Why Have Tribes Failed to Become Recognized?
If Tribal Groups have so many important benefits to gain AND the 7 Criteria have been so clearly outlined, WHY HAVE TRIBAL GROUPS FAILED FOR DECADES to be Federally Recognized? Here is a list of the reasons why many Tribes fail to achieve Federal recognition:
- Satisfying the seven criteria is a great burden. Organizing and maintaining coordinated recognition process efforts is overwhelming and expensive. If the process is not overseen by an expert, with a specific timeline for completion, the process can unnecessarily drag on for years and cost a Tribe millions of dollars.

- Improper fulfillment of the seven criteria. If a Tribe initially submits, then continues to submit incomplete, inaccurate or unsubstantiated petitions or thin, unsupported Letters of Intent, the Tribe’s petition will soon lose all credibility and be officially declined with no way to petition for Federal recognition again.
- Past U.S. Policies set the Tribes up to fail. Historical policies and actions of the U.S. government were specifically designed to eliminate the authority and consistency the Tribe is now required to prove.
- The Federal government must protect it’s self interests. There have been instances that have called into question the ability of the federal government to objectively analyze a Tribe’s petition.
- There is no inter-tribal support system for achieving Federal Recognition. Some of the strongest opposition to the federal recognition of a given Tribe often comes from other Tribes. Tribes that are presently Federally recognized want to protect their Federal funding benefits and future potential growth.
- Tribes can be taken advantage of by those who have self serving motives. Tribes who are seeking Federal recognition have no true agent to turn to. The Federal government only has to provide the criteria a Tribe has to fulfill, not the support. Other Federally recognized tribes are not extending support either. A Tribe who is seeking Federal Recognition is usually left to themselves and can fall prey to those who would take advantage of their inexperience with fulfilling the seven criteria.
If your Tribe has been in the Federal Recognition Acknowledgement Process, unfortunately, you understand the obstacles to Federal Recognition very well. Now we must ask ourselves, who can help a Tribal Group with the Federal Acknowledgement Process?