S 379
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 379
To extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe,
the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi
Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and
the Nansemond Indian Tribe.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 17, 2011
Mr. WEBB (for himself and Mr. WARNER) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
A BILL
To extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe,
the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi
Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and
the Nansemond Indian Tribe.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Indian Tribes of Virginia
Federal Recognition Act of 2011'.
(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE
Sec. 103. Federal recognition.
Sec. 104. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 105. Governing body.
Sec. 106. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 107. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.
Sec. 108. Jurisdiction of Commonwealth of Virginia.
TITLE II--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE--EASTERN DIVISION
Sec. 203. Federal recognition.
Sec. 204. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 205. Governing body.
Sec. 206. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 207. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.
Sec. 208. Jurisdiction of Commonwealth of Virginia.
TITLE III--UPPER MATTAPONI TRIBE
Sec. 303. Federal recognition.
Sec. 304. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 305. Governing body.
Sec. 306. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 307. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.
Sec. 308. Jurisdiction of Commonwealth of Virginia.
TITLE IV--RAPPAHANNOCK TRIBE, INC.
Sec. 403. Federal recognition.
Sec. 404. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 405. Governing body.
Sec. 406. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 407. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.
Sec. 408. Jurisdiction of Commonwealth of Virginia.
TITLE V--MONACAN INDIAN NATION
Sec. 503. Federal recognition.
Sec. 504. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 505. Governing body.
Sec. 506. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 507. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.
Sec. 508. Jurisdiction of Commonwealth of Virginia.
TITLE VI--NANSEMOND INDIAN TRIBE
Sec. 603. Federal recognition.
Sec. 604. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 605. Governing body.
Sec. 606. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 607. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.
Sec. 608. Jurisdiction of Commonwealth of Virginia.
TITLE I--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
(1) in 1607, when the English settlers set shore along the Virginia
coastline, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe was 1 of about 30 tribes
that received them;
(2) in 1614, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe entered into a treaty with
Sir Thomas Dale, Governor of the Jamestown Colony, under which--
(A) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe agreed to provide 2 bushels of
corn per man and send warriors to protect the English; and
(B) Sir Thomas Dale agreed in return to allow the Tribe to continue
to practice its own tribal governance;
(3) in 1646, a treaty was signed which forced the Chickahominy from
their homeland to the area around the York Mattaponi River in present-day
King William County, leading to the formation of a reservation;
(4) in 1677, following Bacon's Rebellion, the Queen of Pamunkey signed
the Treaty of Middle Plantation on behalf of the Chickahominy;
(5) in 1702, the Chickahominy were forced from their reservation,
which caused the loss of a land base;
(6) in 1711, the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg established
a grammar school for Indians called Brafferton College;
(7) a Chickahominy child was 1 of the first Indians to attend Brafferton
College;
(8) in 1750, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe began to migrate from King
William County back to the area around the Chickahominy River in New
Kent and Charles City Counties;
(9) in 1793, a Baptist missionary named Bradby took refuge with the
Chickahominy and took a Chickahominy woman as his wife;
(10) in 1831, the names of the ancestors of the modern-day Chickahominy
Indian Tribe began to appear in the Charles City County census records;
(11) in 1901, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe formed Samaria Baptist
Church;
(12) from 1901 to 1935, Chickahominy men were assessed a tribal tax
so that their children could receive an education;
(13) the Tribe used the proceeds from the tax to build the first Samaria
Indian School, buy supplies, and pay a teacher's salary;
(14) in 1919, C. Lee Moore, Auditor of Public Accounts for Virginia,
told Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins that he had instructed the Commissioner
of Revenue for Charles City County to record Chickahominy tribal members
on the county tax rolls as Indian, and not as White or colored;
(15) during the period of 1920 through 1930, various Governors of
the Commonwealth of Virginia wrote letters of introduction for Chickahominy
Chiefs who had official business with Federal agencies in Washington,
DC;
(16) in 1934, Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins wrote to John Collier,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, requesting money to acquire land for
the Chickahominy Indian Tribe's use, to build school, medical, and
library facilities and to buy tractors, implements, and seed;
(17) in 1934, John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, wrote
to Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins, informing him that Congress had
passed the Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the `Indian Reorganization
Act') (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.), but had not made the appropriation
to fund the Act;
(18) in 1942, Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins wrote to John Collier,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, asking for help in getting the proper
racial designation on Selective Service records for Chickahominy soldiers;
(19) in 1943, John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, asked
Douglas S. Freeman, editor of the Richmond News-Leader newspaper of
Richmond, Virginia, to help Virginia Indians obtain proper racial
designation on birth records;
(20) Collier stated that his office could not officially intervene
because it had no responsibility for the Virginia Indians, `as a matter
largely of historical accident', but was `interested in them as descendants
of the original inhabitants of the region';
(21) in 1948, the Veterans' Education Committee of the Virginia State
Board of Education approved Samaria Indian School to provide training
to veterans;
(22) that school was established and run by the Chickahominy Indian
Tribe;
(23) in 1950, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe purchased and donated
to the Charles City County School Board land to be used to build a
modern school for students of the Chickahominy and other Virginia
Indian tribes;
(24) the Samaria Indian School included students in grades 1 through
8;
(25) In 1961, Senator Sam Ervin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Constitutional
Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, requested
Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins to provide assistance in analyzing
the status of the constitutional rights of Indians `in your area';
(26) in 1967, the Charles City County school board closed Samaria
Indian School and converted the school to a countywide primary school
as a step toward full school integration of Indian and non-Indian
students;
(27) in 1972, the Charles City County school board began receiving
funds under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act (25 U.S.C. 458aa et seq.) on behalf of Chickahominy students,
which funding is provided as of the date of enactment of this Act
under title V of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act (25 U.S.C. 458aaa et seq.);
(28) in 1974, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe bought land and built
a tribal center using monthly pledges from tribal members to finance
the transactions;
(29) in 1983, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe was granted recognition
as an Indian tribe by the Commonwealth of Virginia, along with 5 other
Indian tribes; and
(30) in 1985, Governor Gerald Baliles was the special guest at an
intertribal Thanksgiving Day dinner hosted by the Chickahominy Indian
Tribe.
