Native American Consultation

Native American Consultation

The Arkansas Department of Transportation, through the Federal Highway Administration, consults with federally recognized Indian tribes for their input on highway projects that might affect archeological or historic places of religious and cultural significance to the Indian tribe. Tribes native to Arkansas include the Quapaw, the Caddo, the Osage, and the Tunica.  Other Indian tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Shawnee, Delaware, and Muscogee), whose ancestral homelands were located farther to the east, were also known to have briefly occupied parts of the State during the 19th century.  Depending on the needs of the various tribes and the complexity of the project involved, consultation can include letters, phone conversations, and on-site field trips. Consultation may result in the development of a Memorandum of Agreement tailored to address the concerns of the Indian tribes.