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1999 SESSION

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 754 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to grant historic congressional federal recognition to eight state-recognized Indian tribes in Virginia.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 1999 Agreed to by the Senate, February 18, 1999

WHEREAS, by resolution of the General Assembly, eight Indian tribes have been recognized by the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Chickahominy; the Chickahominy, Eastern Division; the Mattaponi; the Upper Mattaponi; the Pamunkey; and the Rappahannock tribes were recognized by House Joint Resolution No. 54 (1983); the Nansemond tribe by House Joint Resolution No. 205 (1985); and the Monacan tribe by House Joint Resolution No. 390 (1989); and

WHEREAS, the existence of those tribes has been recognized by the Virginia Council on Indians, since they were indigenous to and occupied a specific site in what is now Virginia at the time of the arrival of the first European settlers; the current members are Indian descendants of those tribes as demonstrated by various records; the tribes have established tribal organizations with appropriate records and historical documentation; and other similar criteria; and

WHEREAS, the members of the Indian tribes have expressed the desire, through their leadership, for greater autonomy and local authority to deal with issues affecting tribal members and have represented that they have no intent in operating commercial gaming on their lands; and

WHEREAS, among these local issues are housing, health care, and education; and

WHEREAS, the preservation of tribal identity, culture, and tradition is also a concern of the leadership of the several tribes; and

WHEREAS, historic congressional federal recognition of the tribal status of these Virginia Indian tribes would greatly enhance the ability of the tribes to preserve their tribal cultures and address pressing local problems affecting tribal members; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Congress of the United States be urged to grant historic congressional federal recognition to the Chickahominy; the Chickahominy, Eastern Division; the Mattaponi; the Monacan; the Nansemond; the Pamunkey; the Rappahannock; and the Upper Mattaponi as Indian tribes under federal law; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Congressional Delegation of Virginia be requested to take all necessary steps forthwith to gain historic congressional federal recognition for the eight Virginia Indian tribes; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the members of the Congressional Delegation of Virginia in order that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.