[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4251-H4259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THOMASINA E. JORDAN INDIAN TRIBES OF VIRGINIA FEDERAL RECOGNITION ACT 
                                OF 2017

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 984) to extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy 
Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division, the 
Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian 
Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 984

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Thomasina 
     E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act 
     of 2017''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

                   TITLE I--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE

Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Definitions.
Sec. 103. Federal recognition.
Sec. 104. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 105. Governing body.
Sec. 106. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 107. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

         TITLE II--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE--EASTERN DIVISION

Sec. 201. Findings.
Sec. 202. Definitions.
Sec. 203. Federal recognition.
Sec. 204. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 205. Governing body.
Sec. 206. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 207. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

                    TITLE III--UPPER MATTAPONI TRIBE

Sec. 301. Findings.
Sec. 302. Definitions.
Sec. 303. Federal recognition.
Sec. 304. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 305. Governing body.
Sec. 306. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 307. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

                   TITLE IV--RAPPAHANNOCK TRIBE, INC.

Sec. 401. Findings.
Sec. 402. Definitions.
Sec. 403. Federal recognition.
Sec. 404. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 405. Governing body.
Sec. 406. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 407. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

                     TITLE V--MONACAN INDIAN NATION

Sec. 501. Findings.
Sec. 502. Definitions.
Sec. 503. Federal recognition.
Sec. 504. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 505. Governing body.
Sec. 506. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 507. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

                    TITLE VI--NANSEMOND INDIAN TRIBE

Sec. 601. Findings.
Sec. 602. Definitions.
Sec. 603. Federal recognition.
Sec. 604. Membership; governing documents.
Sec. 605. Governing body.
Sec. 606. Reservation of the Tribe.
Sec. 607. Hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and water rights.

                       TITLE VII--EMINENT DOMAIN

Sec. 701. Limitation.

     SEC. 2. INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT OF 1978.

       Nothing in this Act affects the application of section 109 
     of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1919).

                   TITLE I--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE

     SEC. 101. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) in 1607, when the English settlers set shore along the 
     Virginia coastline, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe was one of 
     about 30 tribes that received them;
       (2) in 1614, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe entered into a 
     treaty with Sir Thomas Dale, Governor of the Jamestown 
     Colony, under which--
       (A) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe agreed to provide 2 
     bushels of corn per man and send warriors to protect the 
     English; and
       (B) Sir Thomas Dale agreed in return to allow the Tribe to 
     continue to practice its own tribal governance;
       (3) in 1646, a treaty was signed which forced the 
     Chickahominy from their homeland to the area around the York 
     Mattaponi River in present-day King William County, leading 
     to the formation of a reservation;
       (4) in 1677, following Bacon's Rebellion, the Queen of 
     Pamunkey signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation on behalf of 
     the Chickahominy;
       (5) in 1702, the Chickahominy were forced from their 
     reservation, which caused the loss of a land base;
       (6) in 1711, the College of William and Mary in 
     Williamsburg established a grammar school for Indians called 
     Brafferton College;
       (7) a Chickahominy child was one of the first Indians to 
     attend Brafferton College;
       (8) in 1750, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe began to migrate 
     from King William County back to the area around the 
     Chickahominy River in New Kent and Charles City Counties;
       (9) in 1793, a Baptist missionary named Bradby took refuge 
     with the Chickahominy and took a Chickahominy woman as his 
     wife;
       (10) in 1831, the names of the ancestors of the modern-day 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe began to appear in the Charles City 
     County census records;
       (11) in 1901, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe formed Samaria 
     Baptist Church;
       (12) from 1901 to 1935, Chickahominy men were assessed a 
     tribal tax so that their children could receive an education;
       (13) the Tribe used the proceeds from the tax to build the 
     first Samaria Indian School, buy supplies, and pay a 
     teacher's salary;
       (14) in 1919, C. Lee Moore, Auditor of Public Accounts for 
     Virginia, told Chickahominy Chief O.W. Adkins that he had 
     instructed the Commissioner of Revenue for Charles City 
     County to record Chickahominy tribal members on the county 
     tax rolls as Indian, and not as White or colored;
       (15) during the period of 1920 through 1930, various 
     Governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia wrote letters of 
     introduction for Chickahominy Chiefs who had official 
     business with Federal agencies in Washington, DC;
       (16) in 1934, Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins wrote to John 
     Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, requesting money to 
     acquire land for the Chickahominy Indian Tribe's use, to 
     build school, medical, and library facilities and to buy 
     tractors, implements, and seed;
       (17) in 1934, John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 
     wrote to Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins, informing him that 
     Congress had passed the Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known 
     as the ``Indian Reorganization Act'') (25 U.S.C. 461 et 
     seq.), but had not made the appropriation to fund the Act;
       (18) in 1942, Chickahominy Chief O.O. Adkins wrote to John 
     Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, asking for help in 
     getting the proper racial designation on Selective Service 
     records for Chickahominy soldiers;
       (19) in 1943, John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 
     asked Douglas S. Freeman, editor of the Richmond News-Leader 
     newspaper of Richmond, Virginia, to help Virginia Indians 
     obtain proper racial designation on birth records;
       (20) Collier stated that his office could not officially 
     intervene because it had no responsibility for the Virginia 
     Indians, ``as a matter largely of historical accident'', but 
     was ``interested in them as descendants of the original 
     inhabitants of the region'';
       (21) in 1948, the Veterans' Education Committee of the 
     Virginia State Board of Education approved Samaria Indian 
     School to provide training to veterans;
       (22) that school was established and run by the 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe;
       (23) in 1950, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe purchased and 
     donated to the Charles City County School Board land to be 
     used to build a modern school for students of the 
     Chickahominy and other Virginia Indian tribes;
       (24) the Samaria Indian School included students in grades 
     1 through 8;
       (25) in 1961, Senator Sam Ervin, Chairman of the 
     Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights of the Committee on the 
     Judiciary of the Senate, requested Chickahominy Chief O.O. 
     Adkins to provide assistance in analyzing the status of the 
     constitutional rights of Indians ``in your area'';
       (26) in 1967, the Charles City County school board closed 
     Samaria Indian School and converted the school to a 
     countywide primary school as a step toward full school 
     integration of Indian and non-Indian students;
       (27) in 1972, the Charles City County school board began 
     receiving funds under the Indian Self-Determination and 
     Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 458aa et seq.) on behalf 
     of

[[Page H4252]]

     Chickahominy students, which funding is provided as of the 
     date of enactment of this Act under title V of the Indian 
     Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
     458aaa et seq.);
       (28) in 1974, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe bought land and 
     built a tribal center using monthly pledges from tribal 
     members to finance the transactions;
       (29) in 1983, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe was granted 
     recognition as an Indian tribe by the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia, along with 5 other Indian tribes; and
       (30) in 1985, Governor Gerald Baliles was the special guest 
     at an intertribal Thanksgiving Day dinner hosted by the 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe.

     SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Tribal member.--The term ``tribal member'' means--
       (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as 
     of the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (B) an individual who has been placed on the membership 
     rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.
       (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Chickahominy 
     Indian Tribe.

