Environmental health impacts of development on Indian communities, and the roles of government agencies responsible for environmental protection and individual safety are being assessed by Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) during a two-year project. Although the more than 250 Indian tribes within the U.S. have federal guarantees for self-government of natural and human resources, examples are provided which show that some federal agencies and some tribal governments have made decisions with little information regarding the impact on the environment and health of Indian people. The AIO project, stressing a holistic view of the protection and development of Indian lands, has the following objectives: (1) increase awareness of tribal decision-makers regarding environmental health impacts of development activities and need for planning; (2) develop information to assist tribal communities with health and environmental protection; (3) develop alternative methods and, upon request, assist tribal decision-makers to organize community environmental health protection systems; (4) increase awareness of related government agencies to Indian concerns and facilitate cooperation with tribes in designing holistic approaches to problem-solving; and (5) establish communication between tribal government and local, state, and federal governments on environmental health concerns of mutual interest. (AW)