Politics | Recognition

House hearing on Lumbee, Virginia recognition

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The House Committee on Natural Resources is holding a hearing on two federal recognition bills.

H.R.65 would recognize the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. The tribe is currently subject to a termination-era law that prevents its treatment as a federal entity.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the only recognized tribe in North Carolina, opposes the bill.

H.R.1294 would recognize six Virginia tribes. They are the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe.

The hearing starts at 10am. It will be broadcast online at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov

The witness list follows:

Senator Elizabeth Dole, R-NC (H.R. 65)
Congressman Mike McIntyre, D-NC (H.R. 65)
Congressman Robin Hayes, D-NC (H.R. 65)
Congressman James Moran, D-VA (H.R. 1294)
Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, D-VA (H.R. 1294)
Congressman Frank R. Wolf, R-VA (H.R. 1294)

Panel 1 (H.R. 65, H.R. 1294)
The Honorable Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Panel 2 (H.R. 65)
Chairman Goins, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Pembroke, NC, Accompanied by Arlinda Locklear, Attorney for Lumbee Tribe
Principal Chief Mitchell Hicks, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, NC
Mr. Kelvin Sampson, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Dr. Jack Campisi, Anthropologist, Red Hook, NY

Panel 3 (H.R. 1294)
Chief Stephen Adkins, Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Charles Country, VA
Chief Kenneth Branham, Monacan Indian Nation, Madison Heights, VA
The Reverend Jonathan Barton, Virginia Council of Churches, Inc., Richmond, VA
Ms. Helen Rountree, Anthropologist, Hampton, VA