Recognizing the Tribes
Earlier this week, Congress approved two bills to recognize native American tribes. H.R. 31 is the Lumbee Recognition Act, and H.R. 1385 is the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act.
And this week, we’ve seen a couple of bills introduced to recognize tribes: H.R. 2678 would extend federal recognition to the Duwamish Tribe, and S. 1178 would recognize the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe.
What’s this all about?
There’s an existing way for tribes to be recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior. You can pick through all of the details if you want.
But perhaps that process is too cumbersome or too restrictive, so people are going to Congress trying to get legislation that gives them recognition. Being recognized as a tribe gets a group a variety of federal benefits – but they don’t just get a check! The Department of Interior wants you to know that.
What say you? (Tribal leaders and representatives, this is your chance to inform us about federal recognition and why it’s important.)
Ethan Jones
I am an intern at the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, and am quite familiar with the history of the Duwamish Tribe. My opinion is my own, and does not represent that of the tribe.
Chief Si’al of the Duwamish Tribe signed the Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855, just below the signature of Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens. As I look out of the window of the Duwamish Tribal Chambers, I see the Duwamish River where they are not allowed to fish. Local officials pay homage to their history, and yet they aren’t recognized by the Federal Government. The city is named after their Chief! How is it that a country can simply not uphold a treaty signed between sovereign nations? The Duwamish Tribe should be recognized, and we should be embarrassed as Americans that they are not.