Regional History
The Original Men Part II
Jul 5, 2005, 13:28
General BIA information: 202-208-3710
James Parker Shield, Vice-Chair of the Little Shell Tribe in Montana, shared his recollections and experiences of his tribe’s continued quest for Federal recognition. Shield said, “CJ’s uncle was a great tribal leader and a personal friend of mine. We served on the Tribal Council together, years ago, back in the seventies.”
"After over a hundred years of wandering, federal attempts at exportation, and fighting to regain their identity and their land, our tribe is still landless,” said Shield. “In a way, we are like the Palestinians. We are, basically, homeless people in our own land, which is totally ironic and without justice, to be sitting on land our people used to own and not even having a place to celebrate our tribal ceremonies or meet for councils.”
Shield said there were continuous efforts made by the Little Shell Tribe, during the 1930’s, to gain recognition and to find a land base. During that time, the Federal government bought additional acreage and added on to the Rocky Boy Reservation. In exchange for the increased acreage, the Rocky Boy Reservation adopted additional Little Shell tribal members resulting in eighteen families living on the reservation.
Shield explained the difficulties the tribe encountered as it continued to seek federal recognition.
“Prior to 1978, there was not any real criteria in place by the government for recognizing a tribe,” he said. “Other tribes had obtained recognition through Congressional Bills. However, in 1978, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Congress established a new branch called the Branch of Acknowledgment and Research in the Bureau of Indian Affairs to establish standards and criteria for recognition of Indian tribes."
More recently, according to Shield, the U.S. Interior Department signed an order on July 21, 2000 that granted preliminary recognition of the tribe from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“There was to be a six-month public comment period, however, it continues to this day," he explained. "When you get to the point where the Secretary of Interior grants us preliminary recognition status, it should be a slam-dunk to get the final determination. That period has drug on and on for five years now."
In support of the tribe, the Montana State Legislature passed a resolution that officially recognized the tribe in the state of Montana, and even had letters of support from Montana tribal governments.
“We feel the