Indian Affairs

The Office of Indian Affairs seeks to enhance the individual and collective communities of indigenous people in Louisiana by serving as a resource and referral agent for Louisiana Native Americans and tribes seeking assistance navigating local, state, and national policies. One of the Office of Indian Affairs' main duties is to be responsible for identifying the needs and solutions to seven areas of focus: economic development, education, healthcare, infrastructure, workforce development, broadband, and disaster response and recovery. The office focuses on program initiatives to address these ongoing issues while, in the same breath, promoting awareness of our tribal communities in this state and its unique culture. The Office of Indian Affairs also serves as a pass through to provide funding to various local entities in Avoyelles Parish for infrastructure and awards scholarships to Native American students.

Click here for a full list of Louisiana's federally and state recognized tribes.

Office of Indian Affairs Native American Commission

The commission’s purpose is to advise the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs regarding issues pertaining to Native Americans, identify the needs and concerns of the Native Americans in Louisiana, establish criteria for state tribe recognition and recommend criteria to the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs and the legislature for adoption and implementation, review applications for the Office of Indian Affairs Scholarship and recommend scholarship awardees to the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs, promote Native American culture, awareness, and education across the state, promote Native American Heritage Month in Louisiana and conduct a comprehensive review of all state departments and agencies to identify obstacles to the effective delivery of governmental services by all service providers at all levels of government to Native Americans, propose methods for removing those obstacles, and submit such proposals to the appropriate governmental entity or entities.

2022-2024 Native American Commission Officers:
Chairman: Chairman Thomas Rivers, Choctaw-Apache Trube of Ebarb

Vice Chairman: Chief Devon Parfait, Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw

Secretary: Debbie Garrett, Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana

Office of Indian Affairs Scholarship

With assistance from the Louisiana Indian Educational Association, the Office of Indian Affairs annually provides awards to Native American students from Louisiana tribes to attend a college or higher education institution of their choice. The awards are funded through proceeds received from the renewal and sale of special prestige license plates for motor vehicles representing Native American culture in accordance with RS 47:463:78. Recipients are selected based on academic and financial need.

Scholarship Applications are now closed.

Click here for additional information on how to obtain the American Indian special plate.

Constituent Services

The Office of Indian Affairs serves as a resource for individual constituent and agency inquiries regarding a myriad of issues facing Louisiana Native Americans including sovereignty of federal tribes, connecting state agencies, federal agencies and individuals with tribes, custody issues relating to Native American children, as well as directing Native Americans to appropriate state agencies as needed.

Regional Map

Region 3:

Bayou Lafourche Band – Lafourche Parish
Chitimacha Tribe – St. Mary Parish
Grand Caillou/Dulac Band – Terrebonne Parish
Jean Charles Choctaw Nation – Terrebonne Parish
Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe – Terrebonne Parish
United Houma Nation – Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Mary, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard. Parishes

Region 5: