Document Information

Date: 1983-02-28
By: Ronald Reagan
Citation: Federal-Provincial Meeting of Ministers on Aboriginal Constitutional Matters, President Reagan’s Statement to the White House on Indian Policy, Doc 830-126/024 (Ottawa: 28 February-1 March 1983).
Other formats: Click here to view the original document (PDF).

DOCUMENT: 830-126/024

FEDERAL-PRDVINCIAL MEETING OF MINISTERS ON
ABORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

President Reagan’s Statement: to the White
House on Indian Policy

(For the information of Canadian Government
Delegations)

Inuit Kanatimami Pijutiqiluit Katimajiit

Ottawa, Ontario
February 28 &
March 1st, 1983

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 24, 1983

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

INDIAN POLICY

This Administration believes that responsibilities and
resources should be restored to the governments which are
closest to the people served. This philosophy applies not
only to state and local governments, but also to federally
recognized American Indian tribes.

When European colonial powers began to explore and
colonize this land, they entered into treaties with sovereign
Indian nations. Our new nation continued to make treaties and
to deal with Indian tribes on a government-to-government
basis. Throughout our history, despite periods of conflict
and shifting national policies in Indian affairs, the
government-to-government relationship between the United
States and Indian tribes has endured. The Constitution,
treaties, laws, and court decisions have consistently recog-
nied a unique political relationship between Indian tribes
and the United States which this Administration pledges to
uphold.

In 1970, President Nixon announced a national policy of
self-determination for Indian tribes. At the heart of the new
policy was a commitment by the federal government to foster
and encourage tribal self-government. That commitment was
signed into law in 1975 as the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act.

The principle of self-government set forth in this Act
was a good starting point. However, since 1975, there has
been more rhetoric than action. Instead of fostering and
encouraging self-government, federal policies have by and
large inhibited the political and economic development of the
tribes. Excessive regulation and self-perpetuating bureau-
cracy have stifled local decisionmaking, thwarted Indian
control of Indian resources, and promoted dependency rather
than self-sufficiency.

This Administration intends to reverse this trend by
removing the obstacles to self-government and by creating a
more favorable environment for the development of healthy
reservation economies. Tribal governments, the federal
government, and the private sector will all have a role. This
Administration will take a flexible approach which recognizes
the diversity among tribes and the right of each tribe to set
its own priorities and goals. Change will not happen over-
night. Development will be charted by the tribes, not the
federal government.

This Administration honors the commitment this nation
made in 1970 and 1975 to strengthen tribal governments and
lessen federal control over tribal governmental affairs. This
Administration is determined to turn these goals into reality.
Our policy is to reaffirm dealing with Indian tribes on a
government-to-government basis and to pursue the policy of
self-government for Indian tribes without threatening
termination..

In support of our policy, we shall continue to fulfill
the federal trust responsibility for the physical and
financial resurces we hold in trust for the tribes and their
members. The fulfillment of this unique responsibility will
be accomplished in accordance with the highest standards.

Tribal Self-Government

Tribal governments, like state and local governments, are
more aware of the needs and desires of their citizens than is
the federal government and should, therefore, have the primary
responsibility for meeting those needs. The only effective
way for Indian reservations to develop is through tribal
governments which are responsibe and accountable to their
members.

Early in this nation’s dealings with Indian tribes,
federal employees began to perform Indian tribal government
functions. Despite the Indian Self-Determination Act, major
tribal government functions — enforcing tribal laws,
developing and managing tribal resources, providing health and
social services, educating children — are frequently still
carried on by federal employees. The federal government must
move away from this surrogaye role which undermines the
concept of self-government.

It is important to the concept of self-government that
tribes reduce their dependence on federal funds by providing a
greater percentage of the cost of their self-government. Some
tribes are already moving in this direction. This Administra-
tion pledges to assist tribes in strengthening their
governments by removing the federal impediments to tribal
self-government and tribal resource development. Necessary
federal funds will continue to be available. This
Administration affirms the right of tribes to determine the
best way to meet the needs of their members and to establish
and run programs which best meet those needs.

For those small tribes which have the greatest need to
develop core governmental capacities, this Administration has
developed, through the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Indian Affairs, the Small Tribes Initiative. This program
will provide financial support necessary to allow these tribes
to develop basic tribal administrative and management
capabilities.

