It’s time the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizes the existence of California Tribes.
There are a lot of problems with the Tribal Recognition Process administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Tribal Acknowledgment. But it’s their absolute resolve to stonewall almost every petitioner that dissuades many legitimate California Tribes from ever filing their petition.
When tribes are denied Tribal Acknowledgment by the BIA; the decision is almost absolutely always final. Forever.
Meaning tribes which fail to properly plead their case, or prove their continuous existence as a community, (or show a government-to-government relationship with the US,) will never be able to petition for Tribal Acknowledgment ever again.
The list of Petitioners on the Office of Tribal Recognition’s website shows a long list of Tribes which have ever only sent the Department their Letter of Intent to File a Petition for Federal Acknowledgment.
Those Letters of Intent reserve the Tribes’ rights to file the petition at a later date.
But, because the BIA obfuscates what should be a simplified process, in an earnest attempt by the government to make good on its Trust Responsibility to Native Americans….
And, because the government has treated Tribes with hostility, denied their appeals, and left them with no recourse, and no hope to re-petition, ever….
Other tribes who haven’t submitted their petitions are beginning to think it’s easier to live a landless, nomadic existence, without the access to healthcare, housing, and homeland that so many other federally recognized tribes enjoy.
Because the alternative (permanent denial of Tribal Acknowledgment) could shut their tribe out, forever. Who wants to be the person who did that?
It’s not fair.
But there is hope!
The United States Department of the Interior is seeking input on a proposal to create a conditional, time-limited opportunity for denied petitioners to re-petition for Federal acknowledgment as an Indian Tribe.
This means that previously denied tribes will be able to re-file their petitions and plead their case under new and changed laws; and have their cases heard with new deference and guidance from the Department Of the Interior.
This can only happen with our support.
Read the text of the Proposed Rule, Federal Acknowledgment of American Indian Tribes here.
