[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 74 (Thursday, May 23, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Warner):
  S. 1074. A bill to extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy 
Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Easter Division, the Upper 
Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian 
Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe; to the Committee on Indian 
Affairs.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Thomasina E. 
Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2013.
  This legislation is critically important, because it is a major step 
towards reconciling an historic wrong for Virginia and the Nation. 
While the Virginia Tribes have received official recognition from the 
Commonwealth of Virginia, acknowledgement and officially-recognized 
status from the federal government has been considerably more difficult 
due to their systematic mistreatment over the past century.
  The identities of the tribal members of Virginia's Indian Tribes were 
stripped away by Virginia's Racial Integrity Act, a State law in effect 
from 1924 to 1967. Racial identifications of those without white 
ancestry were changed to ``colored'' on birth certificates during that 
period. In addition, 5 of the 6 courthouses that held the vast majority 
of the Virginia Indian Tribal records needed to document their history 
to the degree required by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of 
Federal Acknowledgement were destroyed in the Civil War.
  Furthermore, Virginia Indians and England signed the Treaty of Middle 
Plantation in 1677. This predated the creation of the United States of 
America by just short of 100 years. This Treaty was never recognized by 
the founding fathers of the United States. Therefore, the Tribes were 
not granted Federal recognition upon signing treaties with the federal 
government like tribes in other states did.
  I am proud of Virginia's recognized Indian Tribes and their 
contributions to our Commonwealth. The Virginia Tribes are a part of 
us. We go to school together, work together, and serve our Commonwealth 
and nation together every day. These contributions should be 
acknowledged, and this Federal recognition for Virginia's native 
peoples is long overdue.
  It is my hope that the Senate will act upon my legislation this year, 
to give these 6 Virginia Native American Tribes the Federal recognition 
that is long overdue.
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