"The long journey on the road to federal recognition of Virginia’s Indian tribes may be nearing its end.

After 10 years of legislation that has been submitted and resubmitted in Congress, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee has approved two measures that would grant six Virginia tribes the federal recognition that hundreds of other tribes around the country have enjoyed for years.

The legislation, which has been approved in the House of Representatives, would make the tribes eligible for up to $800 million in federal aid.

Federal recognition is important because it would make the people of the tribes eligible for grants in such areas as education, health care and housing that could improve their lives and livelihoods. Other tribes around the nation have been recognized and have received those benefits for years.

The six Virginia tribes, which have about 3,000 members, have been seeking recognition since the late 1990s. The tribes include the Monacan Nation, which is based in Amherst County. The Commonwealth of Virginia recognized the Virginia tribes in 1983."

Get the Story:
Editorial: For State’s Tribes, Goal’s In Sight (The Lynchburg News and Advance 11/3)

Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2009:
S.1178 | H.R.1385

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