Pocahontas was from the Pamunkey Indian tribe—even Disney knows that! Now the U.S. government officially knows it. In July, the Pamunkey became the first tribe in Virginia to receive federal recognition. The tribe began its petition about 20 years ago. It is one of only 17 tribes that have been recognized since 1978, making a total of 567 nationally. During that same time 34 petitions have been rejected. Hundreds more still seek recognition.
President Obama’s administration has recognized only two tribes in seven years. So it wants to make the petition process less cumbersome. It currently takes many years and tens of thousands of pages of paperwork.
Changes include more transparency in the process. Most of the documents will be put online for public access. Indian groups seeking recognition will no longer have to show that outsiders identified them as a tribe by the year 1900. Tribal groups facing rejection will be allowed to present before a judge.
Why do so many Indian tribes seek federal recognition? A federally acknowledged tribe is treated as a nation within the United States. It can set up its own government, legal system, taxes, and fees. It receives medical, housing, and education benefits from the U.S. government.
Through federal recognition, the United States seeks to honor the promises it made to Indian tribes throughout history. The motive behind making federal recognition easier may be good. But recognition and the benefits it brings may also contribute to negative outcomes.
American Indians are the poorest of all ethnic groups in the United States. They have the highest unemployment rates, lowest life expectancy, and lowest graduation rate of any ethnic group.
On most reservations, Indians live on property owned by all. Because residents don’t own the land, there is no sense in investing their money to improve it. This leads to poor housing, often in deteriorating mobile homes. Indians lose the opportunity to build wealth through home ownership. Government programs provide enough money for tribe members to get by without working, but it’s a life of poverty.
Even those who want to work often live on reservations in isolated areas. They are far from jobs. Many don’t have cars. Car dealers may refuse to sell to Indians because the risk is too great. If buyers don’t make car payments, lenders have to fight for their money in tribal courts. They may never get what’s owed them.
Stuck on the reservation with little education or motivation, many lead lives of poverty and despair. The evidence suggests that the “rewards” of recognition often come at a high price.
