A letter of intent to petition is no longer required or accepted under the current regulations. Instead, there are four (4) elements required for a documented petition to be considered complete. Incomplete petitions will not be evaluated. Until a group submits a complete documented petition to OFA, the group will not be considered a petitioner.
The following excerpt from 25 CFR Part 83 details the four (4) required elements:
(1) a certification of the petition signed and dated by the governing body;
(2) a concise written narrative with citations to supporting documentation, thoroughly explaining how the petitioner meets the criteria listed in §83.11, with the exception of criterion § 83.11(g);
(3) supporting documentation cited in the narrative; and
(4) an official current membership list, separately certified by the governing body, each available former membership list, and a statement describing the preparation of each list, insofar as possible.
The following resources can assist you with preparing your complete documented petition:
- Documented Petition Description with a Suggested Outline for Concise Written Narrative (.pdf)
- Resource 1 for Redacting Information Protectable under Federal law
- Resource 2 for Redacting Information Protectable under Federal law
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