To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
" Barrack Obama: Justice for Native Americans"
Meet with Non-Federally Recognized tribal leaders to seek a place on committees, groups and policy makers tables. Policies concerning Native Americans should involve All Native Americans.
Why is this important?
Federal recognition has been denied or stripped from over 400 thousand native Americans in California alone. This is a systemic problem throughout the United States. The re-recognition or recognition process can take over 30 years and millions of dollars. Many times after years of litigation it results in denial for recognition.
For many of us we have federal recognition through the '1972 California Judgment Fund Payment', we were Native enough to be paid but it does not signify federal recognition or membership in a "Federally Recognized Tribe".
This is played out throughout the United States, Hawaii is the worst for recognition with California being second worst.
Some of the so called "tribes" in California were Rancherias that was land set aside for homeless Indians, they were a consortium of many tribes. Because of their status of having a "land" base they were considered as a tribe. Any other Natives without a reservation, Rancheria or land in federal trust for Indians were taken from the recognition roles. That left an estimated 38 thousand Natives on the Federal recognition roles and stripped recognition of close to 500 thousand Native Californians.
We are not allowed to participate in any discussion at the state or federal level concerning native needs or policies.
It is time our voices are heard
For many of us we have federal recognition through the '1972 California Judgment Fund Payment', we were Native enough to be paid but it does not signify federal recognition or membership in a "Federally Recognized Tribe".
This is played out throughout the United States, Hawaii is the worst for recognition with California being second worst.
Some of the so called "tribes" in California were Rancherias that was land set aside for homeless Indians, they were a consortium of many tribes. Because of their status of having a "land" base they were considered as a tribe. Any other Natives without a reservation, Rancheria or land in federal trust for Indians were taken from the recognition roles. That left an estimated 38 thousand Natives on the Federal recognition roles and stripped recognition of close to 500 thousand Native Californians.
We are not allowed to participate in any discussion at the state or federal level concerning native needs or policies.
It is time our voices are heard