Tribal Consultation
Section 106 requires agencies to consult with federally recognized Indian Tribes for projects that may affect historic properties on tribal lands or may affect historic properties to which Indian tribes attach religious and cultural significance. Although there are currently no federally recognized tribes in Maryland, Indian tribes who reside outside the state may still attach importance to historic properties located in Maryland.
The Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs serves as the official statewide agency for Native Americans and is a good source for information and contacts on Maryland Indians. Maryland has three state recognized tribes: the Piscataway Indian Nation, the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, and the Accohannock Indian Tribe. Consultation with the MCIA and the state recognized tribes falls under the umbrella of "additional consulting parties" [36 CFR 800.2(5)], and is treated in the same way that an agency would consult with a local government, historical society, community organization, etc. Agencies should consult with the state-recognized tribes, if relevant to their areas of interest, and with the MCIA – as these are all official organizations.
Resources on Federal Tribal Consultation
- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP): Offers useful guidance on consultation with indian tribes.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Tribal Directory Assistance Tool (TDAT): Contains contact information for federally recognized Indian tribes and their geographic areas of current and ancestral interest at the county level.
- Department of the Interior's Tribal Leaders Directory: Provides a tribes' name, address, phone, and fax number for each of the 566 Federally-recognized Tribes.
- National Park Service Native American Consultation Database: Database searchable by tribal name, state name, county name, etc.
- National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers: Note, there are currently no THPOs in MD.
- Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs