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JANUARY 4, 2000

The Bureau of Indian Affairs on Wednesday reafffirmed the status of three tribes, acknowledging their existence as federally recognized entities.

The three tribes affected are the King Salmon Tribe of Alaska, the Shoonaq’ Tribe in Alaska, and the Lower Lake Rancheria in California. The Department of Interior every year publishes a list of federally recognized tribes, but all three had been left off due to "administrative error," said the Bureau.

The Shoonaq' noticed their omission in 1987 and asked the Interior to correct the mistake. The tribe had been acknowledged by Congress by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), passed in 1971.

In the case of the King Salmon, the Bureau determined the tribe has existed as a tribe and has maintained an continuous community since historic times. Its membership descends from a group which had been forced to move due to a volcanic eruption, according to the BIA.

The Lower Lake Rancheria's status was clarified upon determination the tribe was never terminated by Congress. The BIA found the tribe has maintained its status to the present day.