve problems and achieve the primary goal: to increase Tribal opportunities to develop and manage their water resources.

There are currently 83 federally recognized Tribes and Bands (8 without a land base) in the MP Region, which covers portions of California, Oregon, and Nevada. There are 15 Reservations and 60 Rancherias/Communities in the MP Region, constituting the homelands of 75 Tribes. Of the 75 Tribes with land holdings, 58 Tribes have land holdings of less than 300 acres. The Reservations and Rancherias range from less than 1 acre to more than 476,000 acres and with Reservation populations ranging from 10 persons to more than 5,000 persons.

The MP Region's program focuses on:

Solving problems between Reclamation and Tribes, preventing problems, and communicating effectively
Ensuring Tribal perspectives are included in Reclamation's decision processes
Consulting with Tribes on a government-to-government basis on issues of mutual concern
Increasing Reclamation's program on Reservations and Rancherias
Participating in Indian water rights settlements
Sharing specialized knowledge with internal and external customers