History of the Relationship between the U.S. Government and American Indian Tribes (1780-04)

This course provides a brief overview of the legal and political history between the Federal government and Indian Tribes to comply with the respective laws, policy and guidance in managing BLM programs. Topics covered include, Indian-European contact and relationships prior to the establishment of the U.S. and the relevant intervening historic events; the fundamentals of Federal Indian Law and Federal Indian Trust Responsibilities as they pertain to managing agency programs; and lastly, we discuss how to put it all together to be able to work effectively with tribal governments.  

Objective: Given instructional videos, participants will learn the history of Federal-Tribal relations to be able to engage in meaningful dialogue with Indian tribes. 

Target audience: Managers, resource specialists, tribal liaisons, and Native American coordinators.

To begin, choose "Course Outline Guide" from the menu below.
  • Select the video you would like to watch. The course is divided into 11 modules with 1 video per module (transcripts are provided for each video.)
  • The course will take approximately 1 hour to complete. 
Training brought to you by the Cultural Heritage Program.