Rep. James Moran (D-Virginia) said he expects the House to vote as early as this week on a bill to recognize six Virginia tribes.
Moran has been pushing for recognition since meeting Thomasina E. Jordan 12 years ago. Although Jordan was Wampanoag from Massachusetts, she made Moran promise to help the Virginia tribes.
Jordan died a day after that meeting and Moran named the recognition bill in her honor. But the bill has never gotten as far as it did last week, when it was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee.
The Chickahominy, the Chickahominy Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan and the Nansemond say they deserve recognition due to their unique circumstances. They were among the firs to sign treaties with the British and live on two of the earliest established reservations.
Their histories were virtually erased due to Virginia laws that barred identification as Indian. The tribes and Moran say they won't be able to provide documentation required of the Bureau of Indian Affairs process.
Get the Story:Forgotten Tribes on Verge of Federal Recognition (The Washington Post 5/3)
pwpwd Committee Hearing:
Full Committee Legislative Hearing: H.R. 1294 and H.R. 65 (April 18, 2007) Recognition Bill:
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