National Congress of the American Indian

http://www.ncai.org/

The NCAI (National Congress of the American Indian) is an organisation in the United States which advocates and promotes the "broad interests of tribal governments and communities", and is well known as the oldest and largest representative American Indian establishment, founded in 1944.

 Its main aims are illustrated throughout the website; the NCAI clearly show they wish to protect and advance the tribal rights already existing and attempt to improve the future of Native American people. Over the past half century, the Supreme Court, Congress, United States Presidents, and hundreds of treaties have repeatedly reaffirmed that Indian Nations retain their basic powers of self-government; thus differentiating themselves from other Americans.

The groups for which the NCAI claim to represent are in themselves quite diverse, from American Indians to Alaskan Natives and their tribal governments, tribal citizens and individuals. In relation to their "identity" as separate from other Americans, it is made clear that the NCAI want to encourage others in learning about the American Indian culture and different way of life in comparison to other Americans. The NCAI is engaged in a wide range of policies, some of which are singularly involved in the welfare of Native peoples, tribal governments, and nations. However, in many other instances, tribal governments are important policymakers in partnership with the federal and state governments. Similarly, one of their main aims is to " educate the public toward a better understanding of Indian and Alaska Native tribes. " therefore revealing how they still wish to identify in some way with Americans but above all else see their "identity" as separate and individual to their "nation."