The Bureau of Indian Affairs will consult tribes on draft regulations that were first proposed nearly 20 years ago, according to notice that will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow.

In 1992, the BIA drafted proposed changes to 25 CFR Part 81 and 25 CFR Part 82. The regulations affect the tribal petition process under the Indian Reorganization Act and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act.

The BIA held four consultation sessions but never implemented the changes. Since then, the draft regulations been updated to reflect tribal comments and to reflect acts of Congress from 1994 and 2004.

The process will start up again with a series of consultation sessions, to be held November 30 - December 2, 2009, in Anchorage Alaska; January 12, 2010, in Brooks, California; January 14, 2010, in Pala, California; January 20, 2010, in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and January 26, 2010, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Relevant Documents:
Tribal Consultation on Draft Revisions to 25 CFR Parts 81 & 82 (To Be Published November 11, 2009)