Explainer: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) closing facilities without meaningful Tribal consultation
Kennedy Satterfield
Summary
National Archives public research facilities in Chicago and the Bay Area are set to close as soon as Oct. 1, raising concerns about where records will be stored and when they will be accessible again. According to a leaked interagency email cited by news outlets, it could take roughly two years for some records to become available again to Tribal leaders, officials, researchers and the general public.
Why it matters for Tribal Nations
Tribal officials, historians and archivists rely on federal records housed at these facilities, many of which are not digitized and can be accessed only in person. The records include materials related to Tribal enrollment rolls, Indian trust funds, the federal Indian boarding school era and hundreds of thousands of Bureau of Indian Affairs records spanning nearly two centuries.
The closures could make court records, firsthand testimonies, Indigenous language materials, genealogies, maps, photos and other documents more difficult to access, particularly if they are moved far from the communities that rely on them.
Federal law and National Archives and Records Administration regulations require agencies to preserve permanent federal records and maintain public access to them. NARA regulations, including 36 C.F.R. Parts 1232, 1234, 1235 and 1256, outline requirements for storing, transferring and providing access to records. But Tribal Nations and advocates say NARA has not publicly shared a concrete plan for continued access to records affected by the closures.
What Tribal Nations are saying
Tribal historic preservation officers, scholars and coalitions have raised concerns about the closures, the movement of records and the lack of Tribal consultation. They have urged NARA not to move forward until it holds meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations on preservation, digitization and continued access.
Some Tribal leaders and advocates have said the process violates the federal government’s trust responsibility and nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes. Others are calling for more transparency, congressional intervention and possible legal action.
What's next
Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation that would block the closure of National Archives facilities and require more information from NARA. Supporters of the bill say the archives must remain accessible to the communities, researchers and governments that rely on them.
Despite calls for Tribal consultation, advocates say no consultation has been scheduled or held, and no public access plan has been released.
Follow H.R. 10131 in TNPI’s congressional bill tracker.