I am committed to furthering the self-determination of Indian communities but without terminating the special relationship between the Federal Government and the Indian people. I am strongly opposed to termination. Self-determination means that you can decide the nature of your tribe's relationship with the Federal Government within the framework of the Self-Determination Act, which I signed in January of 1975.

Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Gerald R. Ford, 1976-1977: (ed. Best Books on, 1979) - ISBN: 9781623768546