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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Twenty states last Thursday sent a letter to Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb, asking him to withdraw a set of regulations aimed at reducing the workload of his already burdened staff that handles federal recognition.

The states said the regulations set deadlines that are abitrary. The states who signed are: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Former Assistant Secretary Kevin Gover made the changes in February 2000 to require petitioning tribes to submit more evidence to back up their claims, rather than have Bureau of Indian Affairs researchers do the work. The regulations also require the BIA to resolve petitions by a certain time-frame.

Get the Story:
Attorneys general seek change in BIA method (The Norwich Bulletin 9/11)
Blumenthal, other AGs seek change in BIA rules (The New London Day 9/11)

Relevant Links:
Branch of Acknowledgment and Research - http://www.doi.gov/bia/ack_res.html

Related Stories:
McCaleb endorses BIA on recognition (6/14)
BIA has small goal for big problem (5/22)
Federal recognition battles continue (5/10)
Federal recognition update (2/26)
Campbell criticized for radio talk (2/8)
Recognition reforms might not have an effect (2/7)
Dodd calls for recognition reform (2/6)

Blasts from the Past - Indianz.Com Recognition Classics:
Recognition findings a departure (8/16)
Decisions put Gover in the middle (08/16)
Gover wants BIA out of nastiness (05/25)
Town: Gover a 'mockery' (5/25)