Indian Affairs is consulting Tribes on a records schedule that would make many permanent records temporary. Adoption and ICWA files, trust accounting records, and murder case files would become just some of the records eligible for destruction after 50 years; school and other program records would be destroyed after 15 to 25. Because the clocks run from cutoff, decades-old records could qualify upon approval. Indian Affairs hasn’t released the crosswalk or inventories Tribes need to see what’s affected. NARA had published a report in 2024 urging modernization, not these periods. Consultations will occur on the dates below, and comments are due November 30 at consultation@bia.gov.
Online Consultation Schedule
Register for the online consultations here:
- October 26, 2026, from 12 to 2 p.m. Eastern
- October 27, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. Central
- October 28, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. Mountain
- October 29, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. Pacific
Written comments are due November 30, 2026, at consultation@bia.gov.
NARA is separately holding Tribal listening sessions on the Chicago and San Francisco closures on October 13 at 2 p.m. Eastern and October 15 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Register by sending an email to tribalconsultation@nara.gov with the meeting date you plan to attend to receive the virtual meeting connection information.
Resources
- Indian Affairs consultation page for Records Schedule Changes
- Proposed Indian Affairs Records Schedule
- Dear Tribal Leader Letter
- NARA’s 2024 Indian Affairs records inspection
- Current Indian Affairs Records Schedule
- NARA researcher updates on facility closures, records relocation, and Tribal listening sessions
- Cobell v. Babbitt, 91 F. Supp. 2d 1 (D.D.C. 1999)
- Cobell v. Norton, 240 F.3d 1081 (D.C. Cir. 2001)
- 25 U.S.C. § 162a
- 25 U.S.C. § 1951
- 25 C.F.R. § 23.71
- 44 U.S.C. § 3303a
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