Indian Preference
Indian Preference, also known as Indian Preference in hiring, refers to employment policies which aim to increase representation of American Indians within certain workplaces, particularly within organizations dedicated to the welfare of American Indians. Not all federal agencies use Indian Preference. Indian Preference is used by US federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service.{{cite web|url=https://www.bia.gov/jobs/Indian_Preference |title=Indian Preference |publisher=Bureau of Indian Affairs |accessdate=2025-06-07}} Applicants for Indian Preference must be citizens of federally recognized American Indian tribes, or descendants of those tribes who meet specific criteria.{{cite web|url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/indian-preference |title=Indian preference |publisher=EBSCO Information Services |accessdate=2025-06-07}}
History
Indian Preference was first developed during the New Deal period, evolving from the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The intent of Indian Preference was to improve Indian self-government, self-representation, and welfare.{{cite web|url=https://www.ihs.gov/eeo/indianpreference/ |title=Indian Preference |publisher=Indian Health Service |accessdate=2025-06-07}}
The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that Indian Preference is not a form of racial discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as being American Indian is not a race, but a political status.
Federal agencies that use Indian Preference include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, the United States Office of Personnel Management, the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the White House Initiative for American Indian and Alaskan Native Education.{{cite web|url=https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/tribal-consultation/indian-preference/ |title=Indian Preference |publisher=United States Office of Personnel Management |accessdate=2025-06-07}}
See also
References
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External links
- [https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2024/09/09/how-indian-preference-has-been-transformational-for-the-federal-service-and-for-american-indians-and-alaska-natives/ How Indian Preference has been transformational for the federal service and for American Indians and Alaska Natives], London School of Economics
{{Native American rights}}