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS.
(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) TRIBAL MEMBER- The term `tribal member' means--
(A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of
the Tribe in accordance with this title.
(3) TRIBE- The term `Tribe' means the Chickahominy Indian Tribe.
SEC. 103. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
(1) IN GENERAL- Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS- All laws (including regulations) of the
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian
tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.)), that are not inconsistent with this title shall
be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.
(b) Federal Services and Benefits-
(1) IN GENERAL- On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all services and benefits
provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian
tribes without regard to--
(A) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
(B) the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near
any Indian reservation.
(2) SERVICE AREA- For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services
to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered
to be the area comprised of New Kent County, James City County, Charles
City County, and Henrico County, Virginia.
SEC. 104. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the
most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted
by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 105. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
(1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment
of this Act; or
(2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election
procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
SEC. 106. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.
(a) In General- On request of the Tribe, the Secretary--
(1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January
1, 2007; and
(2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe, if the land is located within the boundaries
of New Kent County, James City County, Charles City County, or Henrico
County, Virginia.
(b) Deadline for Determination- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of a request of the Tribe
under subsection (a), make a final written determination regarding
the request; and
(2) immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.
(c) Reservation Status- On request of the Tribe, any land taken into
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall be
considered to be a part of the reservation of the Tribe.
(d) Gaming- The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities--
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
(2) pursuant to any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (including any regulations promulgated
pursuant to that Act by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming
Commission).
SEC. 107. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER RIGHTS.
Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any
hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe
and members of the Tribe.
SEC. 108. JURISDICTION OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General- The Commonwealth of Virginia shall exercise jurisdiction
over any criminal offense committed, and any civil actions arising,
on land located within the Commonwealth that is owned by, or held in
trust by the United States for, the Tribe.
(b) Acceptance of Commonwealth Jurisdiction by Secretary- The Secretary
may accept on behalf of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General of the United States, all or any portion of the jurisdiction
of the Commonwealth of Virginia described in subsection (a) on verification
by the Secretary of a certification by the Tribe that the Tribe possesses
the capacity to reassume that jurisdiction.
(c) Effect of Section- Nothing in this section affects the application
of section 109 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).
TITLE II--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE--EASTERN DIVISION
SEC. 201. FINDINGS.
(1) in 1607, when the English settlers set shore along the Virginia
coastline, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe was 1 of about 30 tribes
that received them;
(2) in 1614, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe entered into a treaty with
Sir Thomas Dale, Governor of the Jamestown Colony, under which--
(A) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe agreed to provide 2 bushels of
corn per man and send warriors to protect the English; and
(B) Sir Thomas Dale agreed in return to allow the Tribe to continue
to practice its own tribal governance;
(3) in 1646, a treaty was signed which forced the Chickahominy from
their homeland to the area around the York River in present-day King
William County, leading to the formation of a reservation;
(4) in 1677, following Bacon's Rebellion, the Queen of Pamunkey signed
the Treaty of Middle Plantation on behalf of the Chickahominy;
(5) in 1702, the Chickahominy were forced from their reservation,
which caused the loss of a land base;
(6) in 1711, the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg established
a grammar school for Indians called Brafferton College;
(7) a Chickahominy child was 1 of the first Indians to attend Brafferton
College;
(8) in 1750, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe began to migrate from King
William County back to the area around the Chickahominy River in New
Kent and Charles City Counties;
(9) in 1793, a Baptist missionary named Bradby took refuge with the
Chickahominy and took a Chickahominy woman as his wife;
(10) in 1831, the names of the ancestors of the modern-day Chickahominy
Indian Tribe began to appear in the Charles City County census records;
(11) in 1870, a census revealed an enclave of Indians in New Kent
County that is believed to be the beginning of the Chickahominy Indian
Tribe--Eastern Division;
(12) other records were destroyed when the New Kent County courthouse
was burned, leaving a State census as the only record covering that
period;
(13) in 1901, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe formed Samaria Baptist
Church;
(14) from 1901 to 1935, Chickahominy men were assessed a tribal tax
so that their children could receive an education;
(15) the Tribe used the proceeds from the tax to build the first Samaria
Indian School, buy supplies, and pay a teacher's salary;
(16) in 1910, a 1-room school covering grades 1 through 8 was established
in New Kent County for the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division;
(17) during the period of 1920 through 1921, the Chickahominy Indian
Tribe--Eastern Division began forming a tribal government;
(18) E.P. Bradby, the founder of the Tribe, was elected to be Chief;
(19) in 1922, Tsena Commocko Baptist Church was organized;
(20) in 1925, a certificate of incorporation was issued to the Chickahominy
Indian Tribe--Eastern Division;
(21) in 1950, the 1-room Indian school in New Kent County was closed
and students were bused to Samaria Indian School in Charles City County;
(22) in 1967, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe and the Chickahominy Indian
Tribe--Eastern Division lost their schools as a result of the required
integration of students;
(23) during the period of 1982 through 1984, Tsena Commocko Baptist
Church built a new sanctuary to accommodate church growth;
(24) in 1983 the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division was granted
State recognition along with 5 other Virginia Indian tribes;
(A) the Virginia Council on Indians was organized as a State agency;
and
(B) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division was granted
a seat on the Council;
(26) in 1988, a nonprofit organization known as the `United Indians
of Virginia' was formed; and
(27) Chief Marvin `Strongoak' Bradby of the Eastern Band of the Chickahominy
presently chairs the organization.
SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.
(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) TRIBAL MEMBER- The term `tribal member' means--
(A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of
the Tribe in accordance with this title.
(3) TRIBE- The term `Tribe' means the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern
Division.
SEC. 203. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
(1) IN GENERAL- Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS- All laws (including regulations) of the
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian
tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.)), that are not inconsistent with this title shall
be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.
(b) Federal Services and Benefits-
(1) IN GENERAL- On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all future services
and benefits provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized
Indian tribes without regard to--
(A) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
(B) the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near
any Indian reservation.
(2) SERVICE AREA- For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services
to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered
to be the area comprised of New Kent County, James City County, Charles
City County, and Henrico County, Virginia.
SEC. 204. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the
most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted
by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 205. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
(1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment
of this Act; or
(2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election
procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
SEC. 206. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.
(a) In General- On request of the Tribe, the Secretary--
(1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January
1, 2007; and
(2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe, if the land is located within the boundaries
of New Kent County, James City County, Charles City County, or Henrico
County, Virginia.
(b) Deadline for Determination- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of a request of the Tribe
under subsection (a), make a final written determination regarding
the request; and
(2) immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.
(c) Reservation Status- On request of the Tribe, any land taken into
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall be
considered to be a part of the reservation of the Tribe.
(d) Gaming- The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities--
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
(2) pursuant to any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (including any regulations promulgated
pursuant to that Act by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming
Commission).
SEC. 207. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER RIGHTS.
Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any
hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe
and members of the Tribe.
SEC. 208. JURISDICTION OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General- The Commonwealth of Virginia shall exercise jurisdiction
over any criminal offense committed, and any civil actions arising,
on land located within the Commonwealth that is owned by, or held in
trust by the United States for, the Tribe.
(b) Acceptance of Commonwealth Jurisdiction by Secretary- The Secretary
may accept on behalf of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General of the United States, all or any portion of the jurisdiction
of the Commonwealth of Virginia described in subsection (a) on verification
by the Secretary of a certification by the Tribe that the Tribe possesses
the capacity to reassume that jurisdiction.
(c) Effect of Section- Nothing in this section affects the application
of section 109 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).
TITLE III--UPPER MATTAPONI TRIBE
SEC. 301. FINDINGS.
(1) during the period of 1607 through 1646, the Chickahominy Indian
Tribes--
(A) lived approximately 20 miles from Jamestown; and
(B) were significantly involved in English-Indian affairs;
(2) Mattaponi Indians, who later joined the Chickahominy Indians,
lived a greater distance from Jamestown;
(3) in 1646, the Chickahominy Indians moved to Mattaponi River basin,
away from the English;
(4) in 1661, the Chickahominy Indians sold land at a place known as
`the cliffs' on the Mattaponi River;
(5) in 1669, the Chickahominy Indians--
(A) appeared in the Virginia Colony's census of Indian bowmen; and
(B) lived in `New Kent' County, which included the Mattaponi River
basin at that time;
(6) in 1677, the Chickahominy and Mattaponi Indians were subjects
of the Queen of Pamunkey, who was a signatory to the Treaty of 1677
with the King of England;
(7) in 1683, after a Mattaponi town was attacked by Seneca Indians,
the Mattaponi Indians took refuge with the Chickahominy Indians, and
the history of the 2 groups was intertwined for many years thereafter;
(8) in 1695, the Chickahominy and Mattaponi Indians--
(A) were assigned a reservation by the Virginia Colony; and
(B) traded land of the reservation for land at the place known as
`the cliffs' (which, as of the date of enactment of this Act, is
the Mattaponi Indian Reservation), which had been owned by the Mattaponi
Indians before 1661;
(9) in 1711, a Chickahominy boy attended the Indian School at the
College of William and Mary;
(10) in 1726, the Virginia Colony discontinued funding of interpreters
for the Chickahominy and Mattaponi Indian Tribes;
(11) James Adams, who served as an interpreter to the Indian tribes
known as of the date of enactment of this Act as the `Upper Mattaponi
Indian Tribe' and `Chickahominy Indian Tribe', elected to stay with
the Upper Mattaponi Indians;
(12) today, a majority of the Upper Mattaponi Indians have `Adams'
as their surname;
(13) in 1787, Thomas Jefferson, in Notes on the Commonwealth of Virginia,
mentioned the Mattaponi Indians on a reservation in King William County
and said that Chickahominy Indians were `blended' with the Mattaponi
Indians and nearby Pamunkey Indians;
(14) in 1850, the census of the United States revealed a nucleus of
approximately 10 families, all ancestral to modern Upper Mattaponi
Indians, living in central King William County, Virginia, approximately
10 miles from the reservation;
(15) during the period of 1853 through 1884, King William County marriage
records listed Upper Mattaponis as `Indians' in marrying people residing
on the reservation;
(16) during the period of 1884 through the present, county marriage
records usually refer to Upper Mattaponis as `Indians';
(17) in 1901, Smithsonian anthropologist James Mooney heard about
the Upper Mattaponi Indians but did not visit them;
(18) in 1928, University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Frank Speck
published a book on modern Virginia Indians with a section on the
Upper Mattaponis;
(19) from 1929 until 1930, the leadership of the Upper Mattaponi Indians
opposed the use of a `colored' designation in the 1930 United States
census and won a compromise in which the Indian ancestry of the Upper
Mattaponis was recorded but questioned;
(20) during the period of 1942 through 1945--
(A) the leadership of the Upper Mattaponi Indians, with the help
of Frank Speck and others, fought against the induction of young
men of the Tribe into `colored' units in the Armed Forces of the
United States; and
(B) a tribal roll for the Upper Mattaponi Indians was compiled;
(21) from 1945 to 1946, negotiations took place to admit some of the
young people of the Upper Mattaponi to high schools for Federal Indians
(especially at Cherokee) because no high school coursework was available
for Indians in Virginia schools; and
(22) in 1983, the Upper Mattaponi Indians applied for and won State
recognition as an Indian tribe.
