Federal Recognition
The fight for federal acknowledgment nationwide: petitions, rulings, bills and the tribes still waiting on Washington.
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47 years after it first asked, the United Houma Nation carries a new recognition case to Interior
On Oct. 15, Principal Chief Lora Ann Chaisson hand-delivered a supplement to the United Houma Nation’s federal acknowledgment petition, which has sat under a proposed negative finding since 1994. The Houma case…
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The federal paper trail of California’s Indian people is being boxed up for Colorado. California has sued to stop it.
The National Archives plans to close its San Bruno facility, on Ramaytush Ohlone land, and ship its Bureau of Indian Affairs records to Denver. On Oct. 14 California sued to block the…
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Explainer: Interior now lets denied tribes try again. Here’s how the re-petition door works, and when it closes.
For a decade, a “no” from the Office of Federal Acknowledgment was permanent. A 2025 rule changed that. Tribes denied before 2025, including the Muwekma Ohlone, have until Feb. 14, 2030 to…
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The courts are closed. Can Congress recognize a tribe? Chinook, Lumbee and a stalled California bill show the path
The Supreme Court turned away the Chinook Indian Nation in March, and the tribe is now drafting a restoration bill. The Lumbee won recognition through Congress in December and are moving through…
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Shutdown clock resets to Dec. 11. What the stopgap means for Indian health, the BIA, and tribes Washington won’t recognize
A continuing resolution signed Sept. 2 keeps the federal government open through Dec. 11. Indian Health Service clinics are shielded by advance funding, but construction, sanitation and the diabetes program face deadlines.…
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In Los Gatos, the Muwekma tell their own story, from the Trail of Truth to the return of cultural fire
Two exhibitions at New Museum Los Gatos, built with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and San José State anthropologists, follow the Tribe’s horseback Trail of Truth to Washington and its work to bring…
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A California mission tribe clears Phase I at Interior. Its “previous recognition” claim is still unproven.
The Office of Federal Acknowledgment has issued a positive Phase I proposed finding for the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians of the San Fernando Valley. It is real progress for a…
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Amah Mutsun Tribal Band files petition for federal recognition
The Interior Department is taking public comment on a federal acknowledgment petition from the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band of the Mission San Juan Bautista, one of two rival Amah Mutsun governments. The…
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Money and politics motivate Democrat opposition to Muwekma Tribe’s recognition
The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay, with over 600 members, has been engaged in a decades-long struggle for federal recognition. Led by Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh, the tribe has accused…
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NBC hit piece on Trump’s support of Lumbee reveals bias towards unrecognized tribes
BY CHARLENE NIJMEH The recent NBC article by Laken Kincaid, titled “Trump’s push for Lumbee recognition causes concern among other Native tribes,” highlights a critical issue in Indian Country: the persistent bias…
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Muwekma Ohlone Tribe asks President Trump to repatriate the Presidio, proclaim an Indian reservation
San Francisco, CA – March 12, 2025 – The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe has made a historic appeal to President Donald J. Trump, formally requesting the return of the Presidio of San Francisco to…
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Republicans back an affirmation of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s federal status
Last week, the Bay Area’s Republican Party decided to back the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in a big way — and it’s shaming the Bay Area Democrats who have been stalling an affirmation…
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Muwekma versus the ‘Pop-Up Tribes’: fake Ramaytush group undermines legitimate Ohlone struggle for recognition
BY SANATH KRISHNA Legitimate but unrecognized Native American tribes across North America are among the most marginalized indigenous populations on the continent. Embarking on the challenge to attain federal recognition is a…
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