Alabama Indian Affairs Commission

The Alabama Indian Affairs Commission was created by Legislative Act in 1984. Recognizing the unique cultural and sociological needs of Alabama's "invisible minority", the Legislature specifically charged the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission to" ... deal fairly and effectively with Indian affairs; to bring local, state, federal resources into focus ... for Indian citizens of the State of Alabama; to provide aid .. . assist Indian Communities ... promote recognition of the right of lndians to pursue cultural and religious traditions ... ". According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word invisible means "unable to be seen; not visible to the eye" and the definition of minority is "the smaller part of a group; less than half of the people or things in a large group". American Indians are a significant population group who are often "marginalized" in certain contexts. However, they do represent a small group that is important enough to have an influence on certain matters. Noting that charge for action, the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission is placed in a liaison/ advocacy role between the various departments of governments and the Indian people of our tribal communities. The Commission stands alone to represent Indian people of Alabama who wish to stand together with their fellow citizens while maintaining their own cultural and ethnic heritage.