Federal Recognition
South Carolina to begin recognizing tribes


The South Carolina Legislature on Wednesday gave authority to the state's Minority Affairs Commission to recognize tribes.

The commission has to develop criteria for three categories of state recognition. A group could obtain status as a tribe, as a group or as a special interest organization.

The state currently has one federally recognized tribe, the Catawba Nation. The tribe gained recognition through an act of Congress, not through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

A chief of a South Carolina tribe said he expects 18 groups to seek recognition.

Get the Story:
Legislature approves process to recognize state Indian tribes (AP 5/12)
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Relevant Links:
Minority Affairs Commission - http://www.state.sc.us/cma