     SEC. 103. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

       (a) Federal Recognition.--
       (1) In general.--Federal recognition is extended to the 
     Tribe.
       (2) Applicability of laws.--All laws (including 
     regulations) of the United States of general applicability to 
     Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians 
     (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) 
     that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable 
     to the Tribe and tribal members.
       (b) Federal Services and Benefits.--
       (1) In general.--On and after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all 
     services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to 
     federally recognized Indian tribes without regard to the 
     existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
       (2) Service area.--For the purpose of the delivery of 
     Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the 
     Tribe shall be considered to be the area comprised of New 
     Kent County, James City County, Charles City County, and 
     Henrico County, Virginia.

     SEC. 104. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

       The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe 
     shall be the most recent membership roll and governing 
     documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the 
     Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 105. GOVERNING BODY.

       The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
       (1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date 
     of enactment of this Act; or
       (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance 
     with the election procedures specified in the governing 
     documents of the Tribe.

     SEC. 106. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe 
     on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of New Kent County, James City County, 
     Charles City County, or Henrico County, Virginia; and
       (2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of New Kent County, James City County, 
     Charles City County, or Henrico County, Virginia.
       (b) Deadline for Determination.--The Secretary shall make a 
     final written determination not later than three years of the 
     date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken 
     into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make 
     that determination available to the Tribe.
       (c) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon 
     request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation 
     of the Tribe.
       (d) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as 
     a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority 
     of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations 
     thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National 
     Indian Gaming Commission.

     SEC. 107. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER 
                   RIGHTS.

       Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any 
     manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water 
     rights of the Tribe and members of the Tribe.

         TITLE II--CHICKAHOMINY INDIAN TRIBE--EASTERN DIVISION

     SEC. 201. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) in 1607, when the English settlers set shore along the 
     Virginia coastline, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe was one of 
     about 30 tribes that received them;
       (2) in 1614, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe entered into a 
     treaty with Sir Thomas Dale, Governor of the Jamestown 
     Colony, under which--
       (A) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe agreed to provide 2 
     bushels of corn per man and send warriors to protect the 
     English; and
       (B) Sir Thomas Dale agreed in return to allow the Tribe to 
     continue to practice its own tribal governance;
       (3) in 1646, a treaty was signed which forced the 
     Chickahominy from their homeland to the area around the York 
     River in present-day King William County, leading to the 
     formation of a reservation;
       (4) in 1677, following Bacon's Rebellion, the Queen of 
     Pamunkey signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation on behalf of 
     the Chickahominy;
       (5) in 1702, the Chickahominy were forced from their 
     reservation, which caused the loss of a land base;
       (6) in 1711, the College of William and Mary in 
     Williamsburg established a grammar school for Indians called 
     Brafferton College;
       (7) a Chickahominy child was one of the first Indians to 
     attend Brafferton College;
       (8) in 1750, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe began to migrate 
     from King William County back to the area around the 
     Chickahominy River in New Kent and Charles City Counties;
       (9) in 1793, a Baptist missionary named Bradby took refuge 
     with the Chickahominy and took a Chickahominy woman as his 
     wife;
       (10) in 1831, the names of the ancestors of the modern-day 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe began to appear in the Charles City 
     County census records;
       (11) in 1870, a census revealed an enclave of Indians in 
     New Kent County that is believed to be the beginning of the 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division;
       (12) other records were destroyed when the New Kent County 
     courthouse was burned, leaving a State census as the only 
     record covering that period;
       (13) in 1901, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe formed Samaria 
     Baptist Church;
       (14) from 1901 to 1935, Chickahominy men were assessed a 
     tribal tax so that their children could receive an education;
       (15) the Tribe used the proceeds from the tax to build the 
     first Samaria Indian School, buy supplies, and pay a 
     teacher's salary;
       (16) in 1910, a 1-room school covering grades 1 through 8 
     was established in New Kent County for the Chickahominy 
     Indian Tribe--Eastern Division;
       (17) during the period of 1920 through 1921, the 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division began forming a 
     tribal government;
       (18) E.P. Bradby, the founder of the Tribe, was elected to 
     be Chief;
       (19) in 1922, Tsena Commocko Baptist Church was organized;
       (20) in 1925, a certificate of incorporation was issued to 
     the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division;
       (21) in 1950, the 1-room Indian school in New Kent County 
     was closed and students were bused to Samaria Indian School 
     in Charles City County;
       (22) in 1967, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe and the 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division lost their 
     schools as a result of the required integration of students;
       (23) during the period of 1982 through 1984, Tsena Commocko 
     Baptist Church built a new sanctuary to accommodate church 
     growth;
       (24) in 1983 the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern 
     Division was granted State recognition along with 5 other 
     Virginia Indian tribes;
       (25) in 1985--
       (A) the Virginia Council on Indians was organized as a 
     State agency; and
       (B) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division was 
     granted a seat on the Council;
       (26) in 1988, a nonprofit organization known as the 
     ``United Indians of Virginia'' was formed; and
       (27) Chief Marvin ``Strongoak'' Bradby of the Eastern Band 
     of the Chickahominy presently chairs the organization.

     SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Tribal member.--The term ``tribal member'' means--
       (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as 
     of the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (B) an individual who has been placed on the membership 
     rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.
       (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Chickahominy 
     Indian Tribe--Eastern Division.

     SEC. 203. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

       (a) Federal Recognition.--
       (1) In general.--Federal recognition is extended to the 
     Tribe.
       (2) Applicability of laws.--All laws (including 
     regulations) of the United States of general applicability to 
     Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians 
     (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) 
     that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable 
     to the Tribe and tribal members.
       (b) Federal Services and Benefits.--
       (1) In general.--On and after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all 
     future services and benefits provided by the Federal 
     Government to federally recognized Indian tribes without 
     regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
       (2) Service area.--For the purpose of the delivery of 
     Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the 
     Tribe shall be considered to be the area comprised of New 
     Kent County, James City County, Charles City County, and 
     Henrico County, Virginia.

[[Page H4253]]

  


     SEC. 204. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

       The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe 
     shall be the most recent membership roll and governing 
     documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the 
     Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 205. GOVERNING BODY.

       The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
       (1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date 
     of enactment of this Act; or
       (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance 
     with the election procedures specified in the governing 
     documents of the Tribe.

     SEC. 206. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe 
     on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of New Kent County, James City County, 
     Charles City County, or Henrico County, Virginia; and
       (2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of New Kent County, James City County, 
     Charles City County, or Henrico County, Virginia.
       (b) Deadline for Determination.--The Secretary shall make a 
     final written determination not later than three years of the 
     date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken 
     into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make 
     that determination available to the Tribe.
       (c) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon 
     request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation 
     of the Tribe.
       (d) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as 
     a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority 
     of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations 
     thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National 
     Indian Gaming Commission.

     SEC. 207. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER 
                   RIGHTS.

       Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any 
     manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water 
     rights of the Tribe and members of the Tribe.