SEC. 302. DEFINITIONS.
(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) TRIBAL MEMBER- The term `tribal member' means--
(A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of
the Tribe in accordance with this title.
(3) TRIBE- The term `Tribe' means the Upper Mattaponi Tribe.
SEC. 303. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
(1) IN GENERAL- Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS- All laws (including regulations) of the
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian
tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.)), that are not inconsistent with this title shall
be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.
(b) Federal Services and Benefits-
(1) IN GENERAL- On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all services and benefits
provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian
tribes without regard to--
(A) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
(B) the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near
any Indian reservation.
(2) SERVICE AREA- For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services
to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered
to be the area within 25 miles of the Sharon Indian School at 13383
King William Road, King William County, Virginia.
SEC. 304. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the
most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted
by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 305. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
(1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment
of this Act; or
(2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election
procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
SEC. 306. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.
(a) In General- On request of the Tribe, the Secretary--
(1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January
1, 2007; and
(2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe, if the land is located within the boundaries
of King William County, Caroline County, Hanover County, King and
Queen County, and New Kent County, Virginia.
(b) Deadline for Determination- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of a request of the Tribe
under subsection (a), make a final written determination regarding
the request; and
(2) immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.
(c) Reservation Status- On request of the Tribe, any land taken into
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall be
considered to be a part of the reservation of the Tribe.
(d) Gaming- The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities--
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
(2) pursuant to any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (including any regulations promulgated
pursuant to that Act by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming
Commission).
SEC. 307. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER RIGHTS.
Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any
hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe
and members of the Tribe.
SEC. 308. JURISDICTION OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General- The Commonwealth of Virginia shall exercise jurisdiction
over any criminal offense committed, and any civil actions arising,
on land located within the Commonwealth that is owned by, or held in
trust by the United States for, the Tribe.
(b) Acceptance of Commonwealth Jurisdiction by Secretary- The Secretary
may accept on behalf of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General of the United States, all or any portion of the jurisdiction
of the Commonwealth of Virginia described in subsection (a) on verification
by the Secretary of a certification by the Tribe that the Tribe possesses
the capacity to reassume that jurisdiction.
(c) Effect of Section- Nothing in this section affects the application
of section 109 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).
TITLE IV--RAPPAHANNOCK TRIBE, INC.
SEC. 401. FINDINGS.
(1)(A) the first encounter with the English colonists was chronicled
by George Percy on May 5, 1607, when the Rappahannock werowance, Pipiscumah
or Pipisco, sent a messenger to Captain Christopher Newport bidding
the English to come to him.
(B) Percy wrote, `When we came to Rappahanna's town, he entertained
us in good humanity.';
(C) the meeting took place approximately 10 miles from Jamestown,
at the principal town of the Rappahannocks on the James River, Quioughcohanock
(also called `Tapahanauk');
(D) Quioughcohanock was a part of the Powhatan chiefdom as well as
a later town named after the werowance, Pipisco;
(E) those towns were located in (Old) James City County, which later
became Surry County, Virginia; and
(F) there are numerous interactions between those Rappahannock towns
and the English recorded in the Jamestown Narratives during the period
of 1607 through 1617;
(2) during the initial months after Virginia was settled, the Rappahannock
Indians had 2 encounters with Captain John Smith;
(3)(A) a meeting occurred during the time when Powhatan held Smith
captive (December 1607 through January 8, 1608);
(B) Smith was taken to the Rappahannock principal town on the Rappahannock
River to see if he was the `great man' that had previously sailed
into the Rappahannock River, killed their king and kidnaped their
people; and
(C) it was determined that Smith was too short to be that `great man';
(4) a second meeting took place during Smith's exploration of the
Chesapeake Bay (July 1608 to September 1608), when, after the Moraughtacund
Indians had stolen 3 women from the Rappahannock King, Smith was prevailed
on to facilitate a peaceful truce between the Rappahannock and the
Moraughtacund Indians;
(5) in the settlement, Smith had the 2 Indian tribes meet on the spot
of their first fight;
(6) when it was established that both groups wanted peace, Smith told
the Rappahannock King to select which of the 3 stolen women he wanted;
(7) the Moraughtacund King was given second choice among the 2 remaining
women, and Mosco, a Wighcocomoco (on the Potomac River) guide, was
given the third woman;
(8) in 1645, Captain William Claiborne tried unsuccessfully to establish
treaty relations with the Rappahannocks, because the Rappahannock
towns on the Rappahannock River had not participated in the Pamunkey-led
uprising in 1644, and the English wanted to `treat with the Rappahannocks
or any other Indians not in amity with Opechancanough, concerning
serving the County against the Pamunkey's';
(9) in April 1651, the Rappahannocks conveyed a tract of land to an
English settler, Colonel Morre Fauntleroy;
(10) the deed for the conveyance was signed by Accopatough, weroance
of the Rappahannock Indians;
(11) in September 1653, Lancaster County signed a treaty with Rappahannock
Indians, the terms of which treaty--
(A) gave Rappahannocks the rights of Englishmen in the county court;
and
(B) attempted to make the Rappahannocks more accountable under English
