MEDIA INDIGENA 334

The debate over state vs federal recognition of tribes in the U.S. 📻 MI 334

This week: controversy at the Congress. The National Congress of American Indians, that is. And according to its website, NCAI is “the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.” A little too representative, claim critics, who allege entities are permitted if not encouraged to join the Congress as tribes with insufficient claims to being tribes.

The core concern: recognition. Not just how, but by whom. A concern which came to a head last month at NCAI’s 80th annual convention, when a pair of resolutions pushed to restrict full membership rights to federally-recognized tribes, thereby limiting state-recognized tribes to non-voting associate membership. But is federal recognition the be-all and end-all of what makes a tribe truly tribal? Isn’t outsourcing who you are to outsiders itself oppressive? And why would the approval of a colonial country hellbent on your destruction be of help to anyone?

Leading host/producer Rick Harp and Ken Williams (University of Alberta department of drama associate professor) through the nitty-gritty of this divisive debate is fellow MI regular Kim TallBear (U of A Faculty of Native Studies professor).

Links discussed/consulted this episode:

• Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA)
• Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes Santa Clara Law Review
• National Congress of American Indians kicks off milestone convention Indianz.com
• NCAI to vote on excluding state-recognized tribes Indian Country Today (ICT)
• NCAI Faces Controversial Constitutional Amendments to Remove State Recognized Tribes Native News Online
• “Advocating for Needed Change at NCAI” (Op-Ed) Native News Online
• “Defend Tribal Sovereignty: Vote ‘Yes’ On Amendments to NCAI Constitution” (Op-Ed) Native News Online
• “NCAI has an identity issue, not state-recognized tribes” (Op-Ed) ICT
• NCAI Vote to Exclude State Recognized Nations Fails Underscore
• “Muscogee (Creek) Nation Files Suit Against the City of Tulsa” MuscogeeNation.com
• States opposed tribes’ access to the Colorado River 70 years ago. History is repeating itself High Country News
• Why are Abenaki Nations challenging the legitimacy of Vermont's state-recognized tribes? Vermont Public
• ‘A false narrative’: Abenaki leaders dispute the legitimacy of Vermont’s state-recognized tribes VTdigger
• Lawyers for family charged with falsely claiming Inuit identity appear in court Global News
• First Nations speak out against Métis bill Toronto Star
• White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere MEDIA INDIGENA 72 & 73

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