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The National Park Service (NPS) is a bureau within the Department of the Interior (DOI). The NPS manages more than 400 national parks and 100 related areas, as well as many programs that reach across the United States and the world. The Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA), within the Office of the Director of the NPS, strengthens relationships with Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Alaska Native communities.
The ONAA’s primary responsibilities are highlighted below:
Tribal Consultation
The Native American Affairs Liaison is primarily responsible to ensure the NPS meets the requirements set out in the DOI Policy on Consultation with Indian Tribes. The ONAA works closely with tribal liaisons and tribal affairs staff in regions, parks, and programs to improve and support active tribal consultation. Consultations with Native Hawaiian organizations and Pacific Islander communities were also undertaken. In fiscal years 2018-2019, the NPS reported 3,531 tribal consultations with 237 Tribes, 34 Alaska Native Villages, and 13 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporations. The NPS currently supports 56 agreements with Tribes, with 17 others being reviewed for finalization.
Find contact information for your National Park Service tribal liaison.
NPS Draft Director's Order #20: Agreements (DO#20)
The National Park Service (NPS) is inviting you to participate in listening sessions and provide feedback regarding Director’s Order #20: Agreements (DO #20). This draft guidance document identifies and describes different types of agreements the NPS may enter into with Federal and non-Federal entities, provides information on how to select the agreement type that best fits the purpose of the relationship, and explains the roles and responsibilities of NPS managers. As the NPS invests in actions that strengthen our trust relationship with Indian Tribes, Alaska Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and indigenous communities, we would like to share the revision of our agreements policy and seek your feedback to ensure implementation is accessible, equitable, and mutually beneficial.
NPS DO-20 Listening Session Review Draft
The consultations will be held on:
- Friday, January 10, 2025, 3:00 to 4:30 pm EST
- Monday, January 13, 2025, 3:00 to 4:30 pm EST
- Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 3:00 to 4:30 pm EST
Please submit your comments here for draft Director's Order #20, until January 27, 2025. or
Email: NPS_DO20@nps.gov
Find transcripts, schedules and other resources from past consultations at DOI.
Listening Session - Perspectives on the Transcontinental Railroad
Monday May 6, 2024. 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
The National Park Service is hosting a virtual listening session to hear perspectives on the Transcontinental Railroad.
What is this project about? The Transcontinental Railroad (first built between 1863 and 1869) transformed the lives of people living and working in the continental U.S. The nearly 2,000-mile-long route connected, displaced, created, and remade countless communities in its path, yet their diverse perspectives have long gone unrecognized. NPS is creating a Foundation Document to outline the significance and fundamental resources and values of the Transcontinental Railroad.
What is the goal of this listening session? Through a new Transcontinental Railroad program, the National Park Service (NPS) has an opportunity to preserve and share histories vital to the national significance of this route and critical to public’s understanding of U.S. History. The National Park Service invites members of the public with a connection to the Transcontinental Railroad--including Native Americans and descendant communities of Chinese, LDS, Irish, and African American railroad workers --to participate in a listening session to share their perspectives.
Why does it matter? Participating in these listening session series helps ensure this new Transcontinental Railroad program captures the depth and complexity of the Transcontinental Railroad’s impacts; honors the lives of the many people who shaped it; and recognizes diverse ways of studying, remembering, and interpreting its stories.
What are the other ways to participate? If you are unable to participate in the listening session but would still like to share your thoughts on the history and the legacy of the Transcontinental Railroad, contact the Project Manager for the Transcontinental Railroad Foundation Document Julie Bell via email or via phone at 720-987-0282.
Consultation on Development of an Agency Request for a Program Comment for Regular Maintenance, Capital Projects, and Leasing at National Park Service Mission 66-Era Facilities (1945-1972)
The NPS developed a Program Comment conceptual overview, which summarizes its proposed application to provide an alternative path to compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act for NPS Mission 66-Era Facilities (1945-1972). It also lists proposed prohibitions on the use of the Program Comment, such as for undertakings planned to occur on or that may affect: Tribal lands; properties of religious and cultural significance to Indian and Alaska Native Tribes or Native Hawaiians; burial sites; human remains; funerary objects; and/or, battlefield areas which are listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. All comments received during consultation will inform the nature and scope of the NPS agency request to the ACHP, which the NPS plans to submit to the ACHP in 2024. Please go to the website to find out more ParkPlanning - Mission 66 Program Comment (nps.gov).
Consultation on Tribal Plant Gathering in National Parks
Policy Memorandum 24-01 was recently released and gives NPS superintendents and park managers more clarity on how to negotiate and enter into plant gathering agreements with Tribes while respecting Indigenous gathering practices.
Find detailed information, including a briefing statement, guide to the plant gathering regulation, consulation letters, the consultation slide deck, and how to submit written comments.
Indian Youth Service Corps
Review a draft of the Indian Youth Service Corps Guidelines.
The NPS follows DOI's Tribal Consultation Policy. DOI consulted with Tribal leaders to improve our consultation process, identify best practices, and strengthen our relationship with Tribal governments. Learn more about the DOI Tribal Consultation Policy. View the Detailed Plan for Improving Interior’s Implementation of E.O. 13175.
Find resources for Tribal Consultation that relate to DOI-managed lands and programs, including memoranda, executive summaries, reports, studies, plans, and other resources.
Represents NPS Tribal and Indigenous Relations
The ONAA serves as a point of contact for Tribes, Indigenous peoples, regions, parks, and programs on tribal self governance topics and funding agreements under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). Since 2011, approximately $27 million has been provided through annual funding agreements with self governance Tribes to accomplish maintenance, resource management, interpretation, and youth program activities in associated national parks.
There are currently 574 federally recognized Tribes. There are 202 Tribal Historic Preservation Offices that have entered into an agreement with the NPS. Find more information about the Tribal Historic Preservation Program.
Policy Development and Implementation
The ONAA develops NPS-wide guidance, and reviews proposed policy and legislation to advise and support the NPS Director, regional offices, and individual parks on issues that impact Native American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities.
In addition, the ONAA collaborates with other Department of Interior bureaus to develop Department-wide and government-wide guidance on issues involving tribal governments. ONAA also participates in international efforts to join with Indigenous peoples to achieve common natural resource and cultural heritage preservation goals.
Currently Available for Public Review
The NPS is inviting the public to comment on the proposed Director’s Order #71C: Consultation with Indian and Alaska Native Tribes. The draft is available for comment until Monday, August 26, 2024. Please submit your comments to amindian@nps.gov using the Comment Form. Find more information.
Last updated: January 10, 2025