25 CFR § 83.43 - How will the Assistant Secretary make the determination decision?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t25/s83.43"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "25 CFR § 83.43 - How will the Assistant Secretary make the determination decision?"
title_number: 25
title_name: "Indians"
section_number: "83.43"
section_name: "How will the Assistant Secretary make the determination decision?"
chapter_name: "BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "F"
subchapter_name: "TRIBAL GOVERNMENT"
part_number: "83"
part_name: "PROCEDURES FOR FEDERAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INDIAN TRIBES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 301; 25 U.S.C. 2, 9, 5131; 25 U.S.C. 5130 note (Congressional Findings); and 43 U.S.C. 1457."
regulatory_source: "80 FR 37887, July 1, 2015, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "83"
---


# 83.43 How will the Assistant Secretary make the determination decision?

(a) AS-IA will issue a final determination granting acknowledgment as a federally recognized Indian tribe when AS-IA finds that the petitioner meets the Governing Document (§ 83.11(d)), Descent (§ 83.11(e)), Unique Membership (§ 83.11(f)), and Congressional Termination (§ 83.11(g)) Criteria and:

(1) Demonstrates previous Federal acknowledgment under § 83.12(a) and meets the criteria in § 83.12(b); or

(2) Meets the Indian Entity Identification (§ 83.11(a)), Community (§ 83.11(b)) and Political Authority (§ 83.11(c)) Criteria.

(b) AS-IA will issue a final determination declining acknowledgement as a federally recognized Indian tribe when he/she finds that the petitioner:

(1) In Phase I, does not meet the Governing Document (§ 83.11(d)), Descent (§ 83.11(e)), Unique Membership (§ 83.11(f)), or Congressional Termination (§ 83.11(g)) Criteria: or

(2) In Phase II, does not:

(i) Demonstrate previous Federal acknowledgment under § 83.12(a) and meet the criteria in § 83.12(b); or

(ii) Meet the Indian Entity Identification (§ 83.11(a)), Community (§ 83.11(b)) and Political Authority (§ 83.11(c)) Criteria.