law;
(12) in September 1653, Lancaster County defined and marked the bounds
of its Indian settlements;
(13) according to the Lancaster clerk of court, `the tribe called
the great Rappahannocks lived on the Rappahannock Creek just across
the river above Tappahannock';
(14) in September 1656, (Old) Rappahannock County (which, as of the
date of enactment of this Act, is comprised of Richmond and Essex
Counties, Virginia) signed a treaty with Rappahannock Indians that--
(A) mirrored the Lancaster County treaty from 1653; and
(i) Rappahannocks were to be rewarded, in Roanoke, for returning
English fugitives; and
(ii) the English encouraged the Rappahannocks to send their children
to live among the English as servants, who the English promised
would be well-treated;
(15) in 1658, the Virginia Assembly revised a 1652 Act stating that
`there be no grants of land to any Englishman whatsoever de futuro
until the Indians be first served with the proportion of 50 acres
of land for each bowman';
(16) in 1669, the colony conducted a census of Virginia Indians;
(17) as of the date of that census--
(A) the majority of the Rappahannocks were residing at their hunting
village on the north side of the Mattaponi River; and
(B) at the time of the visit, census-takers were counting only the
Indian tribes along the rivers, which explains why only 30 Rappahannock
bowmen were counted on that river;
(18) the Rappahannocks used the hunting village on the north side
of the Mattaponi River as their primary residence until the Rappahannocks
were removed in 1684;
(19) in May 1677, the Treaty of Middle Plantation was signed with
England;
(20) the Pamunkey Queen Cockacoeske signed on behalf of the Rappahannocks,
`who were supposed to be her tributaries', but before the treaty could
be ratified, the Queen of Pamunkey complained to the Virginia Colonial
Council `that she was having trouble with Rappahannocks and Chickahominies,
supposedly tributaries of hers';
(21) in November 1682, the Virginia Colonial Council established a
reservation for the Rappahannock Indians of 3,474 acres `about the
town where they dwelt', the land being located in (Old) New Kent County,
which was later divided to include the modern counties of Caroline
and King & Queen in Virginia;
(22) the Rappahannock `town' was the hunting village on the north
side of the Mattaponi River, where the Rappahannocks had lived throughout
the 1670s;
(23) the acreage allotment of the reservation was based on the 1658
Indian Land Act, which translates into a bowman population of 70,
or an approximate total Rappahannock population of 350;
(24) in 1683, following raids by Iroquoian warriors on Indian and
English settlements, the Virginia Colonial Council ordered the Rappahannocks
to leave their reservation and unite with the Nanzatico Indians at
Nanzatico Indian Town, which was located across and up the Rappahannock
River approximately 30 miles in King George County;
(25) between 1687 and 1699, the Rappahannocks migrated out of Nanzatico,
returning to the south side of the Rappahannock River at Portobacco
Indian Town;
(26)(A) in 1706, by order of Essex County, Lieutenant Richard Covington
`escorted' the Portobaccos, Nanzaticos, and Rappahannocks out of Portabacco
Indian Town, out of Essex County, and into King and Queen County,
where those Indians settled along the ridgeline between the Rappahannock
and Mattaponi Rivers, the site of their ancient hunting village and
1682 reservation; and
(B) that land encompassed the Newtown area on the King & Queen
County side of the Mattaponi River and extended into Mangohick, on
the King William County side of the Mattaponi River;
(27) during the 1760s, 3 Rappahannock girls were raised on Thomas
Nelson's Bleak Hill Plantation in King William County;
(A) 1 married a Saunders man;
(B) 1 married a Johnson man; and
(C) 1 had 2 children, Edmund and Carter Nelson, fathered by Thomas
Cary Nelson;
(29)(A) land was gifted by the Nelson family to the Saunders and Johnson
families as wedding gifts to the Rappahannock girls in King William
County; and
(B) in the 19th century, those Saunders, Johnson, and Nelson families
were among the core Rappahannock families from which the modern Rappahannock
Tribe traces its descent;
(30) in 1819 and 1820, Edward Bird, John Bird (and his wife), Carter
Nelson, Edmund Nelson, and Carter Spurlock (all Rappahannock ancestors)
were listed on the tax roles of King and Queen County and taxed at
the county poor rate;
(31) Edmund Bird was added to the tax roles in 1821;
(32) those tax records are significant documentation because the great
majority of pre-1864 records for King and Queen County were destroyed
by fire;
(33) beginning in 1819, and continuing through the 1880s, there was
a solid Rappahannock presence in the membership at Upper Essex Baptist
Church;
(34) that was the first instance of conversion to Christianity by
at least some Rappahannock Indians;
(35) while 26 identifiable and traceable Rappahannock surnames appear
on the pre-1863 membership list, and 28 were listed on the 1863 membership
roster, the number of surnames listed had declined to 12 in 1878 and
had risen only slightly to 14 by 1888;
(36) a reason for the decline is that in 1870, a Methodist circuit
rider, Joseph Mastin, secured funds to purchase land and construct
St. Stephens Baptist Church for the Rappahannocks living nearby in
Caroline County;
(37) Mastin referred to the Rappahannocks during the period of 1850
to 1870 as `Indians, having a great need for moral and Christian guidance';
(38) St. Stephens was the dominant tribal church until the Rappahannock
Indian Baptist Church was established in 1964;
(39) at both churches, the core Rappahannock family names of Bird,
Clarke, Fortune, Johnson, Nelson, Parker, and Richardson predominate;
(40) during the early 1900s, James Mooney, noted anthropologist, maintained
correspondence with the Rappahannocks, surveying them and instructing
them on how to formalize their tribal government;
(41) in November 1920, Speck visited the Rappahannocks and assisted
them in organizing the fight for their sovereign rights;
(42) in 1921, the Rappahannocks were granted a charter from the Commonwealth
of Virginia formalizing their tribal government;
(43) Speck began a professional relationship with the Tribe that would
last more than 30 years and document Rappahannock history and traditions
as never before;
(44) in April 1921, Rappahannock Chief George Nelson asked the Governor
of Virginia, Westmoreland Davis, to forward a proclamation to the
President of the United States, along with an appended list of tribal
members and a handwritten copy of the proclamation itself;
(45) the letter concerned Indian freedom of speech and assembly nationwide;
(46) in 1922, the Rappahannocks established a formal school at Lloyds,
Essex County, Virginia;
(47) prior to establishment of the school, Rappahannock children were
taught by a tribal member in Central Point, Caroline County, Virginia;
(48) in December 1923, Rappahannock Chief George Nelson testified
