![Native American tribal recognition by state](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Native_American_tribal_recognition_by_state.png)
State-recognized tribes in the United States are organizations that identify as
Native American tribe
In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...
s or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for
federally recognized Indian tribes
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States, United States of America. There are also List of Alaska Native tribal entities, federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 tribe (Native American), Indian tribe ...
but have been recognized by a process established under assorted
state government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...
laws for varying purposes. State recognition does not dictate whether or not they are recognized as Native American tribes by continually existing tribal nations.
In the late 20th century, some states have passed legislation that recognizes some tribes. Most such groups are located in the
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
, including the three of largest state-recognized tribes in the US, the
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina. The tribe represents Lumbee people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe.
With an estimated 55,000 members, the Lumbee Tribe of North Caroli ...
,
, and the
United Houma Nation of Louisiana, each of which has more than ten thousand members.
State recognition confers few benefits under federal law. It is not the same as
federal recognition
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
, which is the federal government's acknowledgment of a tribe as a dependent sovereign nation. Some states have provided laws related to state recognition that provide some protection of autonomy for tribes that are not recognized by the federal government. For example, in Connecticut, state law recognizing certain tribes also protects reservations and limited self-government rights for state-recognized tribes.
Such state recognition has at times been opposed by federally-recognized tribes. For instance, the
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...
, which enrolls proven descendants, opposes state-recognized tribes, as well as
Cherokee heritage groups
Cherokee heritage groups are associations, societies and other organizations located primarily in the United States. Such groups consist of persons who do not qualify for enrollment in any of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes (the Cher ...
and others with no documented descent who claim Cherokee identity.
Other groups that identify as being Native American tribes but lack federal or state recognition are listed in the
list of unrecognized tribes in the United States
Unrecognized tribes in the United States are organizations of people who claim to be historically, culturally, and/or genetically related to historic Native American Indian tribes but who are not officially recognized as Indigenous nations by the ...
.
Many organizations try to assert that various
congratulatory resolutions Courtesy resolution is a non-controversial resolution
Resolution(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate
* Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body
* New ...
are recognition as a Native American tribe by a state; however, "Resolutions are statements of opinions and, unlike bills, do not have the force of law."
Description
The United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, gives ultimate authority with regard to matters affecting the American Indian tribes to the United States federal governnment. Under US federal law and regulations, an American Indian tribe is a group of Native Americans with self-government authority. This defines those tribes recognized by the federal government.
By late 2007, about 16 states had recognized 62 tribes.
[Alexa Koenig and Jonathan Stein]
"Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A Survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes across the United States"
''Santa Clara Law Review'', Vol. 48, November 2007 Typically, the state legislature or state agencies involved in cultural or Native American affairs make the formal recognition by criteria they establish, often with Native American representatives, and sometimes based on federal criteria. Members of a state-recognized tribe are still subject to state law and government, and the tribe does not have sovereign control over its affairs. According to the
National Conference of State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials’ association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States.
Background ...
, only 14 states recognize tribes at the state level.
Under the United States
Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law which prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or d ...
, members of state-recognized tribes are authorized to exhibit as identified Native American artists, as are members of federally recognized tribes.
Koenig and Stein have recommended the processes of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, all established by laws passed by the state legislatures, as models worthy of other states to use as the basis for legislation related to recognition of Native American tribes. Statutes that clearly identify criteria for recognition or that explicitly recognize certain tribes remove ambiguity from their status.
List of state-recognized tribes
By 2008 a total of 62 Native American tribes had been recognized by states. In 2021, 574 tribes had been recognized by the federal government, often as a result of the process of treaties setting up reservations in the 19th century.
The following is a list of tribes recognized by various states but not by the U.S.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...
. Tribes originally recognized by states that have since gained federal recognition have been deleted from the list below. The list includes those state-recognized tribes that have petitioned for federal recognition and been denied.
Alabama
By the Davis-Strong Act of 1984, the state established the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission to acknowledge and represent Native American citizens in the state. At that time, it recognized seven tribes that did not have federal recognition. The commission members, representatives of the tribes, have created rules for tribal recognition, which were last updated in 2003, under which three more tribes have been recognized.
* Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians.
* Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama
The Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama (CTNEAL), formerly the Cherokees of Jackson County, is a state-recognized tribe in Alabama. They have about 3,000 members. The tribe has a representative on the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission and the Inte ...