                    TITLE III--UPPER MATTAPONI TRIBE

     SEC. 301. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) during the period of 1607 through 1646, the 
     Chickahominy Indian Tribes--
       (A) lived approximately 20 miles from Jamestown; and
       (B) were significantly involved in English-Indian affairs;
       (2) Mattaponi Indians, who later joined the Chickahominy 
     Indians, lived a greater distance from Jamestown;
       (3) in 1646, the Chickahominy Indians moved to Mattaponi 
     River basin, away from the English;
       (4) in 1661, the Chickahominy Indians sold land at a place 
     known as ``the cliffs'' on the Mattaponi River;
       (5) in 1669, the Chickahominy Indians--
       (A) appeared in the Virginia Colony's census of Indian 
     bowmen; and
       (B) lived in ``New Kent'' County, which included the 
     Mattaponi River basin at that time;
       (6) in 1677, the Chickahominy and Mattaponi Indians were 
     subjects of the Queen of Pamunkey, who was a signatory to the 
     Treaty of 1677 with the King of England;
       (7) in 1683, after a Mattaponi town was attacked by Seneca 
     Indians, the Mattaponi Indians took refuge with the 
     Chickahominy Indians, and the history of the 2 groups was 
     intertwined for many years thereafter;
       (8) in 1695, the Chickahominy and Mattaponi Indians--
       (A) were assigned a reservation by the Virginia Colony; and
       (B) traded land of the reservation for land at the place 
     known as ``the cliffs'' (which, as of the date of enactment 
     of this Act, is the Mattaponi Indian Reservation), which had 
     been owned by the Mattaponi Indians before 1661;
       (9) in 1711, a Chickahominy boy attended the Indian School 
     at the College of William and Mary;
       (10) in 1726, the Virginia Colony discontinued funding of 
     interpreters for the Chickahominy and Mattaponi Indian 
     Tribes;
       (11) James Adams, who served as an interpreter to the 
     Indian tribes known as of the date of enactment of this Act 
     as the ``Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe'' and ``Chickahominy 
     Indian Tribe'', elected to stay with the Upper Mattaponi 
     Indians;
       (12) today, a majority of the Upper Mattaponi Indians have 
     ``Adams'' as their surname;
       (13) in 1787, Thomas Jefferson, in Notes on the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia, mentioned the Mattaponi Indians on 
     a reservation in King William County and said that 
     Chickahominy Indians were ``blended'' with the Mattaponi 
     Indians and nearby Pamunkey Indians;
       (14) in 1850, the census of the United States revealed a 
     nucleus of approximately 10 families, all ancestral to modern 
     Upper Mattaponi Indians, living in central King William 
     County, Virginia, approximately 10 miles from the 
     reservation;
       (15) during the period of 1853 through 1884, King William 
     County marriage records listed Upper Mattaponis as 
     ``Indians'' in marrying people residing on the reservation;
       (16) during the period of 1884 through the present, county 
     marriage records usually refer to Upper Mattaponis as 
     ``Indians'';
       (17) in 1901, Smithsonian anthropologist James Mooney heard 
     about the Upper Mattaponi Indians but did not visit them;
       (18) in 1928, University of Pennsylvania anthropologist 
     Frank Speck published a book on modern Virginia Indians with 
     a section on the Upper Mattaponis;
       (19) from 1929 until 1930, the leadership of the Upper 
     Mattaponi Indians opposed the use of a ``colored'' 
     designation in the 1930 United States census and won a 
     compromise in which the Indian ancestry of the Upper 
     Mattaponis was recorded but questioned;
       (20) during the period of 1942 through 1945--
       (A) the leadership of the Upper Mattaponi Indians, with the 
     help of Frank Speck and others, fought against the induction 
     of young men of the Tribe into ``colored'' units in the Armed 
     Forces of the United States; and
       (B) a tribal roll for the Upper Mattaponi Indians was 
     compiled;
       (21) from 1945 to 1946, negotiations took place to admit 
     some of the young people of the Upper Mattaponi to high 
     schools for Federal Indians (especially at Cherokee) because 
     no high school coursework was available for Indians in 
     Virginia schools; and
       (22) in 1983, the Upper Mattaponi Indians applied for and 
     won State recognition as an Indian tribe.

     SEC. 302. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Tribal member.--The term ``tribal member'' means--
       (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as 
     of the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (B) an individual who has been placed on the membership 
     rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.
       (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Upper Mattaponi 
     Tribe.

     SEC. 303. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

       (a) Federal Recognition.--
       (1) In general.--Federal recognition is extended to the 
     Tribe.
       (2) Applicability of laws.--All laws (including 
     regulations) of the United States of general applicability to 
     Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians 
     (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) 
     that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable 
     to the Tribe and tribal members.
       (b) Federal Services and Benefits.--
       (1) In general.--On and after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all 
     services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to 
     federally recognized Indian tribes without regard to the 
     existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
       (2) Service area.--For the purpose of the delivery of 
     Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the 
     Tribe shall be considered to be the area within 25 miles of 
     the Sharon Indian School at 13383 King William Road, King 
     William County, Virginia.

     SEC. 304. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

       The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe 
     shall be the most recent membership roll and governing 
     documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the 
     Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 305. GOVERNING BODY.

       The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
       (1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date 
     of enactment of this Act; or
       (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance 
     with the election procedures specified in the governing 
     documents of the Tribe.

     SEC. 306. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe 
     on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of King William County, Caroline 
     County, Hanover County, King and Queen County, and New Kent 
     County, Virginia; and
       (2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of King William County, Caroline 
     County, Hanover County, King and Queen County, and New Kent 
     County, Virginia.
       (b) Deadline for Determination.--The Secretary shall make a 
     final written determination not later than three years of the 
     date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken 
     into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make 
     that determination available to the Tribe.
       (c) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon 
     request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation 
     of the Tribe.
       (d) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as 
     a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority 
     of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations 
     thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National 
     Indian Gaming Commission.

     SEC. 307. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER 
                   RIGHTS.

       Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any 
     manner any hunting, fishing,

[[Page H4254]]

     trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe and members 
     of the Tribe.

                   TITLE IV--RAPPAHANNOCK TRIBE, INC.

