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Article
United States of America
The Indigenous World
(2013)
Abstract
According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 5.2 million people in the U.S., or 1.7% of the total population, identified as Native American or Alaska Native in combination with another ethnic identity in
2010. About 2.9 million, or 0.9% of the population, identified themselves only as American Indian or Alaska Native. There are currently around 365 federally recognized tribes in the United States, and most of these have
recognized national home-lands. Almost 80% of those identifying as American Indians or Alaska Natives live outside Native areas, many in large cities.
The government has treaty and trust obligations toward indigenous nations, stemming from individual treaties, federal Indian law, and the Alaska Native Settlement Act. They are under the tutelage of the state,
which acts as their guardian. Separate federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service, are responsible for the implementation of the federal government’s responsibilities.
The United States has not ratified ILO Convention 169. The United States announced in 2010 that it would support the UNDRIP after voting against it in 2007. This support is limited, however, to a moral acknowledgment
Disciplines
Publication Date
2013
Publisher Statement
2013 IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Posted with permission.
The Spanish version is available here:https://www.iwgia.org/images/documentos/indigenous-world-esp/mundo-indigena-2013.pdf
Citation Information
Sebastian Braun. "United States of America" The Indigenous World (2013) p. 54 - 63 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/sebastian-braun/16/