About the ANA

Promoting the Goal of Social and Economic Self-Sufficiency for Native Americans

Who We Are
The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) was established in 1974 through the Native American Programs Act (NAPA). ANA is the only federal agency serving all Native Americans, including 562 federally recognized tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations and Native populations throughout the Pacific basin (including American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Our Mission
ANA promotes the goal of self-sufficiency for Native Americans by providing social and economic development opportunities through financial assistance, training, and technical assistance to eligible Tribes and Native American organizations representing nearly 4.3 million individuals. To achieve this mission, funding is provided through discretionary grants to eligible Tribes and Native organizations on a competitive basis. In Fiscal Year 2003, Congress appropriated $45.5 million for Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) Projects, Environmental Regulatory Enhancement Projects and Native Language Preservation and Maintenance Projects.

Our Goals

Major goals are to:

1. Assist Tribal and village governments, Native American institutions, and local leadership to exercise control and decision making over their resources;
2. Foster the development of stable, diversified local economies and economic activities which will provide jobs, promote economic well-being, and reduce dependency on public funds and social services;
3. Support local access to, control of, and coordination of services and programs that safeguard the health and well-being of people and are essential to a thriving and self-sufficient community.

Examples of the range of projects which help to promote the economic and social development of Native Americans are: creation of new jobs and development or expansion of business enterprises and social service initiatives; establishment of new Tribal employment offices; formulation of environmental ordinances and training in the use and control of natural resources; enactment of new codes and management improvements to strengthen the governmental functions of Tribes and Native American organizations; and establishment of local court systems.

Intra-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs

The Commissioner of the ANA is the Chair of the Intra-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA) within the Department of Health and Human Services, and advises the Secretary on Native American issues. The Council is composed of 25 of the heads of the Department's major agencies.

The ICNAA is the Departmental focal point for all initiatives affecting Native American people.

Under its Charter, the ICNAA coordinates and encourages the cooperation of the Department's and other federal agencies' resources for Native American people. It also develops and implements a meaningful policy on Native American affairs for the entire Department. It ensures that this policy will be applied consistently throughout the Department and, where possible, throughout the Federal Government.