USC Subchapter I

in effect

25 U.S.C. § 2401 Congressional findings

The Congress finds and declares that— (1) the Federal Government has a historical relationship and unique legal and moral responsibility to Indian tribes and their members, (2) included in this responsibility is the treaty, statutory, and historical obligation to assist the Indian tribes in meeting the health and social needs of their members, (3) alcoholism and alcohol and substance abuse is the most severe health and social problem facing Indian tribes and people today and nothing is more costly to Indian people than the consequences of alcohol and substance abuse measured in physical, mental, social, and economic terms, (4) alcohol and substance abuse is the leading generic risk factor among Indians, and Indians die from alcoholism at over 4 times the age-adjusted rates for the United States population and alcohol and substance misuse results in a rate of years of potential life lost nearly 5 times that of the United States, (5) 4 of the top 10 causes of death among Indians are alcohol and drug related injuries (18 percent of all deaths), chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (5 percent), suicide (3 percent), and homicide (3 percent), (6) primarily because deaths from unintentional injuries and violence occur disproportionately among young people, the age-specific death rate for Indians is approximately double the United States rate for the 15 to 45 age group, (7) Indians between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age are more than 2 times as likely to commit suicide as the general population and approximately 80 percent of those suicides are alcohol-related, (8) Indians between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age are twice as likely as the general population to die in automobile accidents, 75 percent of which are alcohol-related, (9) the Indian Health Service, which is charged with treatment and rehabilitation efforts, has directed only 1 percent of its budget for alcohol and substance abuse problems, (10) the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which has responsibility for programs in education, social services, law enforcement, and other areas, has assumed little responsibility for coordinating its various efforts to focus on the epidemic of alcohol and substance abuse among Indian people, (11) this lack of emphasis and priority continues despite the fact that Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service officials publicly acknowledge that alcohol and substance abuse among Indians is the most serious health and social problem facing the Indian people, and (12) the Indian tribes have the primary responsibility for protecting and ensuring the well-being of their members and the resources made available under this chapter will assist Indian tribes in meeting that responsibility.

25 U.S.C. § 2402 Purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter to— (1) authorize and develop a comprehensive, coordinated attack upon the illegal narcotics traffic in Indian country and the deleterious impact of alcohol and substance abuse upon Indian tribes and their members, (2) provide needed direction and guidance to those Federal agencies responsible for Indian programs to identify and focus existing programs and resources, including those made available by this chapter, upon this problem, (3) provide authority and opportunities for Indian tribes to develop and implement a coordinated program for the prevention and treatment of alcohol and substance abuse at the local level, and (4) to 11 So in original. modify or supplement existing programs and authorities in the areas of education, family and social services, law enforcement and judicial services, and health services to further the purposes of this chapter.

25 U.S.C. § 2403 Definitions

For purposes of this chapter— (1) The term “agency” means the local administrative entity of the Bureau of Indian Affairs serving one or more Indian tribes within a defined geographic area. (2) The term “youth” shall have the meaning given it in any particular Tribal Action Plan adopted pursuant to section 2411 of this title, except that, for purposes of statistical reporting under this chapter, it shall mean a person who is 19 years or younger or who is in attendance at a secondary school. (3) The term “Indian tribe” means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians (including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)) which is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. (4) The term “prevention and treatment” includes, as appropriate—(A) efforts to identify, and the identification of, Indians who are at risk with respect to, or who are abusers of, alcohol or controlled substances, (B) intervention into cases of on-going alcohol and substance abuse to halt a further progression of such abuse, (C) prevention through education and the provision of alternative activities, (D) treatment for alcohol and substance abusers to help abstain from, and alleviate the effects of, abuse, (E) rehabilitation to provide on-going assistance, either on an inpatient or outpatient basis, to help Indians reform or abstain from alcohol or substance abuse, (F) follow-up or after-care to provide the appropriate counseling and assistance on an outpatient basis, and (G) referral to other sources of assistance or resources. (5) The term “service unit” means an administrative entity within the Indian Health Service or a tribe or tribal organization operating health care programs or facilities with funds from the Indian Health Service under the Indian Self-Determination Act [25 U.S.C. 5321 et seq.] through which the services are provided, directly or by contract, to the eligible Indian population within a defined geographic area. (6) The terms “Urban Indian”, “Urban Center”, and “Urban Indian Organization” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 1603 of this title.