Tribes Home

External Affairs >> Tribal >> Home

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as a bureau of the Department of the Interior, has a mandated obligation to ensure that the federal Indian trust responsibility is fulfilled.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers Indian Tribes one of our most important partners to achieving our mission and priorities. Tribes manage a significant portion of available wildlife habitat in the United States. It is clear that Tribes have established themselves as reliable natural resources managers and leaders, with an impressive record of success. Equally, we recognize these lands and rights represent long standing ancestral fishing,gathering and hunting grounds and other places with deep cultural and religious meaning. It is important to recognize the special relationship that the Service has with Tribal governments.

We want to ensure that our employees, managers and the public understand that Tribes are not to be treated as though they are alike, or just another stakeholder. Tribes are sovereign governments. Each Tribe has its own unique set of needs, concerns, and interests. Our relationship with tribes extends into perpetuity and is grounded on openness and understanding, patience and flexibility, as well as an appreciation and acceptance that there are no linear solutions or cookbook answers.

Specifically, executive, legislative and judicial decisions guide our special government-to-government relationship with Tribes, and define the Service's trust responsibility to them. It is the strong belief of the Service that we cannot fully succeed in its mission without the help and support of Native American Tribes. Maintaining positive relations always affords us an opportunity to form new relationships and enter into productive partnerships. With this tone and spirit in mind, we welcome you to explore our Native American Affairs site.

View the new 2013 edition of the Tibial Consultation Handbook (PDF 1.8 MB).

The FWS Mountain-Prairie Region communicates with the following tribes:

Southern Ute Indian Tribe	Colorado
Ute Mountain Ute	Colorado
Shoshone-Bannock	Idaho
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska	Kansas
Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas	Kansas
Prairie Band of Potawatomi of Kansas	Kansas
Sac and Fox	Kansas
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Ft. Peck	Montana
Blackfeet Nation	Montana
Chippewa-Cree of Rocky Boys	Montana
Crow Agency	Montana
Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of Ft. Belknap	Montana
Northern Cheyenne	Montana
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes	Montana
Omaha Tribe	Nebraska
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska	Nebraska
Santee Sioux	Nebraska
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska	Nebraska
Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe	North Dakota
Standing Rock Sioux	North Dakota
Three Affiliated Tribes	North Dakota
Trenton Indian Service Area, Board of Directors	North Dakota
Turtle Mountain Chippewa	North Dakota
Osage Tribe	Oklahoma
Cheyenne River Sioux	South Dakota
Crow Creek Sioux	South Dakota
Flandreau Santee Sioux	South Dakota
Lower Brule Sioux	South Dakota
Oglala Sioux	South Dakota
Rosebud Sioux	South Dakota
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate	South Dakota
Yankton Sioux	South Dakota
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation	Utah
Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of UtahÂ	Utah
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah	Utah
Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians	Utah
Uintah and Ouray Tribes	Utah
Eastern Shoshone	Wyoming
Northern Arapaho	Wyoming

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page
Department of the Interior
USA.gov
About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Accessibility
Privacy
Notices
Disclaimer
FOIA

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with
Others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American People.

May 21, 2013

All Images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Unless Specified Otherwise.