(formerly Cherokees of Jackson County, Alabama).[ Letter of Intent to Petition 09/23/1981;] certified letter returned "not known" 11/19/1997.
* Cherokees of Southeast Alabama.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 05/27/1988;] certified letter returned marked "deceased" 11/5/1997.
* .[
* Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama.][ Letter of Intent to Petition 06/27/1983. Declined to Acknowledge 08/18/1988 52 FR 34319,] Denied federal recognition.[Sheffield (1998) p64]
* MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians
The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians is a state-recognized tribe, located in southwest Alabama, with a population largely based in southern Washington County and some membership in northern Mobile County.
The term ''MOWA'' is a portmanteau of Mobil ...
.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 05/27/1983. Final Determination to Decline to Acknowledge published 12/24/1997 62FR247:67398-67400; petitioner requested reconsideration from BIA 3/23/1998,] denied federal recognition; decision effective 11/26/1999.[LIST OF PETITIONERS BY STATE (as of July 31, 2012) (Accessible as of January 15, 201]
here
* Piqua Shawnee Tribe.
* Star Clan of Muscogee Creeks[ (formerly Lower Creek Muscogee Tribe East, Star Clan, Southeastern Mvskoke Nation, and Yufala Star Clan of Lower Muscogee Creeks).
* United Cherokee Ani-Yun-Wiya Nation] (formerly United Cherokee Intertribal). Letter of Intent to Petition 11/08/2001.
Arkansas
''Arkansas has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
Connecticut
* Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation
The Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation is an American Indian tribe in southeastern Connecticut descended from the Pequot people who dominated southeastern New England in the seventeenth century. It is one of five tribes recognized by the state of Connec ...
.[Connecticut Law on Indian Tribes (2007-R-0475). Christopher Reinhart, Senior Attorney, on behalf of State of Connecticut General Assembly (Accessible as of July 15, 201]
here
.
** Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/28/1978; Reconsidered final determination not to acknowledge became final and effective 10/14/2005 70 FR 60099.
** Paucatuck Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/20/1989. Reconsidered final determination not to acknowledge became final and effective 10/14/2005 70 FR 60099.
* Golden Hill Paugussett. Final Determination Against Federal Acknowledgement of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe (2004)
* Schaghticoke Tribal Nation
The Schaghticoke ( or ) are a Native American tribe of the Eastern Woodlands who historically consisted of Mahican, Potatuck, Weantinock, Tunxis, Podunk, and their descendants, peoples indigenous to what is now New York, Connecticut, and Massa ...
. Letter of Intent to Petition 9/27/2001. Letter of Intent to Petition 12/14/1981; Declined to acknowledge in 2002; Reconsidered final determination not to acknowledge became final and effective 10/14/2005 70 FR 60101. Also known as the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe.
Delaware
* Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware.
* Nanticoke Indian Association, Inc.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 08/08/1978; requested petition be placed on hold 3/25/1989 of limited applicability.
]
Georgia
In 2007, the state legislature formally recognized as American Indian tribes of Georgia the following:
* Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council.
* Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokees. (I). Letter of Intent to Petition 01/09/1979; last submission February 2002; ready for Acknowledge review.
: Unrecognized tribes with the same name as Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokees, Inc. (II) and (III) exist.
* Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe
The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe (East of the Mississippi), also known as the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe, is a state-recognized tribe in Georgia. The organization was denied federal recognition in 1981.
They claim to descend from Muscogee Creek pe ...
.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 02/02/1972; Declined to Acknowledge 12/21/1981 (46 FR 51652).] Denied federal recognition.[Sheffield (1998) p67] Also known as Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe East of the Mississippi, Inc.
The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe (East of the Mississippi), also known as the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe, is a state-recognized tribe in Georgia. The organization was denied federal recognition in 1981.
They claim to descend from Muscogee Creek p ...
Illinois
''Illinois has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
Louisiana
The Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
Office of Indian Affairs oversees state–tribal relations. They maintain a list of federally and state-recognized tribes headquartered in Louisiana.
# Addai Caddo Tribe, also Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana, Robeline, Louisiana.[ Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1993.]["Louisiana Governor's Office of Indian Affairs" Retrieved on 4/8/2008](_blank)
. Letter of Intent to Petition 09/13/1993. Also Adais Caddo Indians, Inc.
# Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimache Confederation of Muskogees,[ also Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogee,] Denham Springs, Louisiana. Separated from United Houma Nation, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 10/24/1995. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 2005.
# Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb
The Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb, also known as the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Louisiana. The community describes themselves as the descendants of Choctaw and Lipan Apache people a ...
,[ also the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, Zwolle, Louisiana.][ Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1978.] Letter of Intent to Petition 07/02/1978.
# Clifton-Choctaw, also the Clifton Choctaw Tribe of Louisiana, Clinton, Louisiana.[ Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1978.] Letter of Intent to Petition 03/22/1978. Also known as Clifton Choctaw Reservation Inc.
# Four Winds Tribe, Louisiana Cherokee Confederacy, also the Four Winds Cherokees, Oakdale, Louisiana.[ Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1997.]
# Grand Caillou/Dulac Band, also the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw, Chauvin, Louisiana.[
# Isle de Jean Charles Band,] also the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation, Montegut, Louisiana[
# Louisiana Choctaw Tribe,] as the Louisiana Band of Choctaw, Ferriday, Louisiana[
# Natchtoches Tribe of Louisiana, Campti, Louisiana][ Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 2017 Regular Session, HR227.
# Pointe-au-Chien Tribe,] also Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, Montegut, Louisiana.[ Separated from United Houma Nation, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 7/22/1996.] Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 2004.
# United Houma Nation
The Houma () are a historic Native American people of Louisiana on the east side of the Red River of the South. Their descendants, the Houma people or organization "The United Houma Nation", have been recognized by the state as a tribe since 1 ...
. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1972. Letter of Intent to Petition 07/10/1979; Proposed Finding 12/22/1994, 59 FR 6618. Denied federal recognition.
Maryland
On January 9, 2012, for the first time the state-recognized two American Indian tribes under a process developed by the General Assembly; these were both Piscataway Piscataway may refer to:
*Piscataway people, a Native American ethnic group native to the southern Mid-Atlantic States
*Piscataway language
*Piscataway, Maryland, an unincorporated community
*Piscataway, New Jersey, a township
*Piscataway Creek, Ma ...
groups,[ historically part of the large ]Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages ( or ; also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Indigenous languages of the Americas, indigenous American languages that include most languages in the Algic languages, Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language f ...
family along the Atlantic Coast. The Governor announced it to the Assembly by executive order.[
# ]Accohannock Indian Tribe
The Accohannock Indian Tribe, Inc. is a state-recognized tribe in Maryland and a nonprofit organization of individuals who identify as descendants of the Accohannock people.
The Accohannock Indian Tribe is not federally recognized as a Native A ...
. Governor Larry Hogan
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
formally recognized this group on December 19, 2017, through Executive Order 01.01.2017.31.
# Piscataway Conoy Tribe
The Piscataway or Piscatawa , are Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans. They spoke Algonquian languages, Algonquian Piscataway language, Piscataway, a dialect of Nanticoke language, Nanticoke. One of their neighboring tribes, ...
.[ It includes the following two sub-groups:
:*Piscataway Conoy Confederacy and Sub-Tribes][Witte, Brian]
"Md. Formally Recognizes 2 American Indian Groups."
''NBC Washington,'' 9 Jan 2011, Retrieved 10 Jan 2011
:*Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians[
:3. ]Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory
The Piscataway Indian Nation , also called Piscatawa , is a state-recognized tribe in Maryland that is descended from the historic Piscataway people. At the time of European encounter, the Piscataway was one of the most populous and powerful Nat ...
.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs was created by a legislative act of the General Court of Massachusetts
The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...
in 1974, with the purpose of helping tribes recognized or that will be recognized receive access to and assistance with various local and state agencies. Two former state-recognized tribes, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) ( wam, Âhqunah Wôpanâak) is a Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribe of Wampanoag people based in the town of Aquinnah on the southwest tip of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (formerly Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.) is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Recognized in 2007, they are headquartered in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Mashpee on ...
, have federal recognition as of 1987 and 2007, respectively.
* Nipmuc Nation
The Nipmuc Nation is a state-recognized tribe of Nipmuc people, an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in South Grafton, Massachusetts. They are the only state-recognized tribe in Massachusetts, according to the National Confer ...
. Letter of Intent to Petition 04/22/1980; Declined to acknowledge on 6/25/2004, 69 FR 35667.
Michigan
As of 2014, Michigan has four State-recognized tribes.
# Burt Lake Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians.
# Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and comm ...
.[
# Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians.][
# ]Swan Creek Black River Confederated Ojibwa Tribes of Michigan
Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...
