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State-recognized tribes in the United States are
Native American tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical Tribe (Native American)#Other uses, tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in ...
s or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by
state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...
through laws, governor's executive orders, or state commissions legally granted the power to recognize tribes for varying purposes. State recognition does not dictate whether or not they are recognized as Native American tribes by continually existing tribal nations. Individual states confer state-recognition "for their various internal state government purposes." Members of a state-recognized tribe are still subject to state law and government, and the tribe does not have sovereign control over its affairs. State recognition confers few benefits under federal law. It is not the same as federal recognition, which is the federal government's acknowledgment of a tribe as a dependent sovereign nation. Some states have provided laws related to state recognition that provide some protection of autonomy for tribes that are not recognized by the federal government. For example, in Connecticut, state law recognizing certain tribes also protects reservations and limited self-government rights for state-recognized tribes. Non-recognized tribes is a term for "groups that have no federal designation and are not accepted as sovereign entities under U.S. law," which includes state-recognized tribes. "An additional sub-designation under this classification are 'Federally Non-Recognized' tribes, which includes groups that have previously held federal recognition, either under governments prior to the U.S. Federal Government or as Nations that are no longer in existence and/or no longer meet the criteria as a Nation to have sovereignty status." Such state recognition has at times been opposed by federally recognized tribes. Journalists Adam Elmahrek and Paul Pringle wrote, "Many Native Americans have long opposed allowing states to recognize tribes, arguing that the federal government should make the decision because states often fail to properly screen groups." The
Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...
opposes state-recognized tribes, as well as Cherokee heritage groups and others with no documented descent who claim Cherokee identity. Other groups that identify as being Native American tribes but lack federal or state recognition are listed in the List of organizations that self-identify as Native American tribes.


Demographics and geography

Most state-recognized tribes are located in the
Eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...
, including the three largest state-recognized tribes in the US, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, and the United Houma Nation of Louisiana, each of which has more than ten thousand members. Sources disagree on how many states have state-recognized tribes. In late 2007 about 16 states had recognized 62 tribes.Alexa Koenig and Jonathan Stein
"Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A Survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes across the United States"
''Santa Clara Law Review'', Vol. 48, November 2007
According to the
National Conference of State Legislatures The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials' association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States. Background ...
, only 13 states recognize tribes at the state level by 2022. The Native Nations Institute of the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
lists 15 states as having state-recognized tribes in 2024.


Federal law

The United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, gives ultimate authority with regard to matters affecting the American Indian tribes to the United States federal government. Under US federal law and regulations, an American Indian tribe is a group of Native Americans with self-government authority. This defines those tribes recognized by the federal government. By 2021, 574 tribes had been recognized by the federal government, often as a result of the process of treaties setting up reservations in the 19th century. Four federal agencies have the authority to confer benefits to state-recognized tribes: the
Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
, the
Department of Labor A ministry of labour (''British English, UK''), or labor (''American English, US''), also known as a department of labour, or labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workfor ...
, the
Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
, and the
Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...
. State-recognized tribes also participate in the programs of the
Small Business Administration The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and str ...
(SBA), an independent agency of the US federal government, and there is a
rebuttable presumption In law, a presumption is an "inference of a particular fact". There are two types of presumptions: rebuttable presumptions and irrebuttable (or conclusive) presumptions. A rebuttable presumption will either shift the burden of production (requ ...
that members of state-recognized tribes are "socially disadvantaged" for the purposes of the SBA's 8(a) Business Development program. Under the United States
Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law which prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or d ...
(IACA), members of certain state-recognized tribes may exhibit as identified "Native American" or "American Indian" artists. In addition to citizens of federally recognized tribes and tribally designated artisans, IACA says that members of "any Indian group that has been formally recognized as an Indian tribe by a State legislature or by a State commission or similar organization legislatively vested with State tribal recognition authority" can exhibit or sell art as a "Native American" or "American Indian" artist. The
Administration for Native Americans The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) is a program office within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, established in 1974 through the Native American Programs Act (NAPA). Background The mission of ANA is to promot ...
, a program office within the Department of Health and Human Services, may confer benefits to state-recognized tribes under the Native American Programs Act (NAPA). The
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Pub. L. 101-601, 25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq., 104 Stat. 3048, is a United States federal law enacted on November 16, 1990. The Act includes three major sets of provisions. The "re ...
(NAGPRA) does not require the federal government or museums to consult with state-recognized tribes. State-recognized tribes may request the repatriation of cultural items or human remains only in cooperation with federally recognized tribes. Other federal Indian legislation does not apply to state-recognized tribes. For example,
Indian Preference Indian Preference, also known as Indian Preference in hiring, refers to employment policies which aim to increase representation of American Indians within certain workplaces, particularly within organizations dedicated to the welfare of American In ...
in hiring and the
Indian Child Welfare Act The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA, enacted November 8, 1978 and codified at Indian Child Welfare Act, (, )) is a United States Code, United States federal law that governs jurisdiction over the removal of Native Americans in the United ...
of 1978 do not apply to these organizations.


