Indian Commission
Seal of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
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Flag of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | March 11, 1824 |
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| Jurisdiction | Federal Government of the United States |
| Headquarters | 1849 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240 |
| Employees | 8,700 (FY08) |
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| Parent agency | United States Department of the Interior |
| Website | www.BIA.gov |
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of 55,700,000 acres (225,000 km2) of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American Tribes and Alaska Natives.
The BIA is one of two bureaus under the jurisdiction of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs: the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, which provides education services to approximately 48,000 Native Americans.
The BIA’s responsibilities include providing health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. In 1954 that function was transferred to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now known as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and it is now known as the Indian Health Service.
Located in Washington, D.C., the BIA is headed by a bureau director who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. The current director is Michael S. Black. The current assistant secretary (acting) is Lawrence S. Roberts, an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. On January 1, 2016, Roberts succeeded Kevin K. Washburn, an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, who served from October 9, 2012, to December 31, 2015.
The BIA oversees 567 federally recognized tribes through 4 offices:
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