I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9630 
To extend Federal recognition to the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe 
of Virginia, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 
Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To extend Federal recognition to the Cheroenhaka 
(Nottoway) Indian Tribe of Virginia, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cheroenhaka 
(Nottoway) Indian Tribe of Virginia Federal Recognition 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) The Cheroenhaka-Nottoway has more than 
300 Tribal citizens on its rolls, all of whom, via a 
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paper trail, can document their genealogical line to 
an ethno-historic surname of the Cheroenhaka 
(Nottoway) Tribe. 
(2) The Tribe owns 263 acres of ‘‘Tribal’’ land 
in Southampton County, Virginia, which is a part of 
its originally granted 41,000 acres by the Virginia 
House of Burgesses in 1705. 
(3) The Virginia, the Racial Integrity Act of 
1924, under the direction of the Virginia Bureau of 
Vital Statistics, reclassified American Indians to 
‘‘colored’’ or ‘‘mulatto’’ This reclassification has cre-
ated genealogical gaps, making it nearly impossible 
for Virginia Tribes to gain Federal recognition via 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs process. 
(4) The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) signed a 
stand alone treaty with Virginia’s Provincial Lieu-
tenant Governor Alexander Spotswood on April 23, 
1713, that required a ‘‘Peace Tribute’’ be delivered 
to the Governor of the Virginia on April 23rd annu-
ally. 
(5) The Tribe has presented this tribute to the 
governor on the 299th, 300th, 301st, 302nd, 303rd, 
304th, 305th, 306th, 307th, 308th, 309th, 310th, 
and 311th anniversaries of the treaty. 
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(6) The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) were the only 
Tribe in the Commonwealth of Virginia to have a re-
corded Gubernatorially Mandated Special Census 
that took place on the Tribal reservation in 1808. 
(7) The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) are an offi-
cially recognized Tribe by the Commonwealth of Vir-
ginia. 
(8) The Hand Site Excavation (44SN22)—in 
Southampton County carbon dates the ancestors of 
the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe of South-
ampton County, Virginia to around 1580. It is be-
lieved this site existed in 700 AD. 
(9) The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe 
made first ethno-historic contact with the English in 
1607–1608 in what is now Nottoway County, Vir-
ginia. The English were looking for information ger-
mane to Roanoke Island . . . the ‘‘Lost Colony’’. 
(10) In the Seventeenth Century, the Iroquoian 
Speaking Tribes occupied lands east of the Fall Line 
on the inner Coastal Plains of Southeastern Vir-
ginia. 
These 
tribes 
were 
the 
Cheroenhaka 
(Nottoway), the Meherrin and the Tuscarora. 
(11) The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian 
Tribe’s King and Great Men/Chief Men signed three 
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treaties: The Treaty of 1646; 1677 in addition to 
the above mentioned 1713, Spotswood Treaty. 
(12) In 1705, the House of Burgess granted 
two 
tracks 
of 
‘‘Reservation 
Land’’ 
to 
the 
Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe—the Circle 
Track (18,000 acres) and Square Track (23,000 
acres) totaling some 41,000 acres of Reservation 
Land. The two tracks of land fell within the confines 
of what was then Isle of Wight County—now South-
ampton and Sussex Counties. 
(13) In July of 1808, the Governor of the Com-
monwealth of Virginia mandated a ‘‘Special’’ 
Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Census be taken of 
those Indians living on the remaining reservation 
lands (approx. 7,000 + acres) of the Cheroenhaka 
(Nottoway) Indian Reservation in what is now 
Courtland, Virginia, formerly named ‘‘Jerusalem’’. 
(14) In 1816, new trustees were appointed for 
the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indians. These Trust-
ees were empowered to make reasonable rules and 
regulations for the government of the tribe and for 
the expenditure of the money held in trust for them, 
which was to continue so long as any number of the 
tribe were living. Any funds remaining on hand were 
then to be paid into the public treasury. 
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(15) On December 7, 2002, the Cheroenhaka 
(Nottoway) Indian Tribe filed a letter of intent with 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Fed-
eral Acknowledgement (OFA) announcing that it 
would be filing for Federal Recognition via the OFA. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(2) TRIBAL
CITIZEN.—The term ‘‘Tribal cit-
izen’’ means— 
(A) an individual who is an enrolled mem-
ber of the Tribe as of the date of the enactment 
of this Act; and 
(B) an individual who is placed on the 
membership rolls of the Tribe in accordance 
with this Act. 
(3) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 
Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe of Virginia. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL RECOGNITION. 
(a) FEDERAL RECOGNITION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Federal recognition is ex-
tended to the Tribe. 
(2) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS.—All laws (includ-
ing regulations) of the United States of general ap-
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plicability 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 incon-
sistent with this Act shall be applicable to the Tribe 
and Tribal citizens. 
(b) FEDERAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Tribe and Tribal citi-
zens shall be eligible for all services and benefits 
provided by the Federal Government to federally rec-
ognized Indian Tribes without regard to the exist-
ence of a reservation for the Tribe. 
(2) SERVICE AREA.—The service area for the 
purpose of the delivery of Federal services to Tribal 
citizens shall be determined in coordination and con-
sultation with the Secretary not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP; GOVERNING DOCUMENTS. 
The membership roll and governing documents of the 
Tribe shall be the most recent membership roll and gov-
erning documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to 
the Secretary before the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. 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 
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(2) any subsequent governing body elected in 
accordance with the election procedures specified in 
the governing documents of the Tribe. 
SEC. 7. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the request of the Tribe, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall take into trust for the ben-
efit 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 South-
ampton County, Virginia. 
(b) DEADLINE
FOR DETERMINATION.—The Sec-
retary shall make a final written determination not later 
than 3 years of the date which the Tribe submits a request 
for land to be taken into trust under subsection (a) 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 section 
shall, upon request of the Tribe, be considered part of the 
reservation of the Tribe. 
(d) GAMING.—The Tribe may not conduct gaming ac-
tivities 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 
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any regulations thereunder promulgated by the Secretary 
or the National Indian Gaming Commission. 
SEC. 8. GAMING. 
The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as a 
matter of claimed inherent authority or under the author-
ity of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regu-
latory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regula-
tions thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the Na-
tional Indian Gaming Commission. 
SEC. 9. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND 
WATER RIGHTS. 
Nothing in this Act expands, reduces, or affects in 
any manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or 
water rights of the Tribe and Tribal citizens. 
Æ 
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