The House Indian Affairs Subcommittee will conduct an oversight hearing on April 22, 2015 on the proposed tribal acknowledgment rule. The hearing follows a bipartisan letter sent last month from five Members of Congress to Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, raising concerns about the potential impact of the rule that could recognize dozens of new Indian tribes across the country. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs proposed a rule last year that reduces the criteria and paperwork required to gain federal recognition as a tribe. The proposed rule also expedites the consideration of applications and the process to appeal decisions unfavorable to tribal applicants. RCRC submitted comments regarding the proposed acknowledgement rule, outlining key concerns regarding the role of counties in any new process. RCRC intends to re-submit those comments to the committee. A copy of RCRC’s comments can be accessed here.
