Congress urged to recognize six Virginia tribes

Recognition

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday on H.R.1385, a bill to recognize six Virginia tribes whose ancestors ensured the survival of the first permanent European settlement at Jamestown.

After helping the new arrivals, the ancestors of the Chickahominy Tribe, the Chickahominy Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Nation, and the Nansemond Tribe signed a peace treaty with England. But the tribes were never formally recognized by the United States.

More than 400 years later, the tribes shouldn't wait any longer for federal status, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) and Rep. Jim Moran (D-Virginia) told the committee. Citing state laws that barred people from identifying themselves Indian, they called on Congress to act rather than send the tribes to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a lengthy review that won't be resolved for years, or even decades..

The BIA didn't take a position for or against the bill. Two officials said they were still examining information related to the tribes although one suggested that the tribes could piece together federal recognition petitions despite the state's anti-Indian history.

During the 110th Congress, the House passed a bill to recognize the tribes after they agreed to a ban on gambling forever. The prohibition remains in the new bill.

Get the Story:
Moran, Kaine push for recognition of Va. Indian tribes (The Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot 3/19)
Kaine testifies in Washington for federal recognition of Virginia Indians (The Richmond Times-Dispatch 3/19)
6 tribes seek U.S. approval of status (The Washington Times 3/19)
Kaine Urges Federal Recognition of 6 Indian Tribes (AP 3/18)

Committee Hearing:
Full Committee Legislative Hearing On H.R. 31 And H.R. 1385 (March 18, 2009)