Self Determination Case Study

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The enactment of P.L. 93-638, the Indian Self Determination Education and Assistance Act of 1975, and subsequent amendments, allows Indian tribes of our country to have the authority to enter into contracts with the Federal government which give the tribes the opportunity to take over the responsibility to operate and administer programs serving their tribal members. The ramifications of this authority interests me, as a student and member or the Native American community, in the sense that the legislation governing this arrangement puts all tribes, including mine in a better position to manage the programs and control the affairs directly related to their tribal members. Since the tribes do not have the infrastructure or manpower to readily …show more content…
There is a major portion of the health care funding which is still available for the Self-Determination process. I would like to contribute to the Native American community nationally as well as locally by becoming a valuable asset to the tribes in this Self-Determination process in terms of providing guidance and professionalism helpful to the tribes in assessing their business options.
The Health and Human Services (HHS) has historically provided the services and operated the programs for the tribes and currently negotiate the contract with an aspiring Self-Determination tribe. These tribes are in a unique government to government relationship with the Federal government. Through this relationship a tribe can assume the funding through the HHS to operate their own health program. They can also negotiate a separate contract with Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). If they choose not to take advantage of Self-Determination, the government retains the funding and administers the health programs for the