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ANA promotes the goal of economic and social self-sufficiency for American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and the peoples of Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Promoting Self-Sufficiency for Native Americans
ANA is the only Federal agency providing grants, training and technical assistance to all Native Americans including:
- 562 federally recognized Tribes
- Incorporated non-federally recognized Tribes
- American Indian and Alaska Native Organizations
- Native Hawaiian Non-profit Organizations
- Native populations throughout the Pacific basin
- Foster the development of stable, diversified local economies and economic activities which will provide jobs, promote community and economic well-being, encourage community partnerships and reduce dependency on public funds and social services
- Support local access to, control of, and coordination of services and programs that safeguard the health and well-being of Native children and families
- Increase the number of projects involving youth and intergenerational activities in Native American communities
Grant Programs
ANA provides competitive financial assistance grants in support of locally determined and designed projects that address community needs and goals. Grants are provided through three programs to promote economic and social self-sufficiency, to ensure the survival and vitality of Native languages and to improve Tribal capability to regulate environmental quality.
Examples of projects that 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
- Community strategic planning
- Enactment of new codes and management improvements to strengthen the governmental functions of Tribes and Native American organizations
- Youth development
- Strengthening family relationship skills
- Training language teachers
- Formulation of environmental policies, ordinances and training for the use and control of natural resources
Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS)
ANA provides project funding that supports and invests in community-based projects that meet the goal of improving the lives of children and families in our communities.
- Economic Development Projects: Involve the promotion of the physical, commercial, technological, industrial, and/or agricultural components necessary for a sustainable local community. Applicants are encouraged to develop sustainable projects to support stable and diversified private sector local economies.
- Social Development Projects: Involve investment in human and social capital for advancing peoples’ well-being. Applicants are encouraged to develop and implement culturally appropriate projects to enhance Tribal, community and village activities. Social development projects under this area support families, elders, parents, positive youth development, healthy marriage, individuals with disabilities and personal commitment.
- Governance Projects: Involve assistance to federally-recognized Tribal and Alaska Native Village Governments to increase their ability to exercise local control and decision-making over governance activities.
- Healthy Marriage Projects: Involve project funding to support projects that include approaches to improve child well-being by removing barriers to form and sustain healthy marriages and strengthen families in Native communities. A component of the Administration for Children and Families Healthy Marriage Initiative, the Native American Healthy Marriage Initiative (NAHMI) promotes culturally competent strategies to strengthen Native American families and communities by fostering healthy marriages, responsible fatherhood and child well-being.
In 2006, $12.8 million was awarded in grants for Social and Economic Development Strategies. The total current commitment of these grants is $24.8 million.
Language Preservation
ANA provides project funding to eligible applicants for the purpose of assisting Native Americans to assure the survival and continuing vitality of their languages. Grants are provided under the following two categories:
- Category I-Assessment Grants: Used to conduct the assessment needed to identify the current status of the Native language(s) to be addressed and establish community long-range language goals.
- Category II-Design and/or Implementation Grants: Design and/or implement a preservation language project to contribute toward the achievement of the community’s long-range language goal(s).
In 2006, $1.6 million was awarded in grants for Native Language Preservation and Maintenance. The total current commitment of these grants is $2.7 million.
Environmental Regulatory Enhancement
ANA provides project funding to eligible applicants to strengthen Tribal Governments by building capacity to identify, plan and develop environmental programs consistent with Native culture. ANA funds projects that address the responsibility of Tribes and Villages to formulate environmental ordinances, implement laws, and train community members in the use and control of their natural resources.
- Environmental Mitigation: Involve project funding to eligible applicants for the purpose of mitigating environmental impacts on Indian lands due to Department of Defense (DOD) activities on Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS). ANA encourages American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to develop their own plans and technical capabilities to assess, plan, develop and implement projects to mitigate any impacts caused by DOD activities.
In 2006, $652,381 was awarded for Environmental Regulatory Enhancement and Environmental Mitigation. The total current commitment of these grants is $1.06 million.
Intra-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs
The ANA Commissioner is the Chair and the Director, Indian Health Service is the Vice Chair of the Intra-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The ICNAA advises the Secretary on Native American issues. The Council is composed of the heads of all the principal operating divisions within HHS and is the Departmental focal point for all initiatives affecting Native people.
Administration for Native Americans
370 L'Enfant Promenade
Aerospace Center
Washington, DC 20447-0002
Phone: Toll Free 1.877.922.9262
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Updated December 2006
Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
