Credit: Illustration by Bethany Atkinson/Deep South Today
Everyone deserves access to quality information. Sign up for our free newsletters.
Louisiana’s tribes face challenges in gaining state and federal recognition, navigating complex bureaucratic processes that require extensive historical and cultural documentation. Tribes contend with stringent criteria and political opposition on their path to recognition. The struggle highlights broader issues of indigenous rights and identity, as well as the need for a more accessible and equitable recognition process at the state and federal levels.
State recognition
The Task Force on State Recognition of Indian Tribes in Louisiana, also known as the Native American Commission, was created in 2018 to suggest improvements to the state’s tribal recognition process. Its objectives include evaluating current criteria, assessing the historical and cultural appropriateness, and ensuring fairness and transparency. The task force includes 11 state-recognized tribes, four federally recognized tribes, state government officials, historians, legal experts, among others to to bring multiple perspectives to the Louisiana state recognition process.
Unable to establish criteria for recognizing tribes, the task force met for the last time in February. Fred Simon, primary chief of the Natchitoches Tribe, said the inability to achieve a quorum was due to disinterest of federally recognized members in state matters, absenteeism and illness.
The federal recognition process
Federal recognition is challenging and vital as it grants tribes legal standing and sovereignty in the eyes of the U.S. government. It means access to federal funding, health and education services, and the ability to govern their lands independently. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA) administers the process, requiring tribes to meet seven criteria. These include proving historical continuity, demonstrating a distinct community, showing political influence, possessing a governing document, descending from a historical tribe, having unique membership not belonging to other recognized tribes, and not being previously federally recognized.
The struggle of Louisiana’s tribes
The challenges Louisiana’s state-recognized tribes face in their quest for federal recognition are rooted in both history and contemporary political landscapes. The United Houma Nation, the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, and the Clifton-Choctaw have had varied experiences in efforts, reflecting the complex interplay of historical documentation, legal battles, and political advocacy.
The United Houma Nation, with a membership exceeding 17,000 people, has been seeking federal recognition since 1979, making it one of the longest unresolved cases. Despite clear evidence of a continuous tribal community and culture, the process has been stalled by bureaucratic delays and documentation demands. The tribe’s history, marked by European contact in the 1600s and a long-standing presence in southern Louisiana, has been well-documented, yet the federal government seeks more precise documentation of political authority and governance through history. The process is also hindered by the oil and gas sector, which influences land and resource rights.
The Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb in western Louisiana has faced similar hurdles. Their application process has highlighted the challenges of proving historical continuity and distinct community status, given the limited written records from the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite strong cultural traditions and community bonds, the tribe struggles with the federal requirement for continuous and clear political governance documentation.
The Clifton-Choctaw’s smaller size and more isolated geographical location have made it difficult to gain the political and public support necessary to push their recognition forward. The tribe has faced historical documentation continuity but also the task of navigating the complex political landscape that influences the federal recognition process.
Louisiana tribes’ pursuit of recognition is complex, marked by a task force’s struggle to set criteria and historical challenges. Their efforts continues despite facing systemic hurdles.
Unless otherwise noted, you can republish most of Verite’s stories for free under a Creative Commons license.
For digital publications:
Look for the “Republish This Story” button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS).
You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.
You can’t sell or syndicate our stories.
Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.
If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @VeriteNewsNola on Facebook and @VeriteNewsNola on Twitter.
For print publications:
You have to credit Verite. We prefer “Author Name, Verite News” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Verite News” and include our website, veritenews.org.
You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.
You cannot republish our photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor Tim Morrisfor more information).
Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories.
You can’t sell or syndicate our stories.
You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection.
Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.
If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @VeriteNewsNola on Facebook and @VeriteNewsNola on Twitter.
If you have any other questions, contact managing editor Tim Morris.
La. tribes face challenges in effort to gain federal and state recognition
by Brandi Liberty, Verite News New Orleans March 25, 2024
Brandi Liberty is an enrolled member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska and a descendant of the United Houma Nation in Southern Louisiana. She is the owner of The Luak Group and its subsidiary...
More by Brandi Liberty
La. tribes face challenges in effort to gain federal and state recognition
Share this:
Everyone deserves access to quality information. Sign up for our free newsletters.
Louisiana’s tribes face challenges in gaining state and federal recognition, navigating complex bureaucratic processes that require extensive historical and cultural documentation. Tribes contend with stringent criteria and political opposition on their path to recognition. The struggle highlights broader issues of indigenous rights and identity, as well as the need for a more accessible and equitable recognition process at the state and federal levels.
State recognition
The Task Force on State Recognition of Indian Tribes in Louisiana, also known as the Native American Commission, was created in 2018 to suggest improvements to the state’s tribal recognition process. Its objectives include evaluating current criteria, assessing the historical and cultural appropriateness, and ensuring fairness and transparency. The task force includes 11 state-recognized tribes, four federally recognized tribes, state government officials, historians, legal experts, among others to to bring multiple perspectives to the Louisiana state recognition process.
Unable to establish criteria for recognizing tribes, the task force met for the last time in February. Fred Simon, primary chief of the Natchitoches Tribe, said the inability to achieve a quorum was due to disinterest of federally recognized members in state matters, absenteeism and illness.
The federal recognition process
Federal recognition is challenging and vital as it grants tribes legal standing and sovereignty in the eyes of the U.S. government. It means access to federal funding, health and education services, and the ability to govern their lands independently. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA) administers the process, requiring tribes to meet seven criteria. These include proving historical continuity, demonstrating a distinct community, showing political influence, possessing a governing document, descending from a historical tribe, having unique membership not belonging to other recognized tribes, and not being previously federally recognized.
The struggle of Louisiana’s tribes
The challenges Louisiana’s state-recognized tribes face in their quest for federal recognition are rooted in both history and contemporary political landscapes. The United Houma Nation, the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, and the Clifton-Choctaw have had varied experiences in efforts, reflecting the complex interplay of historical documentation, legal battles, and political advocacy.
The United Houma Nation, with a membership exceeding 17,000 people, has been seeking federal recognition since 1979, making it one of the longest unresolved cases. Despite clear evidence of a continuous tribal community and culture, the process has been stalled by bureaucratic delays and documentation demands. The tribe’s history, marked by European contact in the 1600s and a long-standing presence in southern Louisiana, has been well-documented, yet the federal government seeks more precise documentation of political authority and governance through history. The process is also hindered by the oil and gas sector, which influences land and resource rights.
The Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb in western Louisiana has faced similar hurdles. Their application process has highlighted the challenges of proving historical continuity and distinct community status, given the limited written records from the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite strong cultural traditions and community bonds, the tribe struggles with the federal requirement for continuous and clear political governance documentation.
The Clifton-Choctaw’s smaller size and more isolated geographical location have made it difficult to gain the political and public support necessary to push their recognition forward. The tribe has faced historical documentation continuity but also the task of navigating the complex political landscape that influences the federal recognition process.
Louisiana tribes’ pursuit of recognition is complex, marked by a task force’s struggle to set criteria and historical challenges. Their efforts continues despite facing systemic hurdles.
Related
Most Read Stories
Recent Stories
Workers, unhoused people deal with delays, shut downs due to Super Bowl
Minors in Louisiana could be sent to adult prison for a growing list of crimes
New Orleans Improvement League emerged after NAACP ban
New Orleans tried to ban guns near the Super Bowl. It failed
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Brandi Liberty
Brandi Liberty is an enrolled member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska and a descendant of the United Houma Nation in Southern Louisiana. She is the owner of The Luak Group and its subsidiary... More by Brandi Liberty