About the Commission

The Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs (MCIA) was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 1976 to represent and serve the State's American Indian community. As the official statewide agency for American Indians, the Commission initiates and supports a wide range of activities that promote the welfare of Maryland's Indian people and further the understanding of American Indian history and culture. The Commission also operates for the state to provide both a forum for the concerns of Maryland's American Indian communities and a vital liaison between these communities and the State and Federal governments.

The Commission is directed by an Executive Director with offices in the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives in Baltimore, Maryland. Please view the Calendar of Events for more information.

Phone Numbers

• GOCI: 410-767-4159
• MCIA: 410-767-7631
• Executive Director: E. Keith Colston
• Fax: 410-333-7542
• Maryland Relay for the Deaf 1-800-735-2258
  

Duties of the Commission

• To initiate direct projects that further the understanding of American Indian history and culture
• To undertake a comprehensive study of American Indian tribes in Maryland including the Accohannock, Creek, Cherokee, Chippewa, Choptank, Delaware, Haliwa, Lumbee, Nanticoke, Nause-Waiwash, Piscataway, Pocomoke, Potomac, Rappahannock, Seminole, Shawnee, Susquehanna, and Wicomico, and explore their influences upon Maryland history and culture.
• To study the status of all American Indian groups, tribes, and communities in the State and assist them in obtaining State and/or federal recognition.
• To study the economic and social needs of American Indians in Maryland and recommend specific actions to meet those needs.
• To locate, preserve, and disseminate information to the public regarding significant sites, artifacts, and archives relating to Indian history and culture.
• To publish an annual report and any other materials that are deemed necessary.
• To assist state, local, and private agencies in addressing the educational, economic, and social needs of American Indian communities in Maryland.
  

Legislation

• MCIA Statute
• Recognition of Maryland Indian Status
• Transfer of Human Remains and Associated Funerary Objects
• By-laws