State-recognition processes

Typically, the state legislature or state agencies involved in cultural or Native American affairs make the formal recognition by criteria they establish, often with Native American representatives, and sometimes based on federal criteria. Statutes that clearly identify criteria for recognition or that explicitly recognize certain tribes remove ambiguity from their status. Many organizations try to assert that various
congratulatory resolutions Courtesy resolution is a non- controversial resolution in the nature of congratulations on the birth of a child, celebration of a wedding anniversary, congratulations of an outstanding citizen achievement or a similar event. It is "a resolution exp ...
constitute recognition as a Native American tribe by a state; however, "Resolutions are statements of opinions and, unlike bills, do not have the force of law."


List of state-recognized tribes

The following is a list of tribes recognized by various states but not by the U.S.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...
. Tribes originally recognized by states that have since gained federal recognition have been deleted from the list below. The list includes state-recognized tribes that have petitioned for federal recognition.


Alabama

By the Davis-Strong Act of 1984, the state established the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission to acknowledge and represent Native American citizens in the state. At that time, it recognized seven tribes that did not have federal recognition. The commission members, representatives of the tribes, have created rules for tribal recognition, which were last updated in 2003, under which three more tribes have been recognized. * Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians. *
Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama The Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama (CTNEAL), formerly the Cherokees of Jackson County, is a state-recognized tribe in Alabama. They have about 3,000 members. The tribe has a representative on the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission and the I ...
(formerly Cherokees of Jackson County, Alabama). Letter of Intent to Petition 09/23/1981; certified letter returned "not known" 11/19/1997. * Cherokees of Southeast Alabama. Letter of Intent to Petition 05/27/1988; certified letter returned marked "deceased" 11/5/1997. * Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama. * Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/27/1983. Declined to Acknowledge 08/18/1988 52 FR 34319, Denied federal recognition.Sheffield (1998) p64 *
MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians is a state-recognized tribe, located in southwest Alabama, with a population largely based in southern Washington County and some membership in northern Mobile County. The term ''MOWA'' is a portmanteau of Mob ...
. Letter of Intent to Petition 05/27/1983. Final Determination to Decline to Acknowledge published 12/24/1997 62FR247:67398-67400; petitioner requested reconsideration from BIA 3/23/1998, denied federal recognition; decision effective 11/26/1999.LIST OF PETITIONERS BY STATE (as of July 31, 2012) (Accessible as of January 15, 201
here
* Piqua Shawnee Tribe. * Star Clan of Muscogee Creeks (formerly Lower Creek Muscogee Tribe East, Star Clan, Southeastern Mvskoke Nation, and Yufala Star Clan of Lower Muscogee Creeks). * United Cherokee Ani-Yun-Wiya Nation (formerly United Cherokee Intertribal). Letter of Intent to Petition 11/08/2001.


Alaska

''Alaska has no state-recognized tribes.''


Arkansas

''Arkansas has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Arizona

''Arizona has no state-recognized tribes.''


California

''California has no state-recognized tribes.''


Colorado

''Colorado has no state-recognized tribes.''


Connecticut

* Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation.Connecticut Law on Indian Tribes (2007-R-0475). Christopher Reinhart, Senior Attorney, on behalf of State of Connecticut General Assembly (Accessible as of July 15, 201
here
.
** Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/28/1978; Reconsidered final determination not to acknowledge became final and effective 10/14/2005 70 FR 60099. ** Paucatuck Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/20/1989. Reconsidered final determination not to acknowledge became final and effective 10/14/2005 70 FR 60099. * Golden Hill Paugussett. Final Determination Against Federal Acknowledgement of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe (2004) *
Schaghticoke Tribal Nation The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN) is a state-recognized tribe in Connecticut. STN is not a federally recognized American Indian tribe. STN is not to be confused with the splinter group Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT), another state-recognized ...
. Letter of Intent to Petition 9/27/2001. Letter of Intent to Petition 12/14/1981; Declined to acknowledge in 2002; Reconsidered final determination not to acknowledge became final and effective 10/14/2005 70 FR 60101. Also known as the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe.


