Indian Education

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The Indian Education department at the Idaho Department of Education works with Idaho’s tribes and educational stakeholders to give every American Indian student the opportunity to learn and achieve academic success. Our mission is to maintain the unique status of American Indians, preserve their cultural identity, and raise cultural awareness.

Indian Education Summit

The 2026 Indian Education Summit will run June 11-12 at the Idaho State University campus in Pocatello, Idaho! See the Indian Education Summit page for more details.

Indian Education Goals

Increase communication among the Idaho Department of Education, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and Tribal Education Agencies (TEAs) regarding policies, procedures, and financial regulations for American Indian education.
Assist in removing educational barriers for the American Indian population.
Expand best practices in teacher preparation and professional development that support American Indian students.
Continue activities that strengthen the relationships and advance communication between the Idaho Department of Education, American Indian Tribes, State Board of Education, and colleges and universities.
Provide timely and relevant information on American Indian education through technical assistance, guidance, and support to Idaho’s educators, schools, districts, students, parents, business leaders, and the community.

Vision

The Indian Education department is committed to increasing equitable educational opportunities, relevant learning environments, and high-quality teaching to create learning atmospheres where all American Indian students achieve educational success.

Helpful Information

To access resources, click the appropriate + sign below.

Curriculum

Frequently Asked Questions

General Program Questions

How many tribes are in Idaho?

Many tribes call Idaho home. However, Idaho has five federally recognized tribes who retain ancestral homelands.

Coeur d’ Alene Tribe, Plummer
Kootenai Tribe, Bonners Ferry
Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Fort Hall
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, Owyhee, Nevada (The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes straddle the Nevada and Idaho borders.)

What is tribal sovereignty?

Tribal sovereignty refers to tribes’ inherent and full legal right to govern themselves, define their own membership, manage tribal property, and regulate tribal business and domestic relations; it further recognizes the existence of a government-to-government relationship between such tribes and the federal government. No outside source is needed to legitimate their powers or actions. Each tribe exercises its own tribal sovereignty (TLC).

What is the federal Indian trust responsibility?

The federal Indian trust responsibility is a legal obligation under which the United States “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Indian tribes. It is also a legally enforceable fiduciary obligation on the part of the United States to protect tribal treaty rights, lands, assets, and resources, as well as a duty to carry out the mandates of federal law with respect to American Indians. In several cases discussing the trust responsibility, the Supreme Court has used language suggesting that it entails legal duties, moral obligations, and the fulfillment of understandings and expectations that have arisen over the entire course of the relationship between the United States and the federally recognized tribes (BIA).

What is meant by tribal self-determination and self-governance?

Congress has recognized the right of tribes to have a greater say over the development and implementation of federal programs and policies that directly impact them and their tribal members. It did so by enacting two major pieces of legislation that together embodies the important concepts of tribal self-determination and self-governance. Through these laws, Congress accorded tribal governments the authority to administer themselves the programs and services usually administered by the BIA for their tribal members. It also upheld the principle of tribal consultation, whereby the federal government consults with tribes on federal actions, policies, rules or regulations that will directly affect them (BIA).

How many federally recognized tribes are in the United States?

There are 567 sovereign tribes; they are also referred to as nations, bands, pueblos, communities, and villages. There are 334 reservations located across 35 states, not all tribes have a reservation (NCAI).

Native American or Native Indian?

American Indian generally refers to Indigenous tribes of the continental United States. The term Native Americans refers to all native peoples (NCAI). The most appropriate term is to use is the tribe’s name.

Johnson O’Malley (JOM) Program

How can Johnson O'Malley Funds be used?

There are different types of programs that school districts and tribal contractors can operate. These programs should be created based on the needs of the eligible Indian students. Eligibility is determined by a needs assessment that the parent committee and/or the contractor conduct. The amount of Johnson-O’Malley funds available to the contractor will determine which programs can be reasonably and successfully implemented.

Johnson-O’Malley funds are used to support existing programs (supplemental) and are not used to replace programs provided by another funding resource (supplanting).

Supplemental Programs

These are programs that support existing programs or are adding to existing programs in the public schools.

Supplanting Programs

Supplanting means creating programs using Johnson-O’Malley funds that the school should already be providing from their regular budget. Johnson-O’Malley funds cannot be used to replace funds that should be provided for existing programs. Supplanting is not legal in Johnson-O’Malley programs.

What are some examples of types of programs using Johnson O'Malley funds?

Examples of types of programs using Johnson O’Malley funds are:

Career Development Counseling — Activities designed to create a greater interest in school that results in scholastic improvement.
Cultural Activities — Funds to enhance educational programs with cultural activities in the form of art, music, literature, history enrichment projects, field trips, and speakers. Local community members are frequently asked to provide direction to the schools in this area.
Head Start/Kindergarten Enrichment — Funds identified for this service are utilized in a variety of ways such as staff, supplies, and equipment. Johnson O’Malley funds are especially appreciated at this level because of the limited resources available.
Home School Coordinator — It is important to have a good relationship between the home and school. The coordinator is employed to help keep with communication efforts.
Indian Education Committee — Funds to assist the Indian Education Committee in carrying out duties.
Parent Committee Activities — Funds budgeted for this activity enable members of the Parent Committee to participate in training and attend educational workshops and provide opportunities to share information with other Johnson-O’Malley programs.
Teacher Aide — Assists teachers with skill reinforcement.
Tutors/Teacher Aides — Tutors provide one to one assistance to students needing special attention.

General Information

Johnson O'Malley (JOM) Program

Johnson O’Malley (JOM) is a federally-funded program that provides supplemental education programs for American Indian students attending public schools. The Idaho Department of Education receives the funds from the federal government and in turn contracts with the public schools within the Nez Perce Tribal boundaries. Schools receive funds based on the number of American Indian students attending each school. The program(s) are overseen by a committee elected from the parents of American Indian students enrolled in the school district. The parent committees are active in the planning and implementing of the JOM program.

Brief History of the Johnson O’Malley Program

In 1934, Hiram W. Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced Bill S2571. Thomas P. O’Malley served as Chairman of the House Committee on Indian Affairs. The JOM Act was passed on April 16, 1934. The JOM Act provided the Secretary of the Interior with the authority to arrange with the states or territories for the education, medical attention, agricultural assistance, and relief of distress and social welfare of the Indians.

Johnson O’Malley Indian Education Program in Idaho

The Idaho Department of Education serves as the contracting agent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for the Johnson O’Malley (JOM) program. Although funding is based on total Indian student count in the district, most supplemental programs serve only a portion of their Indian enrollment. The count is composed of students having a minimum of a quarter (1/4) Indian blood or verified tribal enrollment. The Idaho Department of Education calls for a December 1st student count and student listing. Districts file a JOM Education Plan with the Idaho Department of Education.

The BIA determines a state amount based on the level of funding nationally. At the Idaho Department of Education level, a small amount is retained for administration, and the remaining amount is divided by the total number of Indian students counted and submitted to the Idaho Department of Education to determine a per student amount. During recent years this rate has been in the $80.00 to $90.00 per student range. For a school district to receive JOM funding, the Indian Education Committee set the minimum number of students to be served by the school district at ten (10).

The major goals of the JOM program are to ensure that Indian students are functioning at grade level, that they remain in school through high school graduation, and that they have awareness and pride in their cultural heritage. Most districts combine their JOM funds with Title IX Indian Education grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Both of these programs require a parent committee and both are supplemental. The same parent committee can serve both programs. Planning is done around both sources of funds. The JOM program has helped serve Indian students to better adjust in the public school setting.

Idaho Tribe Resources