The United States has a unique legal and political relationship
with Indian tribes and a special relationship with Alaska Native
entities as provided in the Constitution of the United States,
treaties, and federal statutes. These relationships extend to
the federal government’s historic preservation activities,
mandating that federal consultation with Native American tribes
be meaningful, in good faith, and entered into on a government-
to-government basis. On September 23, 2004, President George W.
Bush issued Executive Memorandum Government-to-Government
Relationship with Tribal Governments recommitting the federal
government to work with federally-recognized Native American
tribal governments on a government-to-government basis and
strongly supporting and respecting tribal sovereignty and self-
determination. Mandates for the federal government’s unique
policies and relationship with Native American tribal
governments are also codified in several Executive Orders:
Executive Order 13007 Indian Sacred Sites, i