As you have just seen, the Individual Assistance staff faces challenges delivering programs to tribal governments. Challenges may include:

• Lack of familiarity of tribal leadership with FEMA's Individual Assistance programs. 
• Reluctance to rely on Government assistance – tribal people will often want to rely on family or friends rather than someone from the outside.
• Isolation caused by distance, lack of telephones, and lack of transportation that hampers communication.
• Difficulty determining home ownership.
• The need for all disaster staff to know and observe tribal protocol and cultural issues.