before Congress appealing for a $50,000 appropriation to establish
an Indian school in Virginia;
(49) in 1930, the Rappahannocks were engaged in an ongoing dispute
with the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States Census Bureau
about their classification in the 1930 Federal census;
(50) in January 1930, Rappahannock Chief Otho S. Nelson wrote to Leon
Truesdell, Chief Statistician of the United States Census Bureau,
asking that the 218 enrolled Rappahannocks be listed as Indians;
(51) in February 1930, Truesdell replied to Nelson saying that `special
instructions' were being given about classifying Indians;
(52) in April 1930, Nelson wrote to William M. Steuart at the Census
Bureau asking about the enumerators' failure to classify his people
as Indians, saying that enumerators had not asked the question about
race when they interviewed his people;
(53) in a followup letter to Truesdell, Nelson reported that the enumerators
were `flatly denying' his people's request to be listed as Indians
and that the race question was completely avoided during interviews;
(54) the Rappahannocks had spoken with Caroline and Essex County enumerators,
and with John M.W. Green at that point, without success;
(55) Nelson asked Truesdell to list people as Indians if he sent a
list of members;
(56) the matter was settled by William Steuart, who concluded that
the Bureau's rule was that people of Indian descent could be classified
as `Indian' only if Indian `blood' predominated and `Indian' identity
was accepted in the local community;
(57) the Virginia Vital Statistics Bureau classed all nonreservation
Indians as `Negro', and it failed to see why `an exception should
be made' for the Rappahannocks;
(58) therefore, in 1925, the Indian Rights Association took on the
Rappahannock case to assist the Rappahannocks in fighting for their
recognition and rights as an Indian tribe;
(59) during the Second World War, the Pamunkeys, Mattaponis, Chickahominies,
and Rappahannocks had to fight the draft boards with respect to their
racial identities;
(60) the Virginia Vital Statistics Bureau insisted that certain Indian
draftees be inducted into Negro units;
(61) finally, 3 Rappahannocks who were convicted of violating the
Federal draft laws because they refused to be inducted unless they
could be classified as Indian, after spending time in a Federal prison,
were granted conscientious objector status and served out the remainder
of the war working in military hospitals;
(62) in 1943, Frank Speck noted that there were approximately 25 communities
of Indians left in the Eastern United States that were entitled to
Indian classification, including the Rappahannocks;
(63) in the 1940s, Leon Truesdell, Chief Statistician, of the United
States Census Bureau, listed 118 members in the Rappahannock Tribe
in the Indian population of Virginia;
(64) on April 25, 1940, the Office of Indian Affairs of the Department
of the Interior included the Rappahannocks on a list of Indian tribes
classified by State and by agency;
(65) in 1948, the Smithsonian Institution Annual Report included an
article by William Harlen Gilbert entitled, `Surviving Indian Groups
of the Eastern United States', which included and described the Rappahannock
Tribe;
(66) in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Rappahannocks operated
a school at Indian Neck;
(67) the Commonwealth agreed to pay a tribal teacher to teach 10 students
bused by King and Queen County to Sharon Indian School in King William
County, Virginia;
(68) in 1965, Rappahannock students entered Marriott High School (a
White public school) by executive order of the Governor of Virginia;
(69) in 1972, the Rappahannocks worked with the Coalition of Eastern
Native Americans to fight for Federal recognition;
(70) in 1979, the Coalition established a pottery and artisans company,
operating with other Virginia tribes;
(71) in 1980, the Rappahannocks received funding through the Administration
for Native Americans of the Department of Health and Human Services
to develop an economic program for the Tribe; and
(72) in 1983, the Rappahannocks received State recognition as an Indian
tribe.
SEC. 402. DEFINITIONS.
(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) TRIBAL MEMBER- The term `tribal member' means--
(A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of
the Tribe in accordance with this title.
(A) IN GENERAL- The term `Tribe' means the organization possessing
the legal name Rappahannock Tribe, Inc.
(B) EXCLUSIONS- The term `Tribe' does not include any other Indian
tribe, subtribe, band, or splinter group the members of which represent
themselves as Rappahannock Indians.
SEC. 403. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
(1) IN GENERAL- Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS- All laws (including regulations) of the
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian
tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.)), that are not inconsistent with this title shall
be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.
(b) Federal Services and Benefits-
(1) IN GENERAL- On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all services and benefits
provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian
tribes without regard to--
(A) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
(B) the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near
any Indian reservation.
(2) SERVICE AREA- For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services
to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered
to be the area comprised of King and Queen County, Caroline County,
Essex County, and King William County, Virginia.
SEC. 404. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the
most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted
by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 405. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
(1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment
of this Act; or
(2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election
procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
SEC. 406. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.
(a) In General- On request of the Tribe, the Secretary--
(1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January
1, 2007; and
(2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe, if the land is located within the boundaries
of King and Queen County, Richmond County, Lancaster County, King
George County, Essex County, Caroline County, New Kent County, King
William County, and James City County, Virginia.
(b) Deadline for Determination- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of a request of the Tribe
under subsection (a), make a final written determination regarding
the request; and
(2) immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.
(c) Reservation Status- On request of the Tribe, any land taken into
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall be
considered to be a part of the reservation of the Tribe.
