The subject of Federal recognition for the Shinnecock Indian Nation was among the topics discussed by Congressman Tim Bishop of New York's 1st District in a meeting with constituents Monday night in Southampton.
In answer to a question about whether he could help achieve federal recognition for the Shinnecock, the Congressman said he was unable to help the process. The Congressman said
"there are only two ways that recognition can be granted. One is through the executive branch.. that is to say the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of interior and the other is through legislative action.
I believe only two tribes in our history have been recognized through legislative action; that is a member of Congress prepares a bill, submits it and the congress votes on it and passes it and the President signs it."
Mr. Bishop said that as a Congressman he is unable to do anything to speed up the bureau's process, expected to take years. Bishop said he met with New York Governor Elliot Spitzer on behalf of the Tribe.
Mr. Bishop repeated his opposition to gambling proposed by the tribe on Westwoods, the tribal land outside the reservation:
"I met with the Governor on Friday moring and advocated .... for their application for the video lottery terminals at Aquaduct, someting that the Tribal Trustees asked me to do, i did it."
"I wanted to try to walk a line between helping the Shinnecock achieve what any reasonable person would want them to achieve which is economic self-sufficiency, but protect eastern Long Island from gambling because I believe that gambling would forever damage a place that we all love."Congressman Bishop said he thinks the recent federal court decision regarding use of the Westwoods land puts "gambling off the table"
In response, a statement issued Tuesday by the Shinnecock Tribal Trustees says, in part:
"We applaud the Congressman's assistance in regard to the aspirations of the Shinnecock Indian Nation for federal recognition and his intercession on our behalf with Governor Spitzer, but we also are obliged to clarify the record by pointing out that pursuant to the Federally Recognized Tribe List Act of 1994 federal recognition of an Indian tribe also may be achieved through a federal court judgment.The Trustees said
This type of acknowledgement is exactly what happened in the case of the Shinnecock in 2005, when United States District Judge Thomas C. Platt held that the Nation is an Indian tribe as a matter of federal law. "
"A statement of support by Congressman Bishop for listing of the Nation as a federally recognized tribe would be consistent with the sort of support other members of Congress have provided to tribes in their districts"
and the Trustees said that such support would
"go a long way towards inducing the Department of the Interior to grant the Shinnecock Nation the status and access to federal assistance in health, education and economic development that we urgently need. "
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from a report filed for WPKN News heard Monday-Friday at 89.5 Bridgeport and 88.7 Montauk at 6:30 pm following Pacifica's "Free Speech Radio News".
The following is the full text of the Shinnecock Trustees response:
"We applaud Congressman Bishop's assistance in regard to the aspirations of the Shinnecock Indian Nation for federal recognition and his intercession on our behalf with Governor Spitzer, but we also are obliged to clarify the record by pointing out that pursuant to the Federally Recognized Tribe List Act of 1994 federal recognition of an Indian tribe also may be achieved through a federal court judgment.
This type of acknowledgement is exactly what happened in the case of the Shinnecock in 2005, when United States District Judge Thomas C. Platt held that the Nation is an Indian tribe as a matter of federal law.
That decision has advanced the Nation's place of honor and respect among other Indian nations throughout the country and created a right for it to be listed as an Indian tribe by the United States Department of the
Interior. A explicit, written statement of support by Congressman Bishop for listing of the Nation as a federally recognized tribe by the Department of the Interior would be very welcome indeed and consistent with the sort of support other members of Congress have provided to tribes in their districts, Modesty is admirable, but we respectfully suggest that
political support from members of the legislative branch is not irrelevant and is practically influential. Indeed, we believe that Congressman Bishop's support for the Nation's federal recognition would go a long way towards inducing the Department of the Interior to grant the Shinnecock Nation the status and access to federal assistance in health, education and economic development that we urgently need."
