What
is the role of the Office of Tribal Justice?
Is the Office of Tribal
Justice the same as the Bureau of Indian Affairs?
What is the relationship
of the Office of Tribal Justice with Tribes?
Can the Office of Tribal
Justice provide me with legal advice?
Can the Office of Tribal
Justice provide me with assistance in my child custody or child
support case?
Can the Office of Tribal
Justice assist me in gaining membership in a Tribe?
Can the Office of Tribal
Justice help my tribe become federally recognized?
What is the role of the Office of Tribal Justice?
The Office of Tribal Justice serves as the
primary point of contact for Indian tribes with the Department,
as well as the resident legal experts on issues pertaining to federal
Indian law.
Is the Office of Tribal Justice the same as the Bureau
of Indian Affairs?
The Office of Tribal Justice is a component
within the Department of Justice. The Bureau of Indian Affairs
("BIA") is a part of the Department of the Interior. The BIA may
be contacted at Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.
What is the relationship of the Office of Tribal Justice
with Tribes?
The Department of Justice maintains a government-to-government
relationship with federally
recognized Tribes. The Office of Tribal Justice serves
as the primary point of contact between tribal governments and
the Department.
Can the Office of Tribal Justice provide me with legal
advice?
The Office of Tribal Justice cannot provide
legal advice to private citizens pursuing a personal cause of action.
For referrals to private attorneys, you should contact the appropriate
Tribal or State Bar Association.
Can the Office of Tribal Justice provide me with assistance
in my child custody or child adoption case?
The Office of Tribal Justice cannot provide
legal advice or assistance in child custody or child support cases.
For referrals to private attorneys, you should contact the appropriate
Tribal or State Bar Association. For additional information about
the Indian Child Welfare Act (“ICWA”), you may wish
to contact the National Indian Child Welfare Association and the Native
American Rights Fund.
Can the Office of Tribal Justice assist me in gaining membership
in a specific Tribe?
Tribal membership is left to the discretion
of each individual Tribe. As such, you should directly contact
your ancestral Tribe for information on membership requirements.
Can the Office of Tribal Justice assist me if my Tribe
seeks to terminate my membership in the Tribe?
As noted above, tribal membership is left to
the discretion of each individual Tribe. For information
concerning any possible recourse you may have, contact the Bureau
of Indian Affairs.
Can the Office of Tribal Justice help my tribe become federally
recognized?
Congress has identified the Department of the
Interior as the lead agency to address federal recognition issues.
Tribes must undergo a federal recognition process before recognition
can be granted per 25 U.S.C. § 211. For additional information
you may wish to contact directly the Bureau
of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior.
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