On Tuesday, the House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing to examine ways to improve the federal acknowledgment process for Native American tribes. House Republican leaders have been adamant about their belief that Congress should have the ultimate power over approving federally-recognized tribes.
As such, Tuesday’s hearing was the second hearing for the subcommittee this year on the topic and focused on stakeholder input. The stakeholders represented at the hearing included currently recognized tribes, legal scholars, and local government. Witnesses at the hearing were nearly unanimous in their support for strict, but clearly defined, criteria that must be met in order to be acknowledged by the federal government. The witnesses were less certain about who should ultimately have the authority to acknowledge tribes. Rep. Rob Bishop, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, has introduced legislation that would give Congress final say but it has been met with heavy resistance from the Obama administration and certain Native American groups. The subcommittee has committed to additional hearings on the matter.