{"id":52812,"date":"2024-11-25T10:15:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T15:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=52812"},"modified":"2024-11-25T10:15:08","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T15:15:08","slug":"michell-hicks-republican-lawmaker-owes-an-apology-to-tribal-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/25\/michell-hicks-republican-lawmaker-owes-an-apology-to-tribal-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"Michell Hicks: Republican lawmaker owes an apology to tribal nations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kaSr5xFcO_I?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Indianz.Com Video: <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/22\/republican-lawmaker-blocks-wounded-knee-sacred-site-bill\/>Republican lawmaker blocks Wounded Knee sacred site bill<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Senator Tillis Owes Tribal Nations an Apology<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, November 25, 2024<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Chief Michell Hicks<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-links\"><a href=https:\/\/ebci.com>ebci.com<\/a><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nLast week, Senator Thom Tillis launched an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?540144-1\/senate-session\">emotional tirade on the Senate floor<\/a>, targeting hundreds of tribal leaders and respected Native organizations with baseless accusations. He labeled them liars and corrupt racists and accused them of oppressing others &#8212; all because they opposed his push to short-circuit the Bureau of Indian Affairs\u2019 evidence-based tribal recognition process through congressional fiat. \r\n <p><\/p>\r\nAt issue is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/senate-bill\/1364\">Sen. Tillis\u2019 bill<\/a> [S.1364] to federally recognize  Lumbee, a group based in his home state of North Carolina, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uinoklahoma.com\/_files\/ugd\/b4d05d_a41fcb736a9c4c9f82464d321243bff2.pdf\">falsely claimed multiple, shifting identities<\/a> as a Native American tribe.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\nThe reckless rhetoric Sen. Tillis hurled at his bill\u2019s opponents ignored the genuine, sovereignty-based concerns raised by organizations such as the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen&#8217;s Association, the Coalition of Large Tribes, the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. These organizations understand the dangers of granting legislative recognition to a group that, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uinoklahoma.com\/_files\/ugd\/b4d05d_a41fcb736a9c4c9f82464d321243bff2.pdf\">according to expert analysis of Lumbee\u2019s own documents<\/a>, cannot even specify, let alone demonstrate, which historical tribal nation they descend from. This has never happened in United States history, and to do so now would have far-reaching and damaging consequences for every federally recognized tribe in America. \r\n <p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_indianz-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/08\/tribal-legitimacy-debates-far-from-settled-in-indian-country\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13\/littleturtlemichikinikwa.jpg\" alt=\"Tribal legitimacy debates far from settled in Indian Country\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/08\/tribal-legitimacy-debates-far-from-settled-in-indian-country\/\">\n\t\t\tTribal legitimacy debates far from settled in Indian Country\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/08\/tribal-legitimacy-debates-far-from-settled-in-indian-country\/\">\n\t\t\t<p>Concerns about legitimacy continue to be a significant source of contention within the nation\u2019s largest inter-tribal organization.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"Indianz.Com\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nRecognition as a sovereign tribal nation is not a symbolic gesture; it carries profound legal and cultural significance. Tribal leaders are simply asking for the Lumbee to seek recognition through the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/as-ia\/ofa>Office of Federal Acknowledgement<\/a> (OFA), the established process Congress designed to evaluate claims of tribal identity through rigorous historical and genealogical review. The OFA process ensures that recognition is based on fact, not speculation or political convenience.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\nSen. Tillis&#8217; extreme efforts to bypass this process entirely are dangerous and threaten the integrity of the recognition process itself and the sovereignty of all tribes.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\nOf equal concern is Sen. Tillis\u2019 shameful attempt to punish Native leaders for dissent by blocking the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act [<a href=https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/senate-bill\/2088>S.2088<\/a>], legislation to honor the darkest chapters in American history and return this sacred site to its rightful owners. Sen. Tillis&#8217; message of intimidation was clear &#8212; I know better than tribal leaders, and if you disagree with me, your voices will be silenced.