Missing

Abstract

Native American tribes have a unique status in American law, and Native organizations increasingly assert their rights in a variety of areas from adoption to fishing to gambling. State, local, and federal officials must work with these groups to resolve the conflicts that inevitably arise. Yet the public administration literature almost completely ignores the topic of Native American governance. This article begins by documenting that absence, speculates on why the topic is missing, then goes on to identify five reasons the topic should be included: to assist U.S. public administrators, to serve Native American constituents, to assist Native American administrators, to ensure that research on Natives is done ethically, and to enrich public administration theory. Finally, the author argues for adopting a culturally sensitive approach using examples from education and public administration of how this might be done.