[1] It was founded in 1944[3] to represent the tribes and resist U.S. federal government pressure for termination of tribal rights and assimilation of their people.

[1] The organizational structure of the National Congress of American Indians includes a General Assembly, an Executive Council, and seven committees.

[5] The executive board of the NCAI is as follows: Native Americans in the United States have independent governments and distinct cultures, histories, and territories.

They increasingly felt the need to work together politically to exert their power in dealing with the United States federal government.

In addition, with the efforts after 1934 to reorganize tribal governments, activists believed that Indians had to work together to strengthen their political position.

They wanted to challenge the government on its failure to implement treaties, to work against the tribal termination policy, and to improve public opinion of and appreciation for Indian cultures.

The NCAI's initial organization was largely created by Native American men who worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and represented many tribes.

[8] From 1945 to 1952, the executive secretary of the NCAI was Ruth Muskrat Bronson (Cherokee), who established the organization's legislative news service.

Garry significantly enlarged the organizational direction away from its focus on issues of Native Americans in the Great Plains and the Southwest, making it more inclusive of tribes in the Midwest and Northwest.

[14] In 1966, the NCAI mustered nearly 80 tribal leaders from 62 tribes to protest their exclusion from a US-Congress sponsored conference on reorganizing the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs).

[15] During the late 20th century, NCAI contributed to gaining legislation to protect and preserve Indian culture, including NAGPRA.

During the 1960s NCAI carried a banner with the slogan, "INDIANS DON'T DEMONSTRATE":[26] In the early 1960s, a shift in attitude occurred.