Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce announced today that he has authorized Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Offices to enter into contract negotiations with 25 Indian tribes for the fiscal year 1972 Tribal Affairs Management Program. The Tribal affairs Management Program assists in the development of managerial skills for those tribes that cannot finance full-time effective tribal management.
Selected for consideration to participate in the Tribal Affairs Management program are the following tribes: Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux, Devils Lake Sioux, Santee Sioux, Santo Domingo Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, Native Village of Unalakleet, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Lac Courte Oreilles, Bay Mills, Boise Forte, Keweenaw Bay, Fallon Paiute-Shoshone, Cocopah, Yavapai-Prescott, Havasupai, Nisqually, Lower Elwha, Squaxin Island, Lummi, Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone.
The objectives of this program are to provide to tribes the capability to 1) plan, coordinate and manage their economic development programs;' 2) maintain day-to-day administrative functions to provide coherent and efficient control of tribal affairs under the direction of the tribal authorities.
Assistance is provided to those tribes which can clearly show their lack of tribal financing and their need to have full-time tribal government management and administrative services. All tribes in the Bureau's service population are equally eligible to be considered for participation in the Tribal Affairs Management program.
A selection panel composed of five Indians from throughout the country reviews the applications and makes recommendations for selection to the Commissioner.
The total program level available in fiscal year 1972 is $200,000. Each successful applicant will enter into negotiations for, a Buy-Indian contract for the remainder of this fiscal year. This program is generally intended to be of limited duration with the expectation that assistance will be eventually generated from other sources. The contract period for the management program is for a single fiscal year.