     SEC. 401. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) during the initial months after Virginia was settled, 
     the Rappahannock Indians had 3 encounters with Captain John 
     Smith;
       (2) the first encounter occurred when the Rappahannock 
     weroance (headman)--
       (A) traveled to Quiyocohannock (a principal town across the 
     James River from Jamestown), where he met with Smith to 
     determine whether Smith had been the ``great man'' who had 
     previously sailed into the Rappahannock River, killed a 
     Rappahannock weroance, and kidnapped Rappahannock people; and
       (B) determined that Smith was too short to be that ``great 
     man'';
       (3) on a second meeting, during John Smith's captivity 
     (December 16, 1607, to January 8, 1608), Smith was taken to 
     the Rappahannock principal village to show the people that 
     Smith was not the ``great man'';
       (4) a third meeting took place during Smith's exploration 
     of the Chesapeake Bay (July to September 1608), when, after 
     the Moraughtacund Indians had stolen 3 women from the 
     Rappahannock King, Smith was prevailed upon to facilitate a 
     peaceful truce between the Rappahannock and the Moraughtacund 
     Indians;
       (5) in the settlement, Smith had the 2 Indian tribes meet 
     on the spot of their first fight;
       (6) when it was established that both groups wanted peace, 
     Smith told the Rappahannock King to select which of the 3 
     stolen women he wanted;
       (7) the Moraughtacund King was given second choice among 
     the 2 remaining women, and Mosco, a Wighcocomoco (on the 
     Potomac River) guide, was given the third woman;
       (8) in 1645, Captain William Claiborne tried unsuccessfully 
     to establish treaty relations with the Rappahannocks, as the 
     Rappahannocks had not participated in the Pamunkey-led 
     uprising in 1644, and the English wanted to ``treat with the 
     Rappahannocks or any other Indians not in amity with 
     Opechancanough, concerning serving the county against the 
     Pamunkeys'';
       (9) in April 1651, the Rappahannocks conveyed a tract of 
     land to an English settler, Colonel Morre Fauntleroy;
       (10) the deed for the conveyance was signed by Accopatough, 
     weroance of the Rappahannock Indians;
       (11) in September 1653, Lancaster County signed a treaty 
     with Rappahannock Indians, the terms of which treaty--
       (A) gave Rappahannocks the rights of Englishmen in the 
     county court; and
       (B) attempted to make the Rappahannocks more accountable 
     under English law;
       (12) in September 1653, Lancaster County defined and marked 
     the bounds of its Indian settlements;
       (13) according to the Lancaster clerk of court, ``the tribe 
     called the great Rappahannocks lived on the Rappahannock 
     Creek just across the river above Tappahannock'';
       (14) in September 1656, (Old) Rappahannock County (which, 
     as of the date of enactment of this Act, is comprised of 
     Richmond and Essex Counties, Virginia) signed a treaty with 
     Rappahannock Indians that--
       (A) mirrored the Lancaster County treaty from 1653; and
       (B) stated that--
       (i) Rappahannocks were to be rewarded, in Roanoke, for 
     returning English fugitives; and
       (ii) the English encouraged the Rappahannocks to send their 
     children to live among the English as servants, who the 
     English promised would be well-treated;
       (15) in 1658, the Virginia Assembly revised a 1652 Act 
     stating that ``there be no grants of land to any Englishman 
     whatsoever de futuro until the Indians be first served with 
     the proportion of 50 acres of land for each bowman'';
       (16) in 1669, the colony conducted a census of Virginia 
     Indians;
       (17) as of the date of that census--
       (A) the majority of the Rappahannocks were residing at 
     their hunting village on the north side of the Mattaponi 
     River; and
       (B) at the time of the visit, census-takers were counting 
     only the Indian tribes along the rivers, which explains why 
     only 30 Rappahannock bowmen were counted on that river;
       (18) the Rappahannocks used the hunting village on the 
     north side of the Mattaponi River as their primary residence 
     until the Rappahannocks were removed in 1684;
       (19) in May 1677, the Treaty of Middle Plantation was 
     signed with England;
       (20) the Pamunkey Queen Cockacoeske signed on behalf of the 
     Rappahannocks, ``who were supposed to be her tributaries'', 
     but before the treaty could be ratified, the Queen of 
     Pamunkey complained to the Virginia Colonial Council ``that 
     she was having trouble with Rappahannocks and Chickahominies, 
     supposedly tributaries of hers'';
       (21) in November 1682, the Virginia Colonial Council 
     established a reservation for the Rappahannock Indians of 
     3,474 acres ``about the town where they dwelt'';
       (22) the Rappahannock ``town'' was the hunting village on 
     the north side of the Mattaponi River, where the 
     Rappahannocks had lived throughout the 1670s;
       (23) the acreage allotment of the reservation was based on 
     the 1658 Indian land act, which translates into a bowman 
     population of 70, or an approximate total Rappahannock 
     population of 350;
       (24) in 1683, following raids by Iroquoian warriors on both 
     Indian and English settlements, the Virginia Colonial Council 
     ordered the Rappahannocks to leave their reservation and 
     unite with the Nanzatico Indians at Nanzatico Indian Town, 
     which was located across and up the Rappahannock River some 
     30 miles;
       (25) between 1687 and 1699, the Rappahannocks migrated out 
     of Nanzatico, returning to the south side of the Rappahannock 
     River at Portobacco Indian Town;
       (26) in 1706, by order of Essex County, Lieutenant Richard 
     Covington ``escorted'' the Portobaccos and Rappahannocks out 
     of Portobacco Indian Town, out of Essex County, and into King 
     and Queen County where they settled along the ridgeline 
     between the Rappahannock and Mattaponi Rivers, the site of 
     their ancient hunting village and 1682 reservation;
       (27) during the 1760s, 3 Rappahannock girls were raised on 
     Thomas Nelson's Bleak Hill Plantation in King William County;
       (28) of those girls--
       (A) one married a Saunders man;
       (B) one married a Johnson man; and
       (C) one had 2 children, Edmund and Carter Nelson, fathered 
     by Thomas Cary Nelson;
       (29) in the 19th century, those Saunders, Johnson, and 
     Nelson families are among the core Rappahannock families from 
     which the modern Tribe traces its descent;
       (30) in 1819 and 1820, Edward Bird, John Bird (and his 
     wife), Carter Nelson, Edmund Nelson, and Carter Spurlock (all 
     Rappahannock ancestors) were listed on the tax roles of King 
     and Queen County and taxed at the county poor rate;
       (31) Edmund Bird was added to the tax roles in 1821;
       (32) those tax records are significant documentation 
     because the great majority of pre-1864 records for King and 
     Queen County were destroyed by fire;
       (33) beginning in 1819, and continuing through the 1880s, 
     there was a solid Rappahannock presence in the membership at 
     Upper Essex Baptist Church;
       (34) that was the first instance of conversion to 
     Christianity by at least some Rappahannock Indians;
       (35) while twenty-six identifiable and traceable 
     Rappahannock surnames appear on the pre-1863 membership list, 
     and twenty-eight were listed on the 1863 membership roster, 
     the number of surnames listed had declined to twelve in 1878 
     and had risen only slightly to fourteen by 1888;
       (36) a reason for the decline is that in 1870, a Methodist 
     circuit rider, Joseph Mastin, secured funds to purchase land 
     and construct St. Stephens Baptist Church for the 
     Rappahannocks living nearby in Caroline County;
       (37) Mastin referred to the Rappahannocks during the period 
     of 1850 to 1870 as ``Indians, having a great need for moral 
     and Christian guidance'';
       (38) St. Stephens was the dominant tribal church until the 
     Rappahannock Indian Baptist Church was established in 1964;
       (39) at both churches, the core Rappahannock family names 
     of Bird, Clarke, Fortune, Johnson, Nelson, Parker, and 
     Richardson predominate;
       (40) during the early 1900s, James Mooney, noted 
     anthropologist, maintained correspondence with the 
     Rappahannocks, surveying them and instructing them on how to 
     formalize their tribal government;
       (41) in November 1920, Speck visited the Rappahannocks and 
     assisted them in organizing the fight for their sovereign 
     rights;
       (42) in 1921, the Rappahannocks were granted a charter from 
     the Commonwealth of Virginia formalizing their tribal 
     government;
       (43) Speck began a professional relationship with the Tribe 
     that would last more than 30 years and document Rappahannock 
     history and traditions as never before;
       (44) in April 1921, Rappahannock Chief George Nelson asked 
     the Governor of Virginia, Westmoreland Davis, to forward a 
     proclamation to the President of the United States, along 
     with an appended list of tribal members and a handwritten 
     copy of the proclamation itself;
       (45) the letter concerned Indian freedom of speech and 
     assembly nationwide;
       (46) in 1922, the Rappahannocks established a formal school 
     at Lloyds, Essex County, Virginia;
       (47) prior to establishment of the school, Rappahannock 
     children were taught by a tribal member in Central Point, 
     Caroline County, Virginia;
       (48) in December 1923, Rappahannock Chief George Nelson 
     testified before Congress appealing for a $50,000 
     appropriation to establish an Indian school in Virginia;
       (49) in 1930, the Rappahannocks were engaged in an ongoing 
     dispute with the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United 
     States Census Bureau about their classification in the 1930 
     Federal census;
       (50) in January 1930, Rappahannock Chief Otho S. Nelson 
     wrote to Leon Truesdell, Chief Statistician of the United 
     States Census Bureau, asking that the 218 enrolled 
     Rappahannocks be listed as Indians;
       (51) in February 1930, Truesdell replied to Nelson saying 
     that ``special instructions'' were being given about 
     classifying Indians;
       (52) in April 1930, Nelson wrote to William M. Steuart at 
     the Census Bureau asking about the enumerators' failure to 
     classify his

