Virginia Indians Updates

Gilmore added, "I don't think we've had enough talk about it, and there are chances to learn about what the advantages are in federal recognition and what the disadvantages are." U.S. Rep. James P. Moran, D-8th, has introduced a bill in Congress to establish the sovereignty of Virginia's tribes. Like more than 550 tribes in 33 states, they would be entitled to seek federal funds going to American Indians. They also would establish a sovereign, government-to-government relationship with the U.S. government. Opponents fear the bill would open the door for the tribes to operate gambling casinos - though representatives of the Virginia tribes say they have no intention of operating casinos. Gilmore, who has yet to give a final opinion on the sovereignty issue, said Wednesday he remains adamantly opposed to casinos but would discuss other aspects of recognition. "I am simply undecided and don't have sufficient information but will be happy to learn everything I can," he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Gilmore said he hopes to arrange a meeting in the near future. Reeva Tilley, a member of the Rappahannock tribe and chairwoman of the Virginia Council on Indians, said she would be on the phone Monday trying to set up a meeting. State offices are closed until then. "I would hope he would sit down and talk with us and not with everyone else about us," she said. Representatives of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes, from two of the oldest reservations in the nation, declined to discuss the controversy, saying they did not want to mar the ceremony. As schoolchildren looked on, Chief Webster "Little Eagle" Custalow of the Mattaponi tribe and Chief William "Swift Water" Miles of the Pamunkey tribe each presented a slain deer to the governor, a tradition tied to a 17th century treaty. Va. Indians bill is introduced. Eight tribes seek U.S. recognition July 28th, 2000 BY PETER HARDIN Times-Dispatch Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON -- Rep. James P. Moran introduced legislation yesterday asking Congress to grant eight Virginia Indian tribes federal recognition as sovereign nations, kicking off a contentious debate that could last for years. It was clear at the start that the Old Dominion's history will play a significant role in the debate, for Moran portrayed the Indian tribes as "victims of gross injustice, of blatant racism." Moran branded as "basically a Nazi" Dr. Walter A. Plecker, a white supremacist and head of the state Bureau of Vital Statistics from 1912 to 1946, who vigorously sought to deny the Indians' existence on grounds they were black. But it was unclear how the human rights case shaped by supporters will play against concerns of opponents who have raised the specter of casino gambling in Virginia if tribes are accorded federal recognition. Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va., plunged into that fray. "I want to be supportive" of the bill, he said yesterday. Yet Warner planned an amendment to bar gambling "on the property, unless that gambling is sanctioned by the laws of Virginia." The bill sponsored by Moran, D-8th District, has long been sought by Virginia Indian leaders. It took months to gather tribal histories and other data for the bill, and more recently it was slowed by a lack of support. Moran introduced it abruptly, shortly before the House was scheduled to recess for its August break. Reps. Robert C. Scott, D-3rd District, and Thomas M. Davis III, R-11th and head of the Republican re-election effort for the House, intend to be co-sponsors, their spokesmen said. Casino gambling operated by federally recognized Indian tribes has become a fiery issue in Congress and has dominated many Native American issues brought to the House floor, according to experts. Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-10th and an influential senior Republican in the GOP-controlled House, vowed strong opposition earlier to federal recognition for Virginia's Indian tribes. Wolf said he feared that federal recognition could open the door to casino gambling and ultimately to corruption in a state known for clean government. Indian leaders from Virginia disagree that gambling ought be part of the debate. "The issue is not about gaming," said Troy Adkins, a Chickahominy Indian and member of the Virginia Council on Indians, which advises the governor. "It's about housing for those who can't afford adequate housing; economic development to provide sufficient funds to make the tribes self-sustaining; health services, especially for the elderly; and educational opportunities for the young people." With federal recognition would come not only sovereignty, which affords the tribes a government-to-government relationship with the United States, but also eligibility for certain U.S. government programs for American Indians. Chief Kenneth Branham of the Amherst County-based Monacan Indian Nation said, "If we were into gambling, each one of these tribes would have a bingo hall now. No tribe in Virginia has a bingo hall. No tribe has shown any interest in casinos, whatsoever." In 1999, both chambers of Virginia's General Assembly agreed to a resolution urging Congress to grant federal recognition to the Virginia tribes and asking the state's delegation in Congress "to take all necessary steps forthwith" to advance it. The resolution noted that members of Virginia's tribes have "represented that they have no intent in operating commercial gaming on their lands." Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Republican, has not taken a position on the legislation. He said last winter that he does not want to see "the ability to extend Indian gaming into the commonwealth, which places gambling outside of the purview of the regulation of Virginia. We already have enough." In 1990 there were about 3,000 indigenous Virginia Indians out of 15,000 American Indians counted in the statewide census, according to scholars. Sen. Charles S. Robb, D-Va., said yesterday he needed further study on issues "including the federal, state and local implications" before making a decision on supporting the bill. "I have met with many members of the various tribes, and I would agree that their unique history of neglect and discrimination is something that must be addressed," Robb said in a written statement. Because it is late in a high-stakes election year, little if any action is expected on the bill before Congress departs Washington in autumn. These are the tribes seeking federal recognition: Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Nansemond, and Monacan Indian Nation. Each has been given state recognition. Home | The Video | Elders | Other Voices | Your Letters | Books | Leonard Peltier | NATV | E-Mail