Delaware

* Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware. * Nanticoke Indian Association, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 08/08/1978; requested petition be placed on hold 3/25/1989 of limited applicability.


Florida

Florida has an office to manage Indian affairs: Florida Governor's Council on Indian Affairs, Inc. ''Florida has no state-recognized tribes.''


Georgia

Georgia established a liaison, the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns, in 2001, under the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Parks and Historic Sites Division. In 2007, the state legislature formally recognized the following as American Indian tribes of Georgia: * Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council. * Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokees. (I). Letter of Intent to Petition 01/09/1979; last submission February 2002; ready for Acknowledge review. Unrecognized organizations with the same name as Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokees, Inc. (II) and (III) exist. * Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. Letter of Intent to Petition 02/02/1972; Declined to Acknowledge 12/21/1981 (46 FR 51652). Denied federal recognition.Sheffield (1998) p67 Also known as Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe East of the Mississippi, Inc.


Hawaii

''Hawaii has no state-recognized tribes.''


Idaho

''Idaho has no state-recognized tribes.''


Illinois

''Illinois has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Indiana

''Indiana has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Iowa

''Iowa has no state-recognized tribes.''


Kansas

Kansas has an office to manage Indian affairs: the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations. ''Kansas has no state-recognized tribes.''


Kentucky

''Kentucky has no state-recognized tribes.''


Louisiana

The
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
Office of Indian Affairs oversees state–tribal relations. They maintain a list of federally and state-recognized tribes headquartered in Louisiana. # Addai Caddo Tribe, also Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana, Robeline, LA. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1993."Louisiana Governor's Office of Indian Affairs" Retrieved on 4/8/2008
.
Letter of Intent to Petition 09/13/1993. Also Adais Caddo Indians, Inc. # Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimache Confederation of Muskogees, also Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogee, Denham Springs, LA. Separated from United Houma Nation, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 10/24/1995. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 2005. # Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb, also the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, Zwolle, LA. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1978. Letter of Intent to Petition 07/02/1978. # Clifton-Choctaw, also the Clifton Choctaw Tribe of Louisiana, Clinton, LA. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1978. Letter of Intent to Petition 03/22/1978. Also known as Clifton Choctaw Reservation Inc. # Four Winds Tribe, Louisiana Cherokee Confederacy, also the Four Winds Cherokees, Oakdale, LA. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1997. # Grand Caillou/Dulac Band, also the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw, Chauvin, LA. # Isle de Jean Charles Band, also the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation, Montegut, LA # Louisiana Choctaw Tribe, as the Louisiana Band of Choctaw, Ferriday, LA # Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana, Campti, LA Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 2017 Regular Session, HR227. # Pointe-au-Chien Tribe, also Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, Montegut, LA. Separated from United Houma Nation, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 7/22/1996. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 2004. # United Houma Nation. Recognized by the State of Louisiana in 1972. Letter of Intent to Petition 07/10/1979; Proposed Finding 12/22/1994, 59 FR 6618. Denied federal recognition.


Maine

''Maine has no state-recognized tribes.''


Maryland

On January 9, 2012, for the first time the state-recognized two American Indian tribes under a process developed by the General Assembly; these were both Piscataway groups, historically part of the large
Algonquian languages The Algonquian languages ( ; also Algonkian) are a family of Indigenous languages of the Americas and most of the languages in the Algic language family are included in the group. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from ...
family along the Atlantic Coast. The Governor announced it to the Assembly by executive order. # Accohannock Indian Tribe. Governor Larry Hogan formally recognized this group on December 19, 2017, through Executive Order 01.01.2017.31. # Piscataway-Conoy Tribe. It includes the following two sub-groups: ## Piscataway Conoy Confederacy and Sub-TribesWitte, Brian
"Md. Formally Recognizes 2 American Indian Groups."
''NBC Washington,'' 9 Jan 2011, Retrieved 10 Jan 2011
## Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians :3. Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory.


Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs was created by a legislative act of the
General Court of Massachusetts The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. The name "General Court" is a holdover from the earliest days ...
in 1974, to advise the Commonwealth on how best to establish positive relationships with its Indigenous Tribes. In 1976, Governor
Michael Dukakis Michael Stanley Dukakis ( ; born November 3, 1933) is an American politician and lawyer who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history and only the s ...
issued Executive Order 126, which clarified the responsibilities of the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs and identified three historic and continuous tribes in the Commonwealth: the
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) (Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project – "Fun with words" https://www.wlrp.org/fun-with-words) is a federally recognized tribe of Wampanoag people based in the town of Aquinnah on the southwest tip ...
, the
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (formerly Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.) is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Recognized in 2007, they are headquartered in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Mashpee on ...
and the Hassanamisco Nipmuc. The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe have federal recognition as of 1987 and 2007, respectively. On November 19, 2024, Governor
Maura Healey Maura Tracy Healey (born February 8, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served as Massachusetts Attorney Ge ...
issued Executive Order No. 637, which recognized the
Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe The Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Massachusetts. The members of the tribe are descendants of Wampanoag people. They are based in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Their nonprofit organization is nam ...
alongside the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, and the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe. The order also recognized Tribal Council of the Herring Pond as its governing body, all in accordance with Dukakis' Executive Order No. 126, for all relevant purposes. The Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs lacks the authority to recognize any group, as recognition is beyond the scope of the duties of the commission outlined in Executive Order 126 and in the administration of the Massachusetts government. The Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs announced in August 2023 that it would be establishing a process for state recognition to ensure protections for Native artisans under the
Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law which prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or d ...
. * Hassanamisco Nipmuc. Letter of Intent to Petition 04/22/1980; Declined to acknowledge on 6/25/2004, 69 FR 35667. The Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band petitioned for federal acknowledgment in 1980. It was denied due to its failure to meet four of the seven mandatory criteria for federal acknowledgment. The Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band retains a government-to-government relationship with the state of Massachusetts *
Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe The Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Massachusetts. The members of the tribe are descendants of Wampanoag people. They are based in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Their nonprofit organization is nam ...


Michigan

''Michigan has no state-recognized tribes.''


Minnesota

''Minnesota has no state-recognized tribes.''


Mississippi

The state of Mississippi has offered
congratulatory resolutions Courtesy resolution is a non- controversial resolution in the nature of congratulations on the birth of a child, celebration of a wedding anniversary, congratulations of an outstanding citizen achievement or a similar event. It is "a resolution exp ...
to unrecognized organizations identifying as Native American descendants, such as the MS HR50 in which the legislators "commend and congratulate" Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw Tribe for recognition; however, no laws outline formal state-recognition for this or any other group by the State of Mississippi. ''Mississippi has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Missouri

''Missouri has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Montana

''Montana has the Montana Office of Indian Affairs but has no state-recognized tribes.''


Nebraska

''Nebraska has no state-recognized tribes.''


Nevada

''Nevada has no state-recognized tribes.''


New Hampshire

''New Hampshire has the New Hampshire State Commission on Native American Affairs but no state-recognized tribes.''


New Jersey

* Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/03/1992.Indian Country Today March 27, 2019
/ref> * Ramapough Lenape Nation. * Powhatan Renape Nation.


New Mexico

''New Mexico has no state-recognized tribes.''


New York

* Unkechague Poosepatuck Tribe (Unkechaug Nation)


North Carolina

# Coharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 3/13/1981. # Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe. Letter of Intent to Petition 1/27/1979. Notified of "obvious deficiencies" in federal recognition applicationSheffield (1998) p68-70 # Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/07/1980; determined ineligible to petition (SOL opinion of 10/23/1989). In 2009, Senate Indian Affairs Committee endorsed a bill that would grant federal recognition."Virginia tribes take another step on road to federal recognition"
in ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'', 28 October 2009.
# Meherrin Nation. State-recognized 1987. # Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/06/1995. # Sappony (formerly known as Indians of Person County, North Carolina). # Waccamaw-Siouan Tribe. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/27/1983; determined ineligible to petition (SOL opinion of 10/23/1989). Letter of Intent to Petition 10/16/1992; determined eligible to petition (SOL letter of 6/29/1995). Also known as Waccamaw Siouan Development Association.


North Dakota

''North Dakota has no state-recognized tribes.''


Ohio

''Ohio has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.'' In 1979 and 1980, the Ohio state legislature held hearings about state recognition of the United Remnant Band of the Shawnee Nation of Bellefontaine Ohio. The band filed historical and genealogical documents with the state to support their claim of descent from the historical Shawnee.The
Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Colu ...
held hearings and heard testimony from numerous groups. In 1980, the 113th Ohio General Assembly passed a "Joint Resolution to recognize the Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band", as adopted by the Ohio Senate, 113th
General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
, Regular Session, Am. Sub. H.J.R. No. 8, 1979–1980.Lazarus, David
"Tribal question a matter of dollars"
''Los Angeles Times'', 2 November 2007, accessed 11 January 2014
This is a congratulatory resolution, and Ohio attorney general's office spokesperson Leo Jennings said: "The resolution has no force of law in the state Ohio.… It was basically a ceremonial resolution."