[[Page H4255]]

     people as Indians, saying that enumerators had not asked the 
     question about race when they interviewed his people;
       (53) in a followup letter to Truesdell, Nelson reported 
     that the enumerators were ``flatly denying'' his people's 
     request to be listed as Indians and that the race question 
     was completely avoided during interviews;
       (54) the Rappahannocks had spoken with Caroline and Essex 
     County enumerators, and with John M.W. Green at that point, 
     without success;
       (55) Nelson asked Truesdell to list people as Indians if he 
     sent a list of members;
       (56) the matter was settled by William Steuart, who 
     concluded that the Bureau's rule was that people of Indian 
     descent could be classified as ``Indian'' only if Indian 
     ``blood'' predominated and ``Indian'' identity was accepted 
     in the local community;
       (57) the Virginia Vital Statistics Bureau classed all 
     nonreservation Indians as ``Negro'', and it failed to see why 
     ``an exception should be made'' for the Rappahannocks;
       (58) therefore, in 1925, the Indian Rights Association took 
     on the Rappahannock case to assist the Rappahannocks in 
     fighting for their recognition and rights as an Indian tribe;
       (59) during the Second World War, the Pamunkeys, 
     Mattaponis, Chickahominies, and Rappahannocks had to fight 
     the draft boards with respect to their racial identities;
       (60) the Virginia Vital Statistics Bureau insisted that 
     certain Indian draftees be inducted into Negro units;
       (61) finally, 3 Rappahannocks were convicted of violating 
     the Federal draft laws and, after spending time in a Federal 
     prison, were granted conscientious objector status and served 
     out the remainder of the war working in military hospitals;
       (62) in 1943, Frank Speck noted that there were 
     approximately 25 communities of Indians left in the Eastern 
     United States that were entitled to Indian classification, 
     including the Rappahannocks;
       (63) in the 1940s, Leon Truesdell, Chief Statistician, of 
     the United States Census Bureau, listed 118 members in the 
     Rappahannock Tribe in the Indian population of Virginia;
       (64) on April 25, 1940, the Office of Indian Affairs of the 
     Department of the Interior included the Rappahannocks on a 
     list of Indian tribes classified by State and by agency;
       (65) in 1948, the Smithsonian Institution Annual Report 
     included an article by William Harlen Gilbert entitled, 
     ``Surviving Indian Groups of the Eastern United States'', 
     which included and described the Rappahannock Tribe;
       (66) in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Rappahannocks 
     operated a school at Indian Neck;
       (67) the State agreed to pay a tribal teacher to teach 10 
     students bused by King and Queen County to Sharon Indian 
     School in King William County, Virginia;
       (68) in 1965, Rappahannock students entered Marriott High 
     School (a White public school) by Executive order of the 
     Governor of Virginia;
       (69) in 1972, the Rappahannocks worked with the Coalition 
     of Eastern Native Americans to fight for Federal recognition;
       (70) in 1979, the Coalition established a pottery and 
     artisans company, operating with other Virginia tribes;
       (71) in 1980, the Rappahannocks received funding through 
     the Administration for Native Americans of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services to develop an economic program for 
     the Tribe; and
       (72) in 1983, the Rappahannocks received State recognition 
     as an Indian tribe.

     SEC. 402. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Tribal member.--The term ``tribal member'' means--
       (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as 
     of the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (B) an individual who has been placed on the membership 
     rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.
       (3) Tribe.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``Tribe'' means the organization 
     possessing the legal name Rappahannock Tribe, Inc.
       (B) Exclusions.--The term ``Tribe'' does not include any 
     other Indian tribe, subtribe, band, or splinter group the 
     members of which represent themselves as Rappahannock 
     Indians.

     SEC. 403. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

       (a) Federal Recognition.--
       (1) In general.--Federal recognition is extended to the 
     Tribe.
       (2) Applicability of laws.--All laws (including 
     regulations) of the United States of general applicability to 
     Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians 
     (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) 
     that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable 
     to the Tribe and tribal members.
       (b) Federal Services and Benefits.--
       (1) In general.--On and after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all 
     services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to 
     federally recognized Indian tribes without regard to the 
     existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
       (2) Service area.--For the purpose of the delivery of 
     Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the 
     Tribe shall be considered to be the area comprised of King 
     and Queen County, Caroline County, Essex County, and King 
     William County, Virginia.

     SEC. 404. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

       The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe 
     shall be the most recent membership roll and governing 
     documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the 
     Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 405. GOVERNING BODY.

       The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
       (1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date 
     of enactment of this Act; or
       (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance 
     with the election procedures specified in the governing 
     documents of the Tribe.

     SEC. 406. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe 
     on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of King and Queen County, Stafford 
     County, Spotsylvania County, Richmond County, Essex County, 
     and Caroline County, Virginia; and
       (2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of King and Queen County, Richmond 
     County, Lancaster County, King George County, Essex County, 
     Caroline County, New Kent County, King William County, and 
     James City County, Virginia.
       (b) Deadline for Determination.--The Secretary shall make a 
     final written determination not later than three years of the 
     date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken 
     into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make 
     that determination available to the Tribe.
       (c) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon 
     request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation 
     of the Tribe.
       (d) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as 
     a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority 
     of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations 
     thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National 
     Indian Gaming Commission.

     SEC. 407. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER 
                   RIGHTS.

       Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any 
     manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water 
     rights of the Tribe and members of the Tribe.

                     TITLE V--MONACAN INDIAN NATION

     SEC. 501. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) in 1677, the Monacan Tribe signed the Treaty of Middle 
     Plantation between Charles II of England and 12 Indian 
     ``Kings and Chief Men'';
       (2) in 1722, in the Treaty of Albany, Governor Spotswood 
     negotiated to save the Virginia Indians from extinction at 
     the hands of the Iroquois;
       (3) specifically mentioned in the negotiations were the 
     Monacan tribes of the Totero (Tutelo), Saponi, Ocheneeches 
     (Occaneechi), Stengenocks, and Meipontskys;
       (4) in 1790, the first national census recorded Benjamin 
     Evans and Robert Johns, both ancestors of the present Monacan 
     community, listed as ``white'' with mulatto children;
       (5) in 1782, tax records also began for those families;
       (6) in 1850, the United States census recorded 29 families, 
     mostly large, with Monacan surnames, the members of which are 
     genealogically related to the present community;
       (7) in 1870, a log structure was built at the Bear Mountain 
     Indian Mission;
       (8) in 1908, the structure became an Episcopal Mission and, 
     as of the date of enactment of this Act, the structure is 
     listed as a landmark on the National Register of Historic 
     Places;
       (9) in 1920, 304 Amherst Indians were identified in the 
     United States census;
       (10) from 1930 through 1931, numerous letters from Monacans 
     to the Bureau of the Census resulted from the decision of Dr. 
     Walter Plecker, former head of the Bureau of Vital Statistics 
     of the Commonwealth of Virginia, not to allow Indians to 
     register as Indians for the 1930 census;
       (11) the Monacans eventually succeeded in being allowed to 
     claim their race, albeit with an asterisk attached to a note 
     from Dr. Plecker stating that there were no Indians in 
     Virginia;
       (12) in 1947, D'Arcy McNickle, a Salish Indian, saw some of 
     the children at the Amherst Mission and requested that the 
     Cherokee Agency visit them because they appeared to be 
     Indian;
       (13) that letter was forwarded to the Department of the 
     Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, Chicago, Illinois;
       (14) Chief Jarrett Blythe of the Eastern Band of Cherokee 
     did visit the Mission and wrote that he ``would be willing to 
     accept these children in the Cherokee school'';
       (15) in 1979, a Federal Coalition of Eastern Native 
     Americans established the entity known as ``Monacan Co-
     operative Pottery'' at the Amherst Mission;
       (16) some important pieces were produced at Monacan Co-
     operative Pottery, including

