The BIA Alaska Regional Office, located in Anchorage, reintroduced Tribal Government Services (Tribal Operations) in 2015. Tribal Operations is under the direction of the Deputy Regional Director of Native Services, and provides services to all 229 federally recognized tribes in Alaska (with the exception of the Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Island Reserve, serviced by BIA’s Northwest Regional Office). With permanent staff in place, the critical task at hand is to re-establish, re-structure and prioritize work based on the needs of today’s Tribal Governments.
Alaska faces a wide array of challenges, and our goals and interests are to serve the tribes of Alaska. The Tribal Operations Branch is designed to offer consultation and technical assistance to tribes as they relate to governmental and corporate functions as defined in their organic documents. Organic Documents include Constitutions, Ordinances (i.e. Membership Ordinance, Election Ordinance), Resolutions, and Federal Charters of Incorporation issued under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act. Tribal Operations is available to provide assistance in all aspects of the processes related to these documents including development, review, amendment recommendations, and revision. Other services may include: Secretarial Elections (if required by the organic document), processing name change requests, training on the development of organic documents, tribal enrollment functions, and processing requests for records from the American Indian Records Repository (AIRR) and/or the National Archives (NARA).
Secretarial Procedures published in 2015
Guide to Tracing American Indian & Alaska Native Ancestry - Bureau of Indian Affairs
Enrollment Services
Tribal Operations oversees the Enrollment office functions, which provides proof of Alaska Native blood to Alaska Natives and proves direct lineal descent from an original enrollee on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) rolls. Enrollment Clerks process applications for the Certificate of Degrees of American Indian and Alaska Native Blood (CDIB) to anyone who can provide documentation that he or she is a direct lineal descent of an ANCSA Enrollee. The Alaska Region has Enrollment Clerks located in the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau offices.
Enrollment Services may also process the Indian Preference for Employment (BIA Form 4432) for Alaska Natives that meet at least one of the criteria established under Category D listed below:
- A member of a federally recognized Alaska Native Tribe
- An original ANCSA enrollee
- A person issued stock from an ANCSA Regional Corporation
The Alaska Region enrollment offices maintain information on individuals with Alaska Native blood. American Indians with questions regarding which BIA or tribal office to contact about enrollment may speak with the Alaska Enrollment staff for further guidance.
Access the most recent version of the Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood request form here.
Anchorage Enrollment Services is open Monday to Fridays from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
If you have any questions, please contact:
Anchorage Enrollment Services, (907) 271-4477, akenrollment@bia.gov
Fairbanks Enrollment Services, (907) 456-0522, Click here for Fairbanks Enrollment Information
Juneau Enrollment Services, (907) 586-7719, Click here for Juneau Enrollment Information
Sarah Walker, Tribal Government Officer, Sarah.Walker@bia.gov; (907) 271-4506
Tribal Operations is governed by the following:
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, as amended in 1936 (The Alaska Act)
Indian Civil Rights Act
Title 25 Code of Federal Regulations regarding Indians
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of December 18, 1971
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA)
Public Law 93-638 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as amended