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\nThe stakes are too high to allow this behavior to go unchecked. If groups without verifiable claims are granted recognition through legislative shortcuts, it will set a dangerous precedent, opening the door for others to exploit Native identity, access federal resources, and infringe on the sovereignty of federally recognized tribes.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\n<div class=row>\r\n<div class=col-7><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/25\/michell-hicks-republican-lawmaker-owes-an-apology-to-tribal-nations\/michellhicks\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-52818\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1366\" data-attachment-id=\"52818\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/25\/michell-hicks-republican-lawmaker-owes-an-apology-to-tribal-nations\/michellhicks\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/25\/michellhicks.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,1366\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Michell Hicks\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Michell Hicks&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Michell Hicks serves as the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,  a federally recognized tribe located in Cherokee, North Carolina. Photo courtesy Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/25\/michellhicks.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/25\/michellhicks.jpg\" alt=\"Michell Hicks\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52818\" \/><\/a><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"col-5 align-self-end\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Michell Hicks serves as the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,  a federally recognized tribe located in Cherokee, North Carolina. Photo courtesy Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nSen. Tillis owes tribal leaders across the nation an apology. Tribal governments have struggled, fought, and bled for centuries to exist and maintain our cultures. Our concerns are rooted in historical facts and a desire to protect what our ancestors fought to pass down. For him to ignore these realities and launch a personal attack on those who dare to disagree with him is unacceptable and unbecoming of a U.S. Senator.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\nThis is not just a fight over recognition\u2014it is a fight to preserve the sovereignty, culture, and history of tribal nations. We will not stand by while our histories are rewritten or our voices are dismissed. We urge Senator Tillis to engage in good faith with Native leaders, respect the OFA process, and stop using legislative recognition as a political weapon.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\n Anything less is a disservice to the truth and a betrayal of the trust his constituents and the nation placed in him.\r\n <p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM><a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/principalchiefmichellhicks\/>Michell Hicks is the Principal Chief<\/a> of the <a href=https:\/\/ebci.com>Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians<\/a>, a federally recognized tribe located in Cherokee, North Carolina.<\/em><HR>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/22\/audio-republican-lawmaker-blocks-wounded-knee-sacred-site-bill\/\" title=\"AUDIO: Republican lawmaker blocks Wounded Knee sacred site bill\">AUDIO: Republican lawmaker blocks Wounded Knee sacred site bill<\/a> (November 22, 2024)<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/22\/republican-lawmaker-blocks-wounded-knee-sacred-site-bill\/\" title=\"VIDEO: Republican lawmaker blocks Wounded Knee sacred site bill\">VIDEO: Republican lawmaker blocks Wounded Knee sacred site bill<\/a> (November 22, 2024)<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/08\/tribal-legitimacy-debates-far-from-settled-in-indian-country\/\" title=\"Tribal legitimacy debates far from settled in Indian Country\">Tribal legitimacy debates far from settled in Indian Country<\/a> (November 8, 2024)<\/div>\r\n<img src=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/25\/michellhicks.jpeg width=0 height=0 class=invisible>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tribal governments have struggled, fought, and bled for centuries to exist and maintain our cultures.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52823,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,9,14],"tags":[3586,1457,1158,117,1240,534,701,718,668,5451,184,85,2197,5711,91,220,532,5632,670],"class_list":["post-52812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-federal-recognition","category-opinion","category-politics","tag-118th","tag-apologies","tag-atni","tag-bia","tag-colt","tag-eastern-cherokee","tag-gptca","tag-lumbee","tag-massacres","tag-michell-hicks","tag-north-carolina","tag-republicans","tag-s-1364","tag-sacred-site","tag-senate","tag-sovereignty","tag-thom-tillis","tag-uino","tag-wounded-knee","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/25\/michellhicks.jpeg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-dJO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52812"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52828,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52812\/revisions\/52828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}