They did not want other tribes to achieve recognition. It's an issue of fairness, and that's what we're going to promote. We're going to take the high road and make clear that this is an issue about fairness and not being discriminatory. McIntyre said he and other bill sponsors already have begun to develop strategies to bring about new legislation as early as January. Unrecognized tribes can now gain federal recognition through petitions to the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs, congressional legislation or court rulings.
Many unrecognized tribes say the procedures are slow and unfair.
Tribal leaders have criticized the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which they say has granted recognition to only 12 tribes since it gained the authority in 1978. Tribal leaders argue that the bureau is biased against granting recognition to tribes because it is also responsible for providing funding and services to newly recognized tribes. The criteria used by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for evaluating recognition petitions include a tribe's documented history, membership and organization. The bill, whose chief sponsor was Democratic Rep. Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa, called for the secretary of the Interior to appoint a three-person commission to review recognition applications according to an established timetable. Similar legislation passed the House in 1994 but died in the Senate.