American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is one of the most important institutions in contemporary Native American affairs. During most of the present century BIA officials have had direct administrative control over most local reservation institutions such as education, law enforcement, resource management and others. Historically, reservation tribal governments have had little decision-making power over goals and policies that affect their people. The primary task of this paper is to evaluate the effect of several reform movements that challenged BIA domination over Native American reservation communities during the seventies. An examination is made of the impact of local reservation groups, administrative organizations and legislative changes on the structure and functions of the BIA. Attempts to gain control of reservation institutions by reservation groups and reorganization efforts from within the executive branch have failed to force the BIA to relinquish its bureaucratic domination over reservation communities. The most effective means for forcing change on the BIA came from congressional legislation in the form of the Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. Even this reform could not break the continued domination of BIA bureaucracy over local reservation institutions, since the Act was weakened both by the absence of sufficient financial and organizational resources among tribal governments and by bureaucratic opposition that developed in the area offices. A primary factor underlying BIA resistance to organizational change appears to be the area directors’ bureaucratic autonomy and power, which enables them to consolidate tribal political support and block reforms of BIA structure that threaten their control over organizational resources.