In keeping with the government-to-government relation-
ship, Indian tribes are defined by law as eligible entities
and receive direct funding, if they wish, in five block grant
programs administered by the Department of Health and Human
Services. These and other blocks to the states consolidated
dozens of categorical federal domestic assistance programs to
reduce fragmentation and overlap, eliminate excessive federal
regulation, and provide for more local control. This
Administration now proposes that Indian tribes to be eligible for
direct funding in the Title XX social services block, the
block with the largest appropriation and the greatest
flexibility in service delivery.

In addition, we are moving the White House liaison for
federally-recognized tribes from the Office of Public Liaison
to the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, which maintains
liaison with state and local governments. In the past several
administrations, tribes have been placed along with vital
interest groups, such as veterans, businessmen and religious
leaders. In moving the tribal government contact within the
White House Intergovernmental Affairs staff, this
Administration is underscoring its commitment to recognizing
tribal governments on a government-to-government basis.

Further, we are recommending that the Congress expand the
authorized membership of the Advisory Commission on Intergov-
ernmental Relations (42 U.S.C. 4273) to include a
representative of Indian tribal governments. In the interim
before Congressional action, we are requesting that the Assis-
tant Secretary for Indian Affairs join the Commission as an
observer. We also supported and signed into law the Indian
Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act which provides tribal
governments with essentially the same treatment under federal
tax laws as applies to other governments with regard to
revenue raising and saving mechanisms.

In addition, this Administration calls upon Congress to
replace House Concurrent Resolution 108 of the 83rd Congress,
the resolution which established the now discredited policy of
terminating the federal-tribal relationship. Congress has
implicitly rejected the termination policy by enacting the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of
1975. However, because the termination policy declared in
H. Con. Res. 108 has not been expressly and formally
repudiated by a concurrent resolution of Congress, it
continues to create among the Indian people an apprehension
that the United States may not in the future honor the unique
relationship between the Indian people and the federal
government. A lingering threat of termination has no place in
this Administration’s policy of self-government for Indian
tribes, and I ask Congress to again express its support of
self-government.

These actions are but the first steps in restoring
control to tribal governments. Much more needs to be done.
Without sound reservation economies, the concept of
self-government has little meaning. In the past, despite good
intentions, the federal government has been one of the major
obstacles to economic progress. This Administration intends
to remove the impediments to economic development and to
encourage cooperative efforts among the tribes, the federal
government and the private sector in developing reservation
economies.

Development of Reservation Economies

The economies of American Indian reservations are
extremely depressed with unemployment rates among the highest
in the country. Indian leaders have told this Administration
that the development of reservation economies is their number
one priority. Growing economies provide jobs, promote self-
sufficiency, and provide revenue for essential services. Past
attempts to stimulate growth have been fragmented and largely
ineffective. As a result, invovlement of private industry has
been limited, with only infrequent success. Developing
reservation economies offers a special challenge: devising
investment procedures consistent with the trust status;
removing legal barriers which restrict the type of contracts
tribes can enter into and reducing the numerous and complex
regulations which hinder economic growth.

Tribes have had limited opportunities to invest in their
own economies because often there has been no established
resource base for community investment and development. Many
reservations lack a developed physical infrastructure
including utilities, transportation and other public services.
They also often lack the regulatory, adjuicatory and
enforcement mechanisms necessary to interact with the private
sector for reservation economic development. Development on
the reservation offers potential for tribes and individual
entrepreneurs in manufacturing, agribusiness and modern
technology, as well as fishing, livestock, arts and crafts and
other traditional livelihoods.

Natural resources such as timber, fishing and energy
provide an avenue of development for many tribes. Tribal
governments have the responsibility to determine the extent
and the methods of developing the tribe’s natural resources.
The federal government’s responsibility should not be used to
hinder tribes from taking advantage of economic development
opportunities.

With regard to energy resources, both the Indian tribes
and the nation stand to gain from the prudent development and
management of the vast coal, oil, gas, uranium and other
resources found on Indian lands. As already demonstrated by a
number of tribes, these resources can become the foundation
for economic development on many reservations while lessening
our nation’s dependence on imported oil. The federal role is
to encourage the production of energy resources in ways
consistent with Indian values and priorities. To that end, we
have strongly supported the use of creative agreements such as
joint ventures and other non-lease agreements for the
development of Indian mineral resources.

It is the free market which will supply the bulk of the
capital investments required to develop tribal energy and
other resources. A fundamental prerequisite to economic
development is capital formation. The establishment of a
financial structure that is a part of the Indian reservation
community is essential to the development of Indian capital
formation.

