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816 Chapter 4:Working with families • Section 7: Tribal programs (07/2026) Tribal TANF Programs Introduction Under current federal law, tribes are granted the authority to establish and operate programs specifically for their enrolled members. This allows for services to be offered in a culturally specific manner. Tribes are afforded considerable discretion in designating both their service areas and service populations. Oregon’s tribes There are nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon, including: • Burns Paiute Tribe • Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians • Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde • Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians • Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation • Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs • Coquille Indian Tribe • Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and • Klamath Tribes. There is also federal recognition that the Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation has recognized land based in Oregon, but the tribe operates out of California. Tribal recognition is determined by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. Each tribe operates as a sovereign nation and chooses how to work with its enrolled members. Tribal TANF Through the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), tribes are granted the authority to offer a tribal TANF program. This authority is similar to the authority granted to states, in that tribes are allowed to determine their own TANF eligibility criteria, benefit standards, program services and sanctions. Unlike states, tribes have the option to implement or not implement TANF programs. In Oregon, there are currently two tribes operating their own Tribal TANF programs. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians implemented their TANF program in October 1997 while the Klamath Tribes implemented their TANF program in July 1997. The TANF service areas and service populations of these tribes are: • Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Service area – Benton, Clackamas, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington