Indian Tribes and Tribal governments, that are officially recognized by the U.S.A. are listed here on the U.S.A. government website.

“The U.S. government officially recognizes more than 500 Indian tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. These federally recognized tribes are eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, either directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts.”¹⁾

The state of Alaska has recognised 20 Alaska Native Languages as official languages with the passing of House Bill 216 in 2014: “An Act adding the Inupiaq, Siberian Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Alutiiq, Unangax, Dena'ina, Deg Xinag, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Gwich'in, Tanana, Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Hän, Ahtna, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages as official languages of the state”²⁾³⁾.

In 1978, the state of Hawaii recognised Hawaiian as second official language alongside English in the Hawaiian Constitution of 1978, Article XV, section four.

• The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which states to “provide for vocational education for Indians”⁴⁾
• The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (P.L. 93-638), which gave federally recognized tribes the authority to contract with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and determine educational programs. ⁵⁾
• The Education Amendments Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-561) and further technical amendments P.L. 98-511, 99-99, and 100-297, which set the premises for primary and secondary schooling concerning among others funding, school boards and staff hiring ⁶⁾.
• The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), which sets addditional requirements, especially concerning the acquisition and testing of English and the educational level required by teachers, though the act includes excemptions for Indian education ⁷⁾.

• An overview of all acts concerning Indian Affairs can be found in Chapter 25 of the United States Code.

The Bureau of Indian Education oversees the quality of Indian education in the U.S.A: “BIE’s mission is to provide quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with a tribe’s needs for cultural and economic well-being, in keeping with the wide diversity of Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities. Further, the BIE is to manifest consideration of the whole person by taking into account the spiritual, mental, physical, and cultural aspects of the individual within his or her family and tribal or village context.”(Website Bureau of Indian Education. Retrieved from https://www.bie.edu/index.htm.)).

“Currently, the Bureau of Indian Education oversees a total of 183 elementary, secondary, residential and peripheral dormitories across 23 states. 130 schools are tribally controlled under P.L. 93-638 Indian Self Determination Contracts or P.L. 100-297 Tribally Controlled Grant Schools Act. 53 schools are operated by the Bureau of Indian Education. The Bureau of Indian Education also oversees two (2) post-secondary schools” ⁸⁾.