Federally Recognized Tribes

In the United States, the Indian tribe is a fundamental unit, and the constitution grants to the U.S. Congress the right to interact with tribes. More specifically, the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Sandoval (231 US. 28 [1913]) warned, "it is not... that Congress may bring a community or body of people within range of this power by arbitrarily calling them an Indian tribe, but only that in respect of distinctly Indian communities the questions whether, to what extent, and for what time they shall be recognized and dealt with as dependent tribes" (at 46). Federal tribal recognition grants to tribes the right to certain benefits, and is largely controlled by the United States federal agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

On August 11, 2009, the U.S. government's Federal Register issued an official list of 564 tribes in the Federal Register as Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, which can be downloaded as a PDF document from the U.S. Library of Congress: [2]. USA.gov, the federal government's official web portal, also maintains a list of tribal governments which is constantly updated.

#	Web Link	Hits
1	Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians The Absentee Shawnee is one of three federally recognized tribes of Shawnee people in Oklahoma.	103
2	Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, California The Cahuilla are a tribe of Native Americans that have inhabited inland areas of southern California for more than 2,000 years, originally covering an area of about 2,400 square miles (6,200 km²). The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California. It was bounded to the north by the San Bernardino Mountains, to the south by Borrego Springs and the Chocolate Mountains, to the east by the Colorado Desert, and to the west by the San Jacinto Plain and the eastern slopes of the Palomar Mountains.	97
3	Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona The Ak-Chin Indian Community is a Native American community located in the Santa Cruz Valley in Arizona. The community is composed mainly of Pima and Tohono O'odham, as well as some Yoeme members.	102
4	Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas The Alabama who relocated to Texas supported Texas independence. In gratitude, Governor Sam Houston recommended that Texas purchase land for the tribe when their existing land was overtaken by settlers. They merged with the Coushatta to become the present-day Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. Although long under state trusteeship because the state controlled public lands, the tribe applied for Federal recognition, which it received in 1987 with recognition of its legal identity and sovereignty as a tribe. The law that restored its federal relationship also prohibited gaming that was prohibited under state laws.	109
5	Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma In Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town was established in 1936. The descendants of the Alabama who live there are linked also to the Muskogee Creek Nation.	98
6	Alturas Indian Rancheria, California The Alturas Indian Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Achomawi Indians in California. The tribe controls 20-acre reservation near Alturas, California, in Modoc County. Tribal enrollment is estimated at 15. Phillip Del Rosa is currently serving as the elected Chairman.[1] The tribe operates the Desert Rose Casino and the Rose Cafe in Alturas.	178
7	Apache Tribe of Oklahoma The Plains Apache (also Kiowa-Apache, Naʼisha, Naishan Dene, meaning Those Who Carry or Transport Things About or Stealers referring to their raiding tradition, they also used the term Khat-tleen-deh = Cedar People or Bay-ca-yeh = Whetstone People) are a Southern Athabaskan group that lived primarily on the plains of North America. To most of the Plains People they were consequently known as "Whetstone People". To their close allies, the much larger Kiowa tribe, although speaking a completely unrelated language, they were known as Semat = Stealers. At major tribal events (such as the annual Sun Dance), the Kiowa Apache formed part of the Kiowa tribal 'hoop' (ring of tipis). This may explain why the Kiowa named the Kiowa-Apache Taugui = Sitting Outside. Many descendants of the tribe currently live in Oklahoma and are enrolled in the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma.	115
8	Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming The Wind River Indian Reservation spans 2.2 million acres and is home to 2,500 Eastern Shoshone and more than 5,000 Northern Arapaho Indians. Although the two tribes own and govern the reservation jointly, most of the Shoshone live in the western half around Fort Washakie, while the Arapahos are centered around Ethete and Arapahoe.	107
9	Aroostook Band of Micmac Indians of Maine The majority of the 1000 members of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs live within Aroostook County, located in Northern Maine. As far as we know, from time immemorial the Micmacs have occupied the lands south and east of the Gulf of Saint Laurence, the Maritime Provinces and other regions along the Atlantic Seaboard of Northeastern America. The Micmac Nation, today, is composed of seven districts of 29 bands with a population of approximately 30 thousand.	102
10	Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana The Fort Peck Indian Reservation lies in northeastern Montana, United States. It is the homeland of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes of Native Americans. It is the ninth-largest Indian reservation in the United States and comprises parts of four counties. In descending order of land area they are Roosevelt, Valley, Daniels, and Sheridan counties. The total land area is 8,519.480 km² (3,289.389 sq mi), and a population of 10,321 was counted during the 2000 census. The largest community on the reservation is the city of Wolf Point.	97
11	Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California The Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized Cahuilla band of Native Americans based in Coachella, California. They have the distinction of being the smallest tribal nation in the United States, consisting of only eight members, only one of whom is an adult.	94
12	Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin The Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians is located on a reservation on the south shore of Lake Superior. The reservation, which has a land area of 497.477 km² (192.077 sq mi), is in northern Wisconsin straddling Ashland and Iron counties. The band has approximately 6,000 members, of whom 1,411 lived on the reservation during the 2000 census. Most people live in one of four towns: Odanah, Old Odanah, Birch Hill, or Frank's Field. Odanah, the administrative and cultural center, is located five miles (8 km) east of the town of Ashland on U.S. Highway 2. Over 90% of the reservation is wilderness.	169
13	# Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan The Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC), known in Ojibwe as Gnoozhekaaning or Place of the Pike, is an Indian reservation forming the land base of one of the many Sault Ste. Marie bands of Chippewa Indians. (Not to be confused with the "Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians" located in Sault Ste. Marie, MI). The largest section of the reservation is located in Chippewa County, Michigan, approximately 15 miles (25 km) west-southwest of Sault Ste. Marie, in Bay Mills Township and Superior Township. A smaller section lies southeast of Sault Ste. Marie in western Sugar Island Township.	133
14	# Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, California The Mattole, including the Bear River Indians, are a group of Native Americans traditionally living on the Mattole and Bear rivers in the vicinity of Cape Mendocino, within the present Humboldt County, California.	89
15	# Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California The Berry Creek Rancheria of Tyme Maidu Indians are a Native American people inhabiting a northeastern part California, south of Lassen Peak.	109
16	# Big Lagoon Rancheria, California The Big Lagoon Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Yurok and Tolowa Indians. They are located in Humboldt County, California, and their tribal headquarters are is in Arcata, California.	95
17	# Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California The Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation are a federally recognized tribe of Mono and Timbisha Indians in California.	93
18	# Big Sandy Rancheria of Mono Indians of California The Big Sandy Rancheria of the Western Mono tribe (Monache) is located in Fresno County, California.	116
19	# Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, California The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Pomo and Pit River Indians, with a reservation located in Lake County, California, near the town of Finley. They conduct tribal business from Lakeport, California.	93
20	# Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana The Piegan Blackfeet (Aamsskáápipikani (Southern Pikáni/Piegan) or simply as Pikáni in Blackfoot) are a tribe of Native Americans based in Montana. Many members of the tribe currently live as part of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, with population centered in Browning. According to the 1990 US census, there are 32,234 Blackfeet.	107