.[
]
Mississippi
The state of Mississippi has offered congratulatory resolutions Courtesy resolution is a non-controversial resolution
Resolution(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate
* Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body
* New ...
to unrecognized organizations identifying as Native American descendants, such as the MS HR50 in which the legislators "commend and congratulate" Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw Tribe for recognition; however, no laws outline formal state-recognition for this or any other group by the State of Mississippi.
''Mississippi has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
Missouri
''Missouri has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
New Jersey
* Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation
The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation (also known as the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape or the Nanticoke Lenape) are a tribal confederation of Nanticoke of the Delmarva Peninsula and the Lenape of southern New Jersey and northern Delaware. They are ...
.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 01/03/1992.][Indian Country Today march 27,2019](_blank)
/ref>
* Ramapough Lenape Nation
The Ramapough Lenape Nation is a state-recognized tribe in New Jersey. They were previously named the Ramapough Mountain Indians (also spelled Ramapo), also known as the Ramapough Lenape Nation or Ramapough Lunaape Munsee Delaware Nation.
They h ...
.
* Powhatan Renape Nation
The Powhatan people (; also spelled Powatan) may refer to any of the indigenous Algonquian people that are traditionally from eastern Virginia. All of the Powhatan groups descend from the Powhatan Confederacy. In some instances, The Powhatan ...
.
New York
The Tonawanda Band of Seneca
The Tonawanda Seneca Nation (previously known as the Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians) ( see, Ta:nöwö:deʼ Onödowáʼga꞉ Yoindzadeʼ) is a federally recognized tribe in the State of New York. They have maintained the traditional form of gover ...
and Tuscarora Nation
The Tuscarora (in Tuscarora ''Skarù:ręˀ'', "hemp gatherers" or "Shirt-Wearing People") are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government of the Iroquoian family, with members today in New York, USA, and Ontario, Canada. They ...
are both recognized by the state of New York but also federally recognized
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
.[
* ]Unkechague Poosepatuck Tribe
The Poospatuck Reservation is a Native American reservation of the Unkechaugi band in the community of Mastic, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is one of two Native American reservations in Suffolk County, the other being the Shinnecoc ...
(Unkechaug Nation).
North Carolina
# Coharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc.
The Coharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc. is a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina. The headquarters are in Clinton, North Carolina.
Formerly known as the Coharie Indian People, Inc. and the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina, the group's 2,700 m ...
Letter of Intent to Petition 3/13/1981.
# Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe
The Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, also the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe, is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in North Carolina. They are not a federally recognized as a Native American tribe.
They are headquartered in Hollister, Nort ...
. Letter of Intent to Petition 1/27/1979. Notified of "obvious deficiencies" in federal recognition application[Sheffield (1998) p68-70]
# Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina. The tribe represents Lumbee people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe.
With an estimated 55,000 members, the Lumbee Tribe of North Caroli ...
.[ (Lumbee Regional Development Association Inc., Lumbee Tribe).] Letter of Intent to Petition 01/07/1980; determined ineligible to petition (SOL opinion of 10/23/1989). In 2009, Senate Indian Affairs Committee endorsed a bill that would grant federal recognition.["Virginia tribes take another step on road to federal recognition"](_blank)
in '
# Meherrin Nation">ichmond Times-Dispatch,'' 28 October 2009.
# Meherrin Nation. State-recognized 1987.
# Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/06/1995.
# Sappony (formerly known as Indians of Person County, North Carolina).
# Waccamaw-Siouan Tribe. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/27/1983; determined ineligible to petition (SOL opinion of 10/23/1989). Letter of Intent to Petition 10/16/1992; determined eligible to petition (SOL letter of 6/29/1995). Also known as Waccamaw Siouan Development Association
Waccamaw Siouan Indians are one of eight state-recognized tribes in North Carolina. They are also known as the "People of the Fallen Star." Historically Siouan-speaking, they are located predominantly in the southeastern North Carolina counties of ...
.
Ohio
''Ohio has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
Pennsylvania
''Pennsylvania has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
Rhode Island
''Rhode Island has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
South Carolina
South Carolina recognizes three entities: "state recognize tribes", "state recognized groups", and "special interest organizations". the state recognizes nine Native American tribes that are not recognized by the federal government.
* Beaver Creek Indians. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/26/1998. State-recognized tribe in 2006.
