Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina Act”.
Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina Act
A BILL
To extend the full measure of the Federal Government-to-government relationship between the United States and the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
The Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina is a confederated Tribe descended from the Saponi Nation, Nansemond, and affiliated Tribes that inhabited the Piedmont and coastal regions of what are now Virginia and North Carolina.
“Haliwa” is a geographical designation that is derived from the physical location of the Tribe, which is primarily in Halifax and Warren Counties, North Carolina.
After the American Revolution (1775–1783), the Tribe’s ancestors merged together for mutual protection and survival in Halifax, Warren, Nash, and Franklin Counties, in an area known as “The Meadows”.
Among the surrounding communities, the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe has often been referred to as the “Meadows Indians”.
In 1889, Warren County, North Carolina resident G.B. Alston wrote to the Smithsonian Institution anthropologist James Mooney and confirmed the residence of a Tribe of 300–600 Indians in the Meadows in Halifax and Warren Counties.
The Tribe has continually existed as a separate community, with leaders exhibiting clear political authority.
Since 1957, the State of North Carolina has had continuous dealings with the recognized political leaders of the Haliwa Saponi.
In 1957, the Tribe opened the Haliwa Indian School for Haliwa Saponi children.
Between 1960 and 1963, students from the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe attended Bacone College for Indians in Muscogee, Oklahoma.
In 1965, the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe won a lawsuit against the North Carolina Division of Vital Statistics to correct the race of Haliwa Saponi citizens on official records to read “Indian”.
In 1965, the State of North Carolina took formal legislative action recognizing the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe.
The United States has been providing Federal funding to the Tribe from the Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education for half a century.
The United States has been providing Federal funding to the Tribe for housing and related infrastructure development from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to the Federal Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act for more than 25 years.
In 2000, the Tribe opened the Haliwa Saponi Tribal School, a charter school under the State of North Carolina, at the location of the original Haliwa Indian School, and the school has received Federal funds from the United States Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, for Haliwa Saponi Indian students.
Sec. 3 Definitions
Sec. 4 Extension of full federal government-to-government relations
The United States hereby extends to the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe the full measure of the Federal Government-to-government relationship to make 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. 5101 et seq.)) that are not inconsistent with this Act applicable to the Tribe and Tribal members.
Sec. 5 Federal services and benefit
In general— The Tribe and its 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, including services and benefits under the Act of 19 June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.).
Service area— For the purpose of the delivery of Federal services and benefits to members, the service area of the Tribe shall include Halifax, Warren, Nash, Franklin, Vance, and Granville counties in the State of North Carolina.
Service population— For purpose of the delivery of Federal services and benefits described in subsection (a), the Tribal roll in effect on the date of enactment of this Act shall, subject to verification by the Secretary, define the service population of the Tribe.
Roll; Governing documents— The membership roll and government 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. 6 Authorization to take land into trust
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary is authorized to take land into trust for the benefit of the Tribe and proclaim a reservation for the Tribe pursuant to the authorities granted to the Secretary in the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), and lands acquired in trust for the Tribe and included in the first reservation proclamation for the Tribe shall be treated as an initial reservation that meets the requirements of Public Law 100–497, section 20(b)(1)(B)(ii).