Wabanaki Timeline
What does it mean to be federally recognized?
A tribe that has been Federally Recognized has gone through the long, complicated and expensive process of petitioning, or asking, the Federal government to recognize, or accept, their American Indian group as a "tribe." Native groups petitioning the US Government to be federally recognized must meet certain criteria, or conditions, through documentation and evidence—such as tribal census information and state or federal records. For some tribes, the process of petitioning lasts years and many tribes' petitions are not accepted.
Learn more about federal recognition and Wabanaki sovereignty >
Through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federally Recognized tribes have access to a range of federal services in education, social services, law enforcement, health services and resource protection. Federally recognized tribes do not receive a monthly check from the US Government because of their status as Indians. There is no basis for this belief other than misinformation and misconception of the status of American Indians. Some tribes give out payments to their members when there is income from the sale of tribal assets such as timber or oil and gas. This is a decision made by each tribe's government, not the federal government.