Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA)

Our Mission

The Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs (AS-IA) of the Department of the Interior implements Part 83 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (25 CFR Part 83), Procedures for Federal Acknowledgment of Indian Tribes. The acknowledgment process is the Department’s administrative process by which petitioning groups that meet the criteria are given Federal "acknowledgment" as Indian Tribes and by which they become eligible to receive services provided to members of Indian Tribes. OFA also assists AS-IA with meeting other departmental missions.

Coming Soon - New Digital Petition Portal

OFA is preparing to launch a user-friendly portal that will allow petitioners to conveniently submit their petitions for Federal Acknowledgment under the 25 CFR Part 83 process.

Soon, groups seeking Federal Acknowledgment will be able to submit their petitions directly through a new digital portal accessible on this OFA website.

Using the portal, you will be able to:

Avoid shipping costs
Submit petition documents securely and efficiently
Receive prompt confirmation when petition documents are received
Easily upload additional documents as needed

While the portal will not replace existing submission methods, it will provide a more convenient, efficient, secure, and streamlined option for submitting petitions.