Federal support will be made available to tribes to
assist them in developing the necessary management capability
and in attracting private capital. As a first step in that
direction, we provided funds in the FY 1983 budget to provide
seed money to tribes to for economic
development ventures on reserva develop
their capital resource base and increase
expertise, they will have an opportunity to real
maximum return on their investments and will be able to share
an increasing portion of the business risk.

It is the policy of this Administration to encourage
private involvement, both Indian and non-Indian, in tribal
economic development. In some cases, tribes and the private
sector haven already taken innovative approaches which have
overcome the legislative and regulatory impediments to
economic progress.

Since tribal governments have the primary responsibility
for meeting the basic needs of Indian communities, they must
be allowed the chance to succeed. This Administration,
therefore, is establishing a Presidential Advisory Commission
on Indian Reservation Economies. The Commission, composed of
tribal and private sector leaders, is to identify obstacles to
economic growth in the public and private sector at all
levels; examine and recommend changes in federal law,
regulations and procedures to remove such obstacles, identify
actions state, local and tribal governments could take to
rectify identified problems, and recommend ways for the
private sector, both Indian and non-Indian, to participate in
the development and growth of reservation economies. It is
also to be charged with the responsibility for advising the
President on recommended actions required to create a positive
environment for the development and growth of reservation
economies.

Numerous federal agencies can offer specialized
assistance and expertise to the tribes not only in economic
development, but also in housing, health, education, job
training, and other areas which are an integral part of
reservation economies. It is to the advantage of the tribes,
and in the interest of the taxpayers, that the federal role be
fully reviewed and coordinated. Therefore, this
Administration directs the Cabinet Council on Human Resources
to act as a mechanism to ensure that federal activities are
non-duplicative, cost effective, and consistent with the goal
of encouraging self-government with a mininum of federal
interference.

Summary

This Administration intends to restore tribal governments
to their rightful place among the governments of this nation
and tribal governments, along with stats and local
governments, to resume control over their own affairs.

This Administration has sought suggestions from Indian
leaders in forming the policies which we have announced. We
intend to continue this dialogue with the tribes as these
policies are implemented.

The governmental and economic reforms proposed for the
benefit of Indian tribes and their members cannot be achieved
in a vacuum.

This nation’s economic health — and that of the
tribes — depends on adopting this Administration’s full
Economic Recovery Program. This program calls for eliminating
excessive federal spending and taxes, removing burdensome
regulations, and establishing a sound monetary policy. A full
economic recovery will unleah the potential strength of the
private sector and ensure a vigorous economic climate for
development which will benefit not only Indian people, but all
other Americans as well.

REAGAN ADMINISTRATION INDIAN POLICY INITIATIVES

– Request that Congress repudiate House Concurrent
Resolution 108 of the 83rd Congress which called for
termination of the federal-tribal relationship. The
Administration wants this lingering threat of termination
replaced by a resolution expressing its support of a
government-to-government relationship.

– Ask Congress to expand the authorized membership of the
Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to
include a representative of Indian tribal governments.
In the interim, request that the Assistant Secretary of
the Interior for Indian Affairs join the ACIR as an
observer.

– Move the White House liaison for federally-recognized
tribes from the office of Public Liaison to the Office of
Intergovernmental Affairs.

– Establish a Presidential Advisory Commission on Indian
Reservation Economies to identify obstacles to economic
growth and recommend changes at all levels; recommend
ways to encourage private sector involvement, and advise
the President what actions are needed to create a
positive environment for the development and growth of
reservation economies.

– Support direct funding to Indian tribes under the
Title XX social services block grant to states.

– Sought and obtained funds for FY 1983 to implement the
Small Tribes Initiative to provide financial support
needed to allow small tribes to develop basic tribal
administrative and management capabilities.

– Sought and obtained funds for FY 1983 to provide seed
money for tribes for economic development ventures on
reservations.

– Supported and signed into law the Tribal Governmental Tax
Status Act which will provide tribal governments with the
same revenue raising and saving mechanisms available to
other governments.

– Support the use of creative agreements such as joint
ventures and other non-lease agreements for the
development of Indian mineral resources.

– Direct the Cabinet Council on Human Resources to act as a
review and coordination mechanism to ensure that federal
activities are non-duplicative, cost effective and
consistent with the goal of encouraging tribal
self-government with a minimum of federal interference.