In reality they are descendants of ORIENTAL ASIANS as DNA doesn't lie. The real Indians who live in India are the only genuine Indians.
One notable DNA attribute Oriental Asians have is a deficiency in acetyl dehydrogenase, the enzyme that digests alcohol. So, they couldn't handle "fire water" because of their ORIENTAL ASIAN heredity. Asian Indians are Asian but not Oriental and can drink like the rest of the planet.
I know this because my mother was 8% East Asian. That's not much but I became allergic to wine when I was 29 years old...my gift from my mother's 8%.
However, I got the shots that assured enough acetyl dehydrogenase in me to drink wine. I don't drink anyway but I CAN.
I had a thorough DNA analysis and discovered my small percentage of East Asian. The other 92% of me is European.
Protected population?
Yes and the protectors stole a lot of their money.
http://www.albionmonitor.com/free/biatrustfund.html
As for the feds....the huge accident that allowed toxic mine run off to contaminate a river that supplies a lot of their drinking water happened under Obama.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Gold_King_Mine_waste_water_spill
But Trump also ordered the feds to make a data base for missing women and to investigate cold case murders.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2019/12/02/trump-creates-panel-on-issue-of-missing.asp