Shinnecock Finally Receive Federal Recognition

It took more than 30 years, but the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Long Island, N.Y., has finally received its federal recognition, according to a piece published by the New York Times on June 15.

The 1,292-member Shinnecock, which has an 800-acre reservation in posh Southampton, plans to build a casino. With the federal recognition, it can build a Class II (video slot machines) facility.

However, the tribe and state and local officials would rather have the casino located off-reservation, maybe in the Big Apple or its suburbs, and the tribe also wants a Class III facility (Vegas-style), which requires a deal with the state. According to the Times story, negotiations between the state and Shinnecock have already begun.

Virginia Tribes Seek Recognition

The chiefs of the six Indian tribes in Virginia journeyed to Washington on Wednesday to ask Congress for federal recognition. This will the fifth time such legislation has been introduced in Congress. 

The tribes are bypassing the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognition process because state policies put into effect in the 1920s – all Indians were classified as “colored” in official documents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates -- make it impossible for the tribes to prove their continued existence for the past 100 years. Continued existence for at least a century is a required for recognition through the BIA.

Roughly 3,000 Indians make up the Chickahominy, Chickahominy Eastern Division, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Monacan and Nansemond tribes. Read more about it here.

Senate to Hold Hearing on Federal Recognition for Virginia Tribes

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold a hearing September 25 on legislation to recognize six Virginia Indian tribes. The House of Representatives has already approved the bill.

The bill, H.R. 1294, would qualify six of Virginia’s tribes for federal recognition and allow tribal members to receive services through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. The tribes are the Chickahominy Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Indian Nation and the Nansemond Indian Tribe. Read more about it here.