[[Page H4256]]

     a piece that was sold to the Smithsonian Institution;
       (17) the Mattaponi-Pamunkey-Monacan Consortium, established 
     in 1981, has since been organized as a nonprofit corporation 
     that serves as a vehicle to obtain funds for those Indian 
     tribes from the Department of Labor under Native American 
     programs;
       (18) in 1989, the Monacan Tribe was recognized by the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia, which enabled the Tribe to apply 
     for grants and participate in other programs; and
       (19) in 1993, the Monacan Tribe received tax-exempt status 
     as a nonprofit corporation from the Internal Revenue Service.

     SEC. 502. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Tribal member.--The term ``tribal member'' means--
       (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as 
     of the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (B) an individual who has been placed on the membership 
     rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.
       (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Monacan Indian 
     Nation.

     SEC. 503. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

       (a) Federal Recognition.--
       (1) In general.--Federal recognition is extended to the 
     Tribe.
       (2) Applicability of laws.--All laws (including 
     regulations) of the United States of general applicability to 
     Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians 
     (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) 
     that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable 
     to the Tribe and tribal members.
       (b) Federal Services and Benefits.--
       (1) In general.--On and after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all 
     services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to 
     federally recognized Indian tribes without regard to the 
     existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
       (2) Service area.--For the purpose of the delivery of 
     Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the 
     Tribe shall be considered to be the area comprised of all 
     land within 25 miles from the center of Amherst, Virginia.

     SEC. 504. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

       The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe 
     shall be the most recent membership roll and governing 
     documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the 
     Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 505. GOVERNING BODY.

       The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
       (1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date 
     of enactment of this Act; or
       (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance 
     with the election procedures specified in the governing 
     documents of the Tribe.

     SEC. 506. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe 
     on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of Amherst County, Virginia; and
       (2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of Amherst County, Virginia, and those 
     parcels in Rockbridge County, Virginia (subject to the 
     consent of the local unit of government), owned by Mr. J. 
     Poole, described as East 731 Sandbridge (encompassing 
     approximately 4.74 acres) and East 731 (encompassing 
     approximately 5.12 acres).
       (b) Deadline for Determination.--The Secretary shall make a 
     final written determination not later than three years of the 
     date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken 
     into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make 
     that determination available to the Tribe.
       (c) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon 
     request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation 
     of the Tribe.
       (d) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as 
     a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority 
     of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations 
     thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National 
     Indian Gaming Commission.

     SEC. 507. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER 
                   RIGHTS.

       Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any 
     manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water 
     rights of the Tribe and members of the Tribe.

                    TITLE VI--NANSEMOND INDIAN TRIBE

     SEC. 601. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) from 1607 until 1646, Nansemond Indians--
       (A) lived approximately 30 miles from Jamestown; and
       (B) were significantly involved in English-Indian affairs;
       (2) after 1646, there were 2 sections of Nansemonds in 
     communication with each other, the Christianized Nansemonds 
     in Norfolk County, who lived as citizens, and the 
     traditionalist Nansemonds, who lived further west;
       (3) in 1638, according to an entry in a 17th century sermon 
     book still owned by the Chief's family, a Norfolk County 
     Englishman married a Nansemond woman;
       (4) that man and woman are lineal ancestors of all of 
     members of the Nansemond Indian tribe alive as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act, as are some of the traditionalist 
     Nansemonds;
       (5) in 1669, the 2 Nansemond sections appeared in Virginia 
     Colony's census of Indian bowmen;
       (6) in 1677, Nansemond Indians were signatories to the 
     Treaty of 1677 with the King of England;
       (7) in 1700 and 1704, the Nansemonds and other Virginia 
     Indian tribes were prevented by Virginia Colony from making a 
     separate peace with the Iroquois;
       (8) Virginia represented those Indian tribes in the final 
     Treaty of Albany, 1722;
       (9) in 1711, a Nansemond boy attended the Indian School at 
     the College of William and Mary;
       (10) in 1727, Norfolk County granted William Bass and his 
     kinsmen the ``Indian privileges'' of clearing swamp land and 
     bearing arms (which privileges were forbidden to other non-
     Whites) because of their Nansemond ancestry, which meant that 
     Bass and his kinsmen were original inhabitants of that land;
       (11) in 1742, Norfolk County issued a certificate of 
     Nansemond descent to William Bass;
       (12) from the 1740s to the 1790s, the traditionalist 
     section of the Nansemond tribe, 40 miles west of the 
     Christianized Nansemonds, was dealing with reservation land;
       (13) the last surviving members of that section sold out in 
     1792 with the permission of the Commonwealth of Virginia;
       (14) in 1797, Norfolk County issued a certificate stating 
     that William Bass was of Indian and English descent, and that 
     his Indian line of ancestry ran directly back to the early 
     18th century elder in a traditionalist section of Nansemonds 
     on the reservation;
       (15) in 1833, Virginia enacted a law enabling people of 
     European and Indian descent to obtain a special certificate 
     of ancestry;
       (16) the law originated from the county in which Nansemonds 
     lived, and mostly Nansemonds, with a few people from other 
     counties, took advantage of the new law;
       (17) a Methodist mission established around 1850 for 
     Nansemonds is currently a standard Methodist congregation 
     with Nansemond members;
       (18) in 1901, Smithsonian anthropologist James Mooney--
       (A) visited the Nansemonds; and
       (B) completed a tribal census that counted 61 households 
     and was later published;
       (19) in 1922, Nansemonds were given a special Indian school 
     in the segregated school system of Norfolk County;
       (20) the school survived only a few years;
       (21) in 1928, University of Pennsylvania anthropologist 
     Frank Speck published a book on modern Virginia Indians that 
     included a section on the Nansemonds; and
       (22) the Nansemonds were organized formally, with elected 
     officers, in 1984, and later applied for and received State 
     recognition.

     SEC. 602. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Tribal member.--The term ``tribal member'' means--
       (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as 
     of the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (B) an individual who has been placed on the membership 
     rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this title.
       (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Nansemond Indian 
     Tribe.

