Three Affiliated Tribes Tribal Council

Three Affiliated Tribes Tribal Council
Name	Three Affiliated Tribes Tribal Council
Formed	1936
Jurisdiction	Fort Berthold Indian Reservation
Headquarters	New Town, North Dakota
Chief title	Chairman

Three Affiliated Tribes Tribal Council is the elected governing body of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The council administers tribal affairs for communities including New Town, Mandaree, Twin Buttes, and Elbowoods, overseeing programs that intersect with agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and United States Army Corps of Engineers. The council's activities engage regional actors like the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, U.S. Congress members, federal courts, and nonprofit organizations including the Native American Rights Fund, American Indian College Fund, and National Congress of American Indians.

History

The tribal council emerged from legal and political developments following the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and the subsequent implementation of constitutions under the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Early leaders navigated issues stemming from the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851), the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, and allotment policies under the Dawes Act and the Nelson Act that reshaped land tenure for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara peoples. Mid-20th century projects such as the Garrison Dam construction and the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program caused large-scale displacement, prompting litigation and negotiation with administrations including those of Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and later Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Landmark legal actions reached federal tribunals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, while policy advocacy involved organizations such as the Indian Claims Commission and the Department of Justice (United States). Tribal leaders worked with figures from the National Congress of American Indians and litigators from the Native American Rights Fund to address compensation, relocation, and cultural preservation tied to sites like Fort Berthold, Mandan villages, and sacred landscapes along the Missouri River.

Governance and Structure

The council operates under a constitution and bylaws modeled on frameworks promoted by the Indian Reorganization Act era, although subsequent amendments reflect tribal sovereignty affirmed in decisions such as Worcester v. Georgia and doctrines articulated in United States v. Washington. Institutional offices include an elected Chairman, Vice Chairman, tribal secretary, treasurer, and district representatives from ancestral communities. Committees cover areas that engage with federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, and the Department of Energy. The council coordinates with legal advisors who reference precedents from the Supreme Court of the United States and statutes such as the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Administrative functions interface with regional entities like the Fort Berthold Community College, tribal enterprises that align with portfolio models used by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Navajo Nation.

Membership and Representation

Membership criteria reflect tribal citizenship defined by blood quantum provisions, lineal descent records, and enrollment systems maintained with documentation such as census rolls and tribal roll updates comparable to the Dawes Rolls in administrative practice. Representatives come from electoral districts corresponding to historic village areas—Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara communities—and coordinate with tribal councils from neighboring nations including the Crow Tribe of Montana and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on intertribal initiatives. Representation involves collaboration with advocacy networks like the National Indian Education Association, philanthropic partners such as the Bush Foundation, and academic researchers at institutions including University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, and the University of Minnesota.

Powers and Responsibilities

The council exercises civil regulatory authority over land use within reservation boundaries influenced by federal statutes including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act where applicable, natural resource policies tied to the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and energy development statutes administered in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Responsibilities encompass health services administered with the Indian Health Service, housing programs utilizing frameworks like the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development tribal initiatives, and education programs coordinated with the Bureau of Indian Education. The council enforces ordinances, issues permits for resource extraction aligned with leases reviewed by the Minerals Management Service (now Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement) and negotiates compacts with state actors including the State of North Dakota and county governments such as Mountrail County and McLean County.

Political and Economic Initiatives

Economic strategy includes management of tribal enterprises in energy sectors tied to the Bakken Formation and partnerships with corporations comparable to agreements seen with major firms in the Petroleum industry; revenue streams are affected by litigation and settlements analogous to claims resolved before the Indian Claims Commission and federal compensation negotiated with agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Political initiatives have involved voter engagement campaigns similar to efforts by the League of Women Voters and alliances with national advocacy groups like Native American Rights Fund and National Congress of American Indians to influence federal appropriations via the United States Congress and executive policy through administrations including Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Development projects coordinate with funders such as the Economic Development Administration and philanthropy like the Ford Foundation and address infrastructure investments modeled on Tribal Energy Program grants administered by the Department of Energy.

Relations with Federal, State, and Local Governments

The council maintains government-to-government relationships governed by doctrines articulated in landmark cases such as Worcester v. Georgia and statutes like the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Interactions include compact negotiations with the State of North Dakota, litigation before federal courts including the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, and resource management coordination with federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Army Corps of Engineers. Collaborative programs link the council with the North Dakota Department of Human Services, Mountrail County Commission, tribal nonprofit partners like the Native American Community Development Corporation, and regional organizations including the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association to address cross-jurisdictional issues spanning cultural protection, water rights, and infrastructure.

Category:Native American tribal governments