(d) Gaming- The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities--
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
(2) pursuant to any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (including any regulations promulgated
pursuant to that Act by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming
Commission).
SEC. 407. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER RIGHTS.
Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any
hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe
and members of the Tribe.
SEC. 408. JURISDICTION OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General- The Commonwealth of Virginia shall exercise jurisdiction
over any criminal offense committed, and any civil actions arising,
on land located within the Commonwealth that is owned by, or held in
trust by the United States for, the Tribe.
(b) Acceptance of Commonwealth Jurisdiction by Secretary- The Secretary
may accept on behalf of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General of the United States, all or any portion of the jurisdiction
of the Commonwealth of Virginia described in subsection (a) on verification
by the Secretary of a certification by the Tribe that the Tribe possesses
the capacity to reassume that jurisdiction.
(c) Effect of Section- Nothing in this section affects the application
of section 109 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).
TITLE V--MONACAN INDIAN NATION
SEC. 501. FINDINGS.
(1) in 1677, the Monacan Tribe signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation
between Charles II of England and 12 Indian `Kings and Chief Men';
(2) in 1722, in the Treaty of Albany, Governor Spotswood negotiated
to save the Virginia Indians from extinction at the hands of the Iroquois;
(3) specifically mentioned in the negotiations were the Monacan tribes
of the Totero (Tutelo), Saponi, Ocheneeches (Occaneechi), Stengenocks,
and Meipontskys;
(4) in 1790, the first national census recorded Benjamin Evans and
Robert Johns, both ancestors of the present Monacan community, listed
as `white' with mulatto children;
(5) in 1782, tax records also began for those families;
(6) in 1850, the United States census recorded 29 families, mostly
large, with Monacan surnames, the members of which are genealogically
related to the present community;
(7) in 1870, a log structure was built at the Bear Mountain Indian
Mission;
(8) in 1908, the structure became an Episcopal Mission and, as of
the date of enactment of this Act, the structure is listed as a landmark
on the National Register of Historic Places;
(9) in 1920, 304 Amherst Indians were identified in the United States
census;
(10) from 1930 through 1931, numerous letters from Monacans to the
Bureau of the Census resulted from the decision of Dr. Walter Plecker,
former head of the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, not to allow Indians to register as Indians for the 1930
census;
(11) the Monacans eventually succeeded in being allowed to claim their
race, albeit with an asterisk attached to a note from Dr. Plecker
stating that there were no Indians in Virginia;
(12) in 1947, D'Arcy McNickle, a Salish Indian, saw some of the children
at the Amherst Mission and requested that the Cherokee Agency visit
them because they appeared to be Indian;
(13) that letter was forwarded to the Department of the Interior,
Office of Indian Affairs, Chicago, Illinois;
(14) Chief Jarrett Blythe of the Eastern Band of Cherokee did visit
the Mission and wrote that he `would be willing to accept these children
in the Cherokee school';
(15) in 1979, a Federal Coalition of Eastern Native Americans established
the entity known as `Monacan Co-operative Pottery' at the Amherst
Mission;
(16) some important pieces were produced at Monacan Co-operative Pottery,
including a piece that was sold to the Smithsonian Institution;
(17) the Mattaponi-Pamunkey-Monacan Consortium, established in 1981,
has since been organized as a nonprofit corporation that serves as
a vehicle to obtain funds for those Indian tribes from the Department
of Labor under Native American programs;
(18) in 1989, the Monacan Tribe was recognized by the Commonwealth
of Virginia, which enabled the Tribe to apply for grants and participate
in other programs; and
(19) in 1993, the Monacan Tribe received tax-exempt status as a nonprofit
corporation from the Internal Revenue Service.
SEC. 502. DEFINITIONS.
(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) TRIBAL MEMBER- The term `tribal member' means--
(A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of
the Tribe in accordance with this title.
(3) TRIBE- The term `Tribe' means the Monacan Indian Nation.
SEC. 503. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
(1) IN GENERAL- Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS- All laws (including regulations) of the
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian
tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.)), that are not inconsistent with this title shall
be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.
(b) Federal Services and Benefits-
(1) IN GENERAL- On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all services and benefits
provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian
tribes without regard to--
(A) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
(B) the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near
any Indian reservation.
(2) SERVICE AREA- For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services
to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered
to be the area comprised of all land within 25 miles from the center
of Amherst, Virginia.
SEC. 504. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the
most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted
by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 505. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
(1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment
of this Act; or
(2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election
procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
SEC. 506. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.
(a) In General- On request of the Tribe, the Secretary--
(1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January
1, 2007, if the land is located within the boundaries of Amherst County,
Virginia; and
(2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe--
(A) any land held in fee by the Tribe, if the land is located within
the boundaries of Amherst County, Virginia; and
(B) the parcels of land located in Rockbridge County, Virginia (subject
to the consent of the local unit of government), owned by Mr. J.
Poole, described as East 731 Sandbridge (encompassing approximately
4.74 acres) and East 731 (encompassing approximately 5.12 acres).
(b) Deadline for Determination- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of a request of the Tribe
under subsection (a)(2), make a final written determination regarding
the request; and
(2) immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.
(c) Reservation Status- On request of the Tribe, any land taken into
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall be
considered to be a part of the reservation of the Tribe.
(d) Gaming- The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities--
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
(2) pursuant to any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (including any regulations promulgated
pursuant to that Act by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming
Commission).
SEC. 507. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER RIGHTS.
Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any
hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe
and members of the Tribe.
SEC. 508. JURISDICTION OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General- The Commonwealth of Virginia shall exercise jurisdiction
over any criminal offense committed, and any civil actions arising,
on land located within the Commonwealth that is owned by, or held in
trust by the United States for, the Tribe.