Oklahoma

''Oklahoma has no state-recognized tribes.''


Oregon

''Oregon has no state-recognized tribes.''


Pennsylvania

''Pennsylvania has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Rhode Island

''Rhode Island has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


South Carolina

South Carolina recognizes three entities: "state-recognized tribes", "state-recognized groups", and "special interest organizations." As of 2023, South Carolina recognizes nine tribes that are not recognized by the federal government. * Beaver Creek Indians. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/26/1998. State-recognized tribe in 2006. * Edisto Natchez Kusso Tribe of South Carolina. State-recognized tribe in 2010. Also known as Edisto Natchez-Kusso Indians (Four Holes Indian Organization). * Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina. Letter of Intent to Petition 12/14/2005. State-recognized tribe in 2005. * Pee Dee Indian Tribe. Letter of Intent to Petition 01/30/1995. State recognized in 2006. Formerly Pee Dee Indian Tribe of South Carolina (2005). Formerly Pee Dee Indian Association (1978). * Piedmont American Indian Association. * Santee Indian Organization. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/04/1979. State-recognized tribe in 2006. Formerly White Oak Indian Community. * Sumter Tribe of Cheraw Indians. * The Waccamaw Indian People. * The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians. The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs' Native American Affairs Division also has recognized "state-recognized groups" and "special interest organizations" but these are not the same as the state-recognized tribes. In 2018, South Carolina Governor
Henry McMaster Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving since 2017 as the 117th governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was the 50th List of Attorneys Ge ...
signed legislation that stops the state from recognizing any additional Native American "groups." As of 2023, South Carolina recognizes four "state-recognized groups" and one "special interest organization." They are: Chaloklowa Chickasaw Indian People; Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois, and United Tribes of South Carolina; Natchez Tribe of South Carolina; and the Pee Dee Indian Nation of Beaver Creek. The special interest organization is the Pine Hill Indian Community Development Initiative.


South Dakota

''South Dakota has no state-recognized tribes.''


Tennessee

''Tennessee has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Texas

''Texas has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.'' Texas had "no legal mechanism to recognize tribes." The Texas state legislature often issues congratulatory resolutions that "commend" organizations, such one honoring the Mount Tabor Indian Community in 2017, "for its contributions to hestate" and the
Lipan Apache Lipan Apache are a band of Apache, a Southern Athabaskan languages, Southern Athabaskan Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people, who have lived in the Oasisamerica, Southwest and Southern Plains for centuries. At the time of European ...
in 2019; however, this is not the same as formal recognition of a tribe by a state. Texas Senate Bill 231 to formally state-recognize the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, introduced in November 2022, died in committee. Texas Senate Bill 1479, introduced in March 2023, and Texas House Bill 2005, introduced in February 2023, both to state-recognize the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation also died in committee.


Utah

''Utah has no state-recognized tribes.''


Vermont

As of May 3, 2006, Vermont la
1 V.S.A §§ 851–853
recognizes
Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...
s as Native American Indians, ''not the tribes or bands''. However, on April 22, 2011, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed legislative bills officially recognizing two Abenaki Bands. The four Abenaki state-recognized tribes are also known as the "Abenaki Alliance". * Elnu Abenaki Tribe. Recognition signed into statute April 22, 2011. * Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. Recognition signed into statute April 22, 2011. On May 7, 2012, Governor Shumlim signed legislative bills officially recognizing two more Abenaki Bands: * Koasek Abenaki Tribe. Also known as Traditional Koasek Abenaki Nation of the Koas. * Missiquoi Abenaki Tribe. Also known as Missisquoi St Francis Sokoki Abenaki Nations. Petitioned for federal recognition, denied in 2007.


