State lawmakers today found themselves asked to determine exactly who should be considered Native American. Supporters of three “remnant” tribes say federal dollars and cultural identity are at stake.
Kingsport Republican Tony Shipley wants the state to recognize three “remnant” tribes as official Native Americans. He calls it a “civil-rights issue.”
But Julie Reed, a history professor at the University of Tennessee and a member of the Cherokee Nation argues otherwise. Reed says those groups’ ancestors abandoned their tribes two centuries ago, to avoid walking the trail of tears.
“…and the people who remained behind in states, who had not made special arrangements as the state of North Carolina did with those Cherokees who remained behind, they became citizens of those states, if they chose to abandon their communities.”
Some two years ago the state commission of Indian Affairs was shut down, at least partly because of continued controversy over who could claim status as an American Indian.
Those seeking recognition as tribes cite potential federal funding for Indian health care, as well as possible private investment in economic projects. The Yuchi Nation representatives want to build a model village for tourists, for instance.
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The bill, HB 2284 Shipley/SB 2177 Campfield, would automatically recognize three tribes in law, the Remnant Yuchi Nation; Tanasi Council; and United Eastern Lenape Nation of Winfield.
A legislative lawyer told the lawmakers that future applicants for the recognition would, by that standard, come directly to the legislature. Lawmakers on the House State and Local Government Committee hurriedly postponed further action on the bill for a week.
Shipley says the recognition would unlock at least some federal dollars for the state:
The other things at risk, the state of Tennessee loses federal dollars for highways, hospitals, and schools, which they are entitled to – the state of Tennessee’s entitled to that. Only Tennessee, right here in this area, has no recognized tribes.
Reed, a member of the Oklahoma branch of the Cherokee, says originally the area that is now Tennessee wasn’t home to a large number of tribes.
“Vast majorities of Tennessee at least from the Cherokees’ perspective was a hunting grounds, as was most of Kentucky. There were settlement patterns but they were in the easternmost portions of the state.”
Lawmakers “sunsetted” or shut down the former commission that dealt with such issues, but the state left the tracks on its web page.