* Edisto Natchez Kusso Tribe of South Carolina. State-recognized tribe in 2010. Also known as Edisto Natchez-Kusso Indians (Four Holes Indian Organization).
* Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina. Letter of Intent to Petition 12/14/2005. State-recognized tribe in 2005.
* Pee Dee Indian Tribe.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 01/30/1995. State recognized in 2006.] Formerly Pee Dee Indian Tribe of South Carolina (2005). Formerly Pee Dee Indian Association (1978).
* Piedmont American Indian Association.[
* The Santee Indian Organization.] Letter of Intent to Petition 06/04/1979. State-recognized tribe in 2006. Formerly White Oak Indian Community.
* Sumter Tribe of Cheraw Indians.[
* The ]Waccamaw Indian People
The Waccamaw Indian People is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization headquartered in Conway, South Carolina. The organization was awarded the status of a state-recognized tribe by the South Carolina Commission of Minority Affairs on ...
.[
* The ]Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians
The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians, is a small state-recognized tribe of Native Americans descended from historic tribes of the Colonial Era. Located in Berkeley County in the Low Country, in 2005 the people were granted recognition as a ...
.
The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs also recognizes "State Recognized Groups and Special Interest Organizations," but these are not the same as the state-recognized tribes. They are the American Indian Chamber of Commerce South Carolina; Chaloklowa Chickasaw Indian People; Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina; Little Horse Creek American Indian Cultural Center; Natchez Tribe of South Carolina; Pee Dee Indian Nation of Beaver Creek; and Pine Hill Indian Community Development Initiative.[
]
Texas
''Texas has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''
The Texas state legislature often issues congratulatory resolutions that "commend" organizations, such one honoring the Mount Tabor Indian Community
The Mount Tabor Indian Community (also Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands of the Mount Tabor Indian Community) is a cultural heritage group located in Rusk County, Texas. There was a historical Mount Tabor Indian Community dating from the 19th c ...
in 2017, "for its contributions to hestate" and the Lipan Apache
Lipan Apache are a band of Apache, a Southern Athabaskan Indigenous people, who have lived in the Southwest and Southern Plains for centuries. At the time of European and African contact, they lived in New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and ...
in 2019; however, this isn't the same as formal recognition of a tribe by a state. Texas Senate Bill 274 to formally recognize the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, introduced in January 2021, died in committee.
Texas has "no legal mechanism to recognize tribes."
Vermont
As of May 3, 2006, Vermont la
1 V.S.A §§ 851–853
recognizes Abenaki
The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...
s as Native American Indians, ''not the tribes or bands''. However, on April 22, 2011, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed legislative bills officially recognizing two Abenaki Bands. The four Abenaki state-recognized tribes are also known as the "Abenaki Alliance".
*Elnu Abenaki Tribe
The Elnu Abenaki Tribe is a state-recognized tribe in Vermont, who claim descent from Abenaki people.
They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe. Vermont has no federally recognized tribes.
Leadership
Roger Longtoe Sheeha ...
. Recognition signed into statute April 22, 2011.
*Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization, called AHA "Abenaki Helping Abenaki", whose headquarters and land are based in Vermont. They are often referred to as the Nulhegan Abenaki Trib ...
. Recognition signed into statute April 22, 2011.
On May 7, 2012, Governor Shumlim signed legislative bills officially recognizing two more Abenaki Bands:
* Koasek Abenaki Tribe
The Koasek Abenaki Tribe is a state-recognized tribe in Vermont, who claim descent from Abenaki people.
They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe. Vermont does not have any federally recognized Native American tribes.
This org ...
.[ Also known as Traditional Koasek Abenaki Nation of the Koas.
* Missiquoi Abenaki Tribe.][ Also known as Missisquoi St Francis Sokoki Abenaki Nations. Petitioned for federal recognition, denied in 2007.
]
Virginia
*Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe
The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Virginia. The organization identifies as descending from Nottoway people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe.
The name ''C ...
.[ Letter of Intent to Petition 12/30/2002.] Receipt of Petition 12/30/2002.[Receipt of Petitions for Federal Acknowledgment of Existence as an Indian Tribe (68 FR 13724)](_blank)
/ref> State-recognized 2010; in Courtland, Southampton County. Letter of intent to file for federal recognition 2017. Currently a bill is being sponsored.