Virginia

Virginia has an office to manage Indian affairs: the Virginia Council on Indians. It is composed of 13 members - eight from Virginia tribes officially recognized by the Commonwealth, two members at-large from Indian population in Virginia, one from House of Delegates, one from Senate, and one from Commonwealth at-large. Virginia has the following state-recognized tribes: * Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe. Letter of Intent to Petition 12/30/2002. Receipt of Petition 12/30/2002.Receipt of Petitions for Federal Acknowledgment of Existence as an Indian Tribe (68 FR 13724)
/ref> State-recognized 2010; in Courtland, Southampton County. Letter of intent to file for federal recognition 2017. Currently a bill is being sponsored. * Mattaponi Indian Nation (a.k.a. Mattaponi Indian Reservation). Letter of Intent to Petition 04/04/1995. State-recognized 1983; in Banks of the Mattaponi River, King William County. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey have reservations based in colonial-era treaties ratified by the Commonwealth in 1658. Pamunkey Tribe's attorney told Congress in 1991 that the tribes state reservation originated in a treaty with the crown in the 17th century and has been occupied by Pamunkey since that time under strict requirements and following the treaty obligation to provide to the Crown a deer every year, and they've done that (replacing Crown with Governor of Commonwealth since Virginia became a Commonwealth). * Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia. Recognized 2010; in Capron, Southampton County. * Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia. Recognized 2010; in Stafford County.


Washington

''Washington has not formally recognized any tribes by statute. However, the state or preceding territorial government has been a party to treaties involving a number of tribes that are not federally recognized.''


Wisconsin

''Wisconsin has no state-recognized tribes.''


West Virginia

''West Virginia has no office to manage Indian affairs and no state-recognized tribes.''


Wyoming

''Wyoming has no state-recognized tribes.''


See also

;United States *
Federally recognized tribes This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.
(Lower 48 states) * Federally recognized tribes in Alaska * List of organizations that self-identify as Native American tribes, not recognized by state or federal governments *
Native Americans in the United States Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the Contiguous United States, lower 48 states and A ...
*
List of federally recognized tribes by state Federally recognized tribes are those Tribe (Native American), Native American tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs as holding a government-to-government relationship with the U.S.federal Government of the United State ...
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List of Indian reservations in the United States This is a list of Indian reservations and other tribal homelands in the United States. In Canada, the List of Indian reserves in Canada, Indian reserve is a similar institution. Federally recognized reservations There are approximately 567 fed ...
* List of historical Indian reservations in the United States * Outline of United States federal Indian law and policy * National Park Service Native American Heritage Sites ;Canada *
List of Indian reserves in Canada Canada has numerous Indian reserves, also known as First Nations reserves, for First Nations in Canada, First Nations people, which were mostly established in 1876 by the ''Indian Act'' and have been variously expanded and reduced by royal commi ...
* List of First Nations governments *
List of First Nations peoples The following is a partial list of First Nations peoples of Canada, organized by linguistic-cultural area. It only includes First Nations people, which by definition excludes Métis and Canadian Inuit groups. The areas used here are in accordance ...
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Diplomatic recognition Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral declarative political act of a state that acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state (may be also a recognized state). Recognition can be acc ...
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List of states with limited recognition A number of polity, polities have declared independence and sought diplomatic recognition from the international community as sovereign states, but have not been universally recognised as such. These entities often have ''de facto'' control ...
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List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies These lists of historical unrecognized or partially recognized states give an overview of extinct Geopolitics, geopolitical entities that wished to be recognized as sovereign states, but did not enjoy worldwide diplomatic recognition. The entries ...
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Sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...
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Tribal sovereignty The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...


Notes


References

* Koenig, Alexa and Jonathan Stein (2008). ''Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes Across the United States''. University of Santa Clara Law Review, Vol. 48. * Sheffield, Gail (1998). ''Arbitrary Indian: The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. .
Constitution of the United States


External sources

* Miller, Mark Edwin. ''Forgotten Tribes: Unrecognized Indians and the Federal Acknowledgment Process.'' Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. Discusses the state recognition process, the experiences of several state-recognized tribes (the United Houma Nation of Louisiana, and the Tigua/Pueblo of Ysleta Del Sur and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas- the latter two are federally recognized), and the problems of non-federally acknowledged indigenous communities. * Bates, Denise. ''The Other Movement: Indian Rights and Civil Rights in the Deep South.'' Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2011. Details state recognition and the functioning of state Indian commissions in Alabama and Louisiana.
Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes Across the United States

"BIA list of petitioners for recognition by state as of 22 September 2008

BIA status summary of petitions for recognition as of 15 February 2007"

Testimony of Leon Jones, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Dan McCoy, Tribal Council Chairman, on the Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures Act of 1999

Joint resolution of the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opposing fabricated Cherokee "tribes" and "Indians" (acknowledges the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians)

U.S. GAO - Indian Issues: Federal Funding for Non-Federally Recognized Tribes Published April 12, 2012
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