Natchitoches Tribe sees setback in bid for recognition in Louisiana

Monday, June 5, 2017  

A bill to acknowledge the Natchitoches Tribe has failed in the Louisiana Legislature, Manship School News Service reports.

House Concurrent Resolution 15 passed the House last month with near unanimous support. But it died in a committee in the Senate by a 3-2 vote on Saturday, according to the News Service.

Louisiana recognizes 10 tribes, according to Wikipedia, and more are seeking the same status. The lawmaker who voted against the bill last month told the News Service that four in his district alone have asked him for help.

There are otherwise four federally recognized tribes in the state. Two were recognized through the acknowledgement process at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

House Concurrent Resolution 15 would have encouraged the BIA to recognize the Natchitoches Tribe.

According to Wikipedia, some Natchitoches citizens are enrolled in the federally recognized Caddo Nation, based in Oklahoma.

Read More on the Story:
Natchitoches tribal hopes dashed (Manship School News Service 6/5)
Natchitoches Tribe could soon have statewide recognition (Manship School News Service 5/19)