California Indian Tribes Denied Resources for Decades as Federal Acknowledgement Lags
This article is adapted from an episode of our podcast “Civic.” Click the audio player below to hear the full story. In 1978, the U.S. government created a path to recognizing Indian tribes in the United States. Four years later, the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, a tribe native to Yosemite Valley, submitted its initial request to become a recognized tribe. The tribe is still waiting. Obtaining federal recognition is often seen as the “golden ticket,” because it allows tribes to organize collectively and access federal resources. Recognized tribes can get funds for housing or climate resilience, for example. They also can establish sovereign governmental status, giving them authority to collect taxes and administer laws. “It means that tribes have the ability to take care of their community members through health, through education and through other services that the government promised […]