* Mattaponi Indian Nation (a.k.a. Mattaponi Indian Reservation). Letter of Intent to Petition 04/04/1995. State-recognized 1983; in Banks of the Mattaponi River, King William County. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey have reservations based in colonial-era treaties ratified by the Commonwealth in 1658. Pamunkey Tribe's attorney told Congress in 1991 that the tribes state reservation originated in a treaty with the crown in the 17th century and has been occupied by Pamunkey since that time under strict requirements and following the treaty obligation to provide to the Crown a deer every year, and they've done that (replacing Crown with Governor of Commonwealth since Virginia became a Commonwealth).
*Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia
The Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Virginia. The organization identifies as descending from Nottoway people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe.
State-recogni ...
. Recognized 2010; in Capron, Southampton County.
*Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia
The Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia is a state-recognized tribe in Virginia and a nonprofit organization of individuals who identify as descendants of the Patawomeck people.
The Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia is not federally recognize ...
. Recognized 2010; in Stafford County.
Washington
''Washington has not formally recognized any tribes by statute. However, the state or preceding territorial government has been a party to treaties involving a number of tribes that are not federally recognized.''
* Chinook Indian Tribe. Bay Center. Party to the Tansey Point Treaties
West Virginia
''West Virginia has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.[''
]
See also
;United States
* Federally recognized tribes
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
(Lower 48 states)
* Federally recognized tribes in Alaska
* Unrecognized tribes, not recognized by state or federal governments
* Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States ( Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United State ...
* List of federally recognized tribes by state
Federally recognized tribes are those Native American tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for certain federal government purposes. For an alphabetical listing, see list of federally recognized tribes and federally re ...
* List of Indian reservations in the United States
This is a list of Indian reservations and other tribal homelands in the United States. In Canada, the Indian reserve is a similar institution.
Federally recognized reservations
There are 326 Indian Reservations in the United States. Most of t ...
* List of historical Indian reservations in the United States
* Outline of United States federal Indian law and policy
* National Park Service Native American Heritage Sites
;Canada
* List of Indian reserves in Canada
Canada has numerous Indian reserves for First Nations people, which were mostly established by the ''Indian Act'' of 1876 and have been variously expanded and reduced by royal commissions since. They are sometimes incorrectly called by the Ameri ...
* List of First Nations governments
* List of First Nations peoples
The following is a partial list of First Nations peoples of Canada, organized by linguistic-cultural area. It only includes First Nations people, which by definition excludes Metis and Canadian Inuit groups. The areas used here are in accordance t ...
;Related
*Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral declarative political act of a state that acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state (may be also a recognized state). Recognition can be accorde ...
**List of states with limited recognition
A number of polities have declared independence and sought diplomatic recognition from the international community as sovereign states, but have not been universally recognised as such. These entities often have ''de facto'' control of thei ...
**List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies
These lists of historical unrecognized or partially recognized ''states'' or ''governments'' give an overview of extinct geopolitical entities that wished to be recognized as sovereign states, but did not enjoy worldwide diplomatic recognition. Th ...
*Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...
**Tribal sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty in the United States is the concept of the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States.
Originally, the U.S. federal government recognized American Indian trib ...
Notes
References
* Koenig, Alexa and Jonathan Stein (2008). ''Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes Across the United States''. University of Santa Clara Law Review, Vol. 48.
* Sheffield, Gail (1998). ''Arbitrary Indian: The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. .
Constitution of the United States
External sources
* Miller, Mark Edwin. ''Forgotten Tribes: Unrecognized Indians and the Federal Acknowledgment Process.'' Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. Discusses the state recognition process, the experiences of several state-recognized tribes (the United Houma Nation of Louisiana, and the Tigua/Pueblo of Ysleta Del Sur and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas- the latter two are federally recognized), and the problems of non-federally acknowledged indigenous communities.
* Bates, Denise. ''The Other Movement: Indian Rights and Civil Rights in the Deep South.'' Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2011. Details state recognition and the functioning of state Indian commissions in Alabama and Louisiana.
Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes Across the United States
"BIA list of petitioners for recognition by state as of 22 September 2008
BIA status summary of petitions for recognition as of 15 February 2007"
Testimony of Leon Jones, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Dan McCoy, Tribal Council Chairman, on the Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures Act of 1999
Joint resolution of the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opposing fabricated Cherokee "tribes" and "Indians" (acknowledges the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians)
U.S. GAO - Indian Issues: Federal Funding for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes Published April 12, 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:State Recognized Tribes
Native American law
Native American-related lists