(b) Acceptance of Commonwealth Jurisdiction by Secretary- The Secretary
may accept on behalf of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General of the United States, all or any portion of the jurisdiction
of the Commonwealth of Virginia described in subsection (a) on verification
by the Secretary of a certification by the Tribe that the Tribe possesses
the capacity to reassume that jurisdiction.
(c) Effect of Section- Nothing in this section affects the application
of section 109 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).
TITLE VI--NANSEMOND INDIAN TRIBE
SEC. 601. FINDINGS.
(1) from 1607 until 1646, Nansemond Indians--
(A) lived approximately 30 miles from Jamestown; and
(B) were significantly involved in English-Indian affairs;
(2) after 1646, there were 2 sections of Nansemonds in communication
with each other, the Christianized Nansemonds in Norfolk County, who
lived as citizens, and the traditionalist Nansemonds, who lived further
west;
(3) in 1638, according to an entry in a 17th century sermon book still
owned by the Chief's family, a Norfolk County Englishman married a
Nansemond woman;
(4) that man and woman are lineal ancestors of all of members of the
Nansemond Indian tribe alive as of the date of enactment of this Act,
as are some of the traditionalist Nansemonds;
(5) in 1669, the 2 Nansemond sections appeared in Virginia Colony's
census of Indian bowmen;
(6) in 1677, Nansemond Indians were signatories to the Treaty of 1677
with the King of England;
(7) in 1700 and 1704, the Nansemonds and other Virginia Indian tribes
were prevented by Virginia Colony from making a separate peace with
the Iroquois;
(8) Virginia represented those Indian tribes in the final Treaty of
Albany, 1722;
(9) in 1711, a Nansemond boy attended the Indian School at the College
of William and Mary;
(10) in 1727, Norfolk County granted William Bass and his kinsmen
the `Indian privileges' of clearing swamp land and bearing arms (which
privileges were forbidden to other non-Whites) because of their Nansemond
ancestry, which meant that Bass and his kinsmen were original inhabitants
of that land;
(11) in 1742, Norfolk County issued a certificate of Nansemond descent
to William Bass;
(12) from the 1740s to the 1790s, the traditionalist section of the
Nansemond tribe, 40 miles west of the Christianized Nansemonds, was
dealing with reservation land;
(13) the last surviving members of that section sold out in 1792 with
the permission of the Commonwealth of Virginia;
(14) in 1797, Norfolk County issued a certificate stating that William
Bass was of Indian and English descent, and that his Indian line of
ancestry ran directly back to the early 18th century elder in a traditionalist
section of Nansemonds on the reservation;
(15) in 1833, Virginia enacted a law enabling people of European and
Indian descent to obtain a special certificate of ancestry;
(16) the law originated from the county in which Nansemonds lived,
and mostly Nansemonds, with a few people from other counties, took
advantage of the new law;
(17) a Methodist mission established around 1850 for Nansemonds is
currently a standard Methodist congregation with Nansemond members;
(18) in 1901, Smithsonian anthropologist James Mooney--
(A) visited the Nansemonds; and
(B) completed a tribal census that counted 61 households and was
later published;
(19) in 1922, Nansemonds were given a special Indian school in the
segregated school system of Norfolk County;
(20) the school survived only a few years;
(21) in 1928, University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Frank Speck
published a book on modern Virginia Indians that included a section
on the Nansemonds; and
(22) the Nansemonds were organized formally, with elected officers,
in 1984, and later applied for and received State recognition.
SEC. 602. DEFINITIONS.
(1) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) TRIBAL MEMBER- The term `tribal member' means--
(A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) an individual who has been placed on the membership rolls of
the Tribe in accordance with this title.
(3) TRIBE- The term `Tribe' means the Nansemond Indian Tribe.
SEC. 603. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
(1) IN GENERAL- Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS- All laws (including regulations) of the
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian
tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.)), that are not inconsistent with this title shall
be applicable to the Tribe and tribal members.
(b) Federal Services and Benefits-
(1) IN GENERAL- On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all services and benefits
provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian
tribes without regard to--
(A) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
(B) the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near
any Indian reservation.
(2) SERVICE AREA- For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services
to tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered
to be the area comprised of the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport
News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
SEC. 604. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.
The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the
most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted
by the Tribe to the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 605. GOVERNING BODY.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
(1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date of enactment
of this Act; or
(2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election
procedures specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
SEC. 606. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.
(a) In General- On request of the Tribe, the Secretary--
(1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe on or before January
1, 2007; and
(2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land held
in fee by the Tribe, if the land is located within the boundaries
of the city of Suffolk, the city of Chesapeake, or Isle of Wight County,
Virginia.
(b) Deadline for Determination- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of a request of the Tribe
under subsection (a), make a final written determination regarding
the request; and
(2) immediately make that determination available to the Tribe.
(c) Reservation Status- On request of the Tribe, any land taken into
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall be
considered to be a part of the reservation of the Tribe.
(d) Gaming- The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities--
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
(2) pursuant to any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (including any regulations promulgated
pursuant to that Act by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming
Commission).
SEC. 607. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER RIGHTS.
Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any manner any
hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe
and members of the Tribe.
SEC. 608. JURISDICTION OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
(a) In General- The Commonwealth of Virginia shall exercise jurisdiction
over any criminal offense committed, and any civil actions arising,
on land located within the Commonwealth that is owned by, or held in
trust by the United States for, the Tribe.
(b) Acceptance of Commonwealth Jurisdiction by Secretary- The Secretary
may accept on behalf of the United States, after consultation with the
Attorney General of the United States, all or any portion of the jurisdiction
of the Commonwealth of Virginia described in subsection (a) on verification
by the Secretary of a certification by the Tribe that the Tribe possesses
the capacity to reassume that jurisdiction.
(c) Effect of Section- Nothing in this section affects the application
of section 109 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).
END