Tribes Services
EPA provides three tribal data services to make it easy to comply with the Tribal Identifier Data Standard:
- Tribes Names Service is the EPA tribal web serviceSoftware system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network. It may use one of several technologies, including SOAP and REST. for non-geospatial systems. It automatically maintains accurate and current tribal information like current tribal names, BIA codes, EPA Internal Identifiers, and associated EPA regions.
- Guidance for Using Tribal Boundaries, Areas and Names Resources explains the EPA tribal web service Software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network. It may use one of several technologies, including SOAP and REST. for geospatial systems. It includes geospatial data, current tribal names, BIA codes, and EPA Internal Identifiers.
- Tribe Entity Mapping Spreadsheet (xlsx) is an Excel document that contains current and historic tribal data including tribal names, BIA codes, EPA Internal Identifiers, associated EPA regions, and lead EPA regions.
Data provided by these services are regularly updated. Tribal names are obtained from Department of the Interior' Bureau of Indian Affairs’ official list of federally recognized tribes that is published at least annually in the Government Publishing Office Federal Register The official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. Access the FR online (https://www.govinfo.gov/).. The Tribes Services apply a unique EPA Internal Identifier to each tribe. This ensures the correct identification of tribal partners and can be used to identify name changes over time. EPA Internal Identifiers are more reliable and available than the standard BIA codes, which are not currently provided for all tribes including Alaska Native entities and some American Indian entities.
Federal Register Notices of Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs:
- Feb 2026: Federal Register Notice announcing the list of Federally Recognized Tribes as published in the Federal Register . (Posted Feb 2, 2026)
- Jan 2025: Federal Acknowledgment of American Indian Tribes.
- Jan 2024: Federal Register Notice announcing the list of Federally Recognized Tribes as published in the Federal Register .
- Jan 2023: Federal Register Notice announcing the list of Federally Recognized Tribes as published in the Federal Register .
- Jan 2022: Federal Register Notice announcing the list of Federally Recognized Tribes as published in the Federal Register .
- Jan 2021: Federal Register Notice announcing the list of Federally Recognized Tribes as published in the Federal Register .
- Jan 2020: Federal Register Notice announcing the list of Federally Recognized Tribes as published in the Federal Register.
Additional Federal Register Notices announcing updates to the list of Federally Recognized Tribes.