     SEC. 603. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

       (a) Federal Recognition.--
       (1) In general.--Federal recognition is extended to the 
     Tribe.
       (2) Applicability of laws.--All laws (including 
     regulations) of the United States of general applicability to 
     Indians or nations, Indian tribes, or bands of Indians 
     (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.)) 
     that are not inconsistent with this title shall be applicable 
     to the Tribe and tribal members.
       (b) Federal Services and Benefits.--
       (1) In general.--On and after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Tribe and tribal members shall be eligible for all 
     services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to 
     federally recognized Indian tribes without regard to the 
     existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
       (2) Service area.--For the purpose of the delivery of 
     Federal services to tribal members, the service area of the 
     Tribe shall be considered to be the area comprised of the 
     cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, 
     Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

     SEC. 604. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

       The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe 
     shall be the most recent membership roll and governing 
     documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the 
     Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 605. GOVERNING BODY.

       The governing body of the Tribe shall be--
       (1) the governing body of the Tribe in place as of the date 
     of enactment of this Act; or
       (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance 
     with the election procedures specified in the governing 
     documents of the Tribe.

[[Page H4257]]

  


     SEC. 606. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe that was acquired by the Tribe 
     on or before January 1, 2007, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of the city of Suffolk, the city of 
     Chesapeake, or Isle of Wight County, Virginia; and
       (2) may take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any 
     land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are located 
     within the boundaries of the city of Suffolk, the city of 
     Chesapeake, or Isle of Wight County, Virginia.
       (b) Deadline for Determination.--The Secretary shall make a 
     final written determination not later than three years of the 
     date which the Tribe submits a request for land to be taken 
     into trust under subsection (a)(2) and shall immediately make 
     that determination available to the Tribe.
       (c) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this paragraph shall, upon 
     request of the Tribe, be considered part of the reservation 
     of the Tribe.
       (d) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as 
     a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority 
     of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations 
     thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National 
     Indian Gaming Commission.

     SEC. 607. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND WATER 
                   RIGHTS.

       Nothing in this title expands, reduces, or affects in any 
     manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water 
     rights of the Tribe and members of the Tribe.

                       TITLE VII--EMINENT DOMAIN

     SEC. 701. LIMITATION.

       Eminent domain may not be used to acquire lands in fee or 
     in trust for an Indian tribe recognized under this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Wittman) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 984, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal 
Recognition Act of 2017 will extend Federal recognition to the 
Chickahominy Tribe, the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe, the Upper Mattaponi 
Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Indian Nation, and the 
Nansemond Indian Tribe.
  My district, the First Congressional District of Virginia, includes 
the historical tribal areas of several of these tribes. The six tribes 
are culturally and historically significant to the Commonwealth of 
Virginia and to the story of America itself. Ancestors from these 
tribes populated coastal Virginia when Captain John Smith settled at 
Jamestown in 1607. They were also the first of the American Indian 
tribes that entered into peace agreements, actually entered into peace 
agreements with the Crown of England because United States, at that 
time, was not formally a nation yet. So they were peace-loving even 
before the United States came of age.
  Also, the connections that these tribes have with the Nation and the 
settlement of the Nation are extraordinarily important. If you go back 
in time, you know that six of these tribes were part of the Powhatan 
Nation. We know famously that Pocahontas was a member of the Powhatan 
Nation, and also there in Werowocomoco, there on the shores of the York 
River, saved the life of Captain John Smith; so we can see the 
significant impact that these tribes have had on the Nation's history 
and where we are today.
  They are called first-contact tribes because they were the first 
tribes to contact the settlers as they came here to America to settle 
our land. In Jamestown there, the first connection they had was with 
these Virginia tribes. These first-contact tribes, as I have said, are 
intertwined with the birth of our Nation over 400 years ago, and they 
continue today to preserve a culture and heritage integral to Virginia 
and to the Nation. They are very proud of their history, and the tribal 
members today do much for our State in many different ways, as well as 
for our Nation, and are passionate about making sure that they are 
recognized, as other tribes are, in their critical nature to the 
government and Nation that we have today.
  It is notable that many tribal members have also served our country 
bravely as part of the United States military. It is unacceptable that 
these tribal members, who selflessly and proudly served under the 
American flag during our Nation's conflicts, from the Revolutionary War 
to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have not been officially 
recognized by the Federal Government.
  Congressional recognition is also necessary because the record 
requirements by the Bureau of Indian Affairs administration process 
unfairly penalizes these Virginia tribes. Tribal records of these 
tribes were destroyed during the Civil War when many eastern Virginia 
courthouses were destroyed. Additionally, early 20th century Virginia 
racial purity laws barred Native Americans from identifying as Indian 
on State-issued birth certificates.
  It is for these reasons that I am proud to have worked along with 
several of my Virginia colleagues in the House and the Senate to 
introduce this legislation that has received wide bipartisan support, 
including from former and current Virginia Governors who strongly 
supported this effort to recognize these tribes.
  During the 114th Congress, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and 
Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing on Virginia tribal recognition. 
Most recently, the committee marked up and reported the Virginia tribal 
recognition as part of Chairman Bishop's Tribal Recognition Act in 
December. During the legislative hearing, the previous administration's 
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs testified that they did not 
object to action by Congress to enact the bill, given Congress' 
authority under the Constitution to recognize tribes. At the hearing, 
members of the committee also expressed bipartisan support for 
recognizing these six first-contact Virginia tribes.
  Additionally, this legislation previously passed the House in both 
the 110th and the 111th Congress. It is clear that there is wide 
bipartisan support for this issue across the Commonwealth, across our 
Nation, and here in Congress.
  Federal recognition would acknowledge and protect historical and 
cultural identities of these tribes for the benefit of all Americans. 
It would affirm the government-to-government relationship between the 
United States and these first-contact Virginia tribes as a matter of 
respect out of what they did in working to make this Nation what it is 
today and also in helping create opportunities to enhance and protect 
the well-being of tribal members.
  This legislation will also provide certainty and finality on the 
gaming issue for the six Virginia tribes. H.R. 984 clearly prohibits 
the tribes from conducting gaming activities under the Indian Gaming 
Regulatory Act. The Federal Government's failure to recognize the 
Virginia tribes is a serious injustice, but it is one that we here 
today can correct.
  Congress retains the authority to recognize Indian tribes, and I 
believe that it is right and just for us to continue to exercise that 
authority under the Constitution and recognize these six first-contact 
Virginia tribes. These first-contact tribes deserve equity and parity 
under the law. It is absolutely long overdue.
  I urge your support for H.R. 984.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  We are here today, more than 400 years after the first English 
settlers landed in what became Jamestown, Virginia, to finally 
establish a government-to-government relationship with the Indian 
tribes who greeted those settlers.
  The Virginia tribes that are recognized in this bill have treaties 
with the King of England that date back to the early 1600s. Their 
ancestors were there at Jamestown and facilitated the very founding and 
early development of our Nation.
  These tribes have been unable to claim their rightful Indian identity 
in relation to the Federal Government, due in great part to the 
machinations

[[Page H4258]]

of one man, Walter Ashby Plecker, the State registrar for the 
Commonwealth in the early 20th century. Plecker, an avowed White 
supremacist, ran Virginia's Bureau of Vital Statistics for over 34 
years. From 1912 to 1947, Plecker set out to rid the Commonwealth of 
any documents that recorded the existence of Indians or Indian tribes 
living therein.
  He was instrumental in ensuring passage of the Racial Integrity Act 
in 1924, making it illegal for individuals to classify themselves or 
their newborn children as Indian. But he went even further and spent 
decades removing the category of Indian from birth and marriage 
records. Although this paper genocide, as it has been termed, attempted 
to erase the Virginia Indians from history, the tribal members held 
firm to their culture and to their identity.
  In 1997, State legislation was passed to help correct the records of 
the Virginia Indians. Soon after, the Virginia Indians began their 
quest for Federal recognition. Passage of this legislation will finally 
put to end their 20-year struggle.
  I commend and thank our colleague from Virginia (Mr. Wittman) for 
bringing forth this bill. I also want to give special thanks to former 
Congressman Jim Moran, who spent several years in this body championing 
this legislation and tirelessly working toward its goals.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to finally put this issue to rest and correct 
a historical injustice by extending Federal recognition to these six 
Virginia tribes. I urge all of my colleagues to join me and support 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. McEachin).
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Soto for yielding. I 
also want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), my friend 
and colleague, for bringing this legislation forward.
  I rise, 410 years after the first English settlers landed in what 
became Jamestown, Virginia, to finally grant Federal recognition to 
some of the Native American tribes who met those early settlers. Today, 
with the passage of H.R. 984, we are recognizing the rightful status of 
Virginia tribes in our national history.
  It is largely a historical accident that the tribes of Virginia are 
not recognized. The six tribes have treaties that predate the United 
States, but because of the systematic destruction of their records, 
they have been denied Federal recognition for the services that come 
along with it. We are fixing this injustice today by passing H.R. 984.
  Federal recognition will provide what the government has long denied: 
legal protections and financial obligations. Federal recognition will 
provide financial assistance for the tribes' social services, their 
healthcare, their housing needs, educational opportunities, and 
repatriation of the remains of their ancestors in a respectful manner.
  These opportunities will allow Virginia's tribes to flourish 
culturally and economically. These opportunities will lead to a better, 
brighter future for the next generation. Federal recognition is an 
issue I have cared deeply about since my time in the Virginia General 
Assembly. I am proud and humbled to cosponsor this legislation.
  We have waited too long, Mr. Speaker, to recognize Virginia tribes. I 
urge my colleagues to support passage.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Virginia for his 
leadership on this very important piece of legislation, important not 
only for the Commonwealth of Virginia but for the rights of all 
Americans, beginning with the original Americans.
  When we talk about the Americas, we sometimes talk as if the Americas 
began in the early 17th century, with Jamestown, with Plymouth, and 
with the subsequent colonization of the East Coast. But, in fact, there 
were millions of Native Americans here long before European 
colonization. They had rich culture. They had incredible artistic 
expression. They had a way of life. It was disrupted by European 
colonization.
  As if some genocidal policies of the 18th and 19th century weren't 
bad enough in terms of their terrible impact on this population, the 
racism my friend from Florida described that went on shamefully in the 
Commonwealth of Virginia in the early 20th century deeply compounded 
the problem by denying the identity of individuals and communities as 
Native American so that the battle for them to have their rights 
restored that my good friend, Mr. Wittman, is trying to right today was 
made so much more difficult and complex.

                              {time}  1445

  If I destroy your identity papers, I destroy your ability to prove 
who you are. That is the dilemma and that is the catch-22 in which we 
find ourselves today.
  This is a matter of simple justice. This is a matter of Congress 
righting a wrong. It is a proud moment to stand shoulder to shoulder, 
Republican and Democrat from Virginia, to want to right this wrong. And 
I know we are joined by all of our colleagues and former colleagues, 
including our friend Jim Moran for his great leadership in this matter.
  So I am proud to support the efforts of my colleague. I urge all 
Members of the House to support this legislation, and let's turn a page 
in history the right way.
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, it is time to right this wrong injustice and 
bring truth back into our history.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to also recognize the leaders of our Virginia tribes 
today. Several of those members are with us here in the gallery today 
to witness a long overdue action by Congress to formally recognize 
those Virginia tribes. Those Virginia tribal leaders have been 
tremendous in their resolve and in their support to make sure that we 
right this injustice.
  I want to thank them for what they have done. They have been tireless 
in their support for the things that they have done to make sure that 
we all appreciate and understand the great history with these Virginia 
tribes.
  I would be remiss if I didn't mention that those members of the 
tribes today, a number are getting smaller and smaller. And this is 
really only about making sure we are doing what is right for those 
tribes and making sure that they get that formal recognition because of 
many injustices that have happened in the past.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 984. And I believe 
with the passage out of the House--and I urge my colleagues in the 
Senate to do likewise--today will be a very proud day for our Nation in 
coming about and recognizing these Virginia first-contact tribes that 
has been long overdue.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 984, 
the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition 
Act and I want to thank my fellow Virginian, Congressman Rob Wittman 
for introducing this bill, and the gentleman from Utah, Chairman Bishop 
and the gentleman from Arizona, Ranking Member Grijalva, for their 
leadership and cooperation in bringing the bill to the floor.
  Four hundred ten years ago, the first English settlers founded 
Jamestown, Virginia. The founding of Jamestown represented a first step 
in the creation of our great Republic, and the success of this colony 
is owed to the help of the indigenous people of Virginia.
  With this assistance, the Jamestown colony weathered a difficult 
first few years in the New World before expanding, with English 
colonists pushing further inland. The same Native Americans who had 
helped those first settlers were pushed from their land without 
compensation. Treaties, many of which precede our own constitution, 
were made in an effort to compensate Virginia's Native Americans. 
Unfortunately, as history has repeatedly shown, these treaties were not 
often honored.
  Like many other Native Americans, and many other groups who were not 
white, and despite their contributions to the founding of our nation, 
Virginia's Indian Tribes were pushed to the fringes of society. They 
were deprived of their land, prevented from getting an education, and 
denied a role in our society. Virginia's Native Americans were denied 
their

[[Page H4259]]

very fundamental human rights and the very freedoms and liberties 
enshrined in our Constitution.
  This bill will finally grant federal recognition to the Chickahominy 
Tribe, the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the 
Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Tribe.
  Federal recognition of Virginia's Indian Tribes will promote tribal 
economic development and allow Virginia's tribes to flourish 
culturally. Federal recognition, a process that has been ongoing for 
these tribes for over 30 years, will lead to a bright future for a 
whole new generation of tribe members.
  Mr. Speaker, I was a member of the Virginia General Assembly in 1983 
when many of these tribes first gained formal recognition from the 
Commonwealth of Virginia, and I am proud to be here today supporting 
federal recognition for these tribes.
  The time has come for this Congress to act, and I therefore urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I spoke during debate on 
H.R. 984, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal 
Recognition Act of 2017.
  I rise, 410 years after the first English settlers landed in what 
became Jamestown, Virginia, to finally grant federal recognition to 
some of the Native American tribes who met those early settlers.
  Today, with passage of H.R. 984, we are recognizing the rightful 
status of Virginia's tribes in our national history.
  These six tribes have treaties that predate the United States but 
because of the systemic destruction of their records, they have been 
denied federal recognition and the services that come along with it.
  We are fixing this injustice by passing H.R. 984.
  Federal recognition will provide what the government has long 
denied--legal protections and financial obligations.
  Federal recognition will provide financial assistance for the tribes' 
social services, health care and housing needs, educational 
opportunities, and repatriation of the remains of their ancestors in a 
respectful manner. These opportunities will allow Virginia's tribes to 
flourish culturally and economically. These opportunities will lead to 
a better, brighter future for the next generation.
  Federal recognition is an issue I have cared about deeply since my 
time in the Virginia General Assembly and I am a proud cosponsor this 
legislation.
  We have waited too long to recognize Virginia's tribes. I urge my 
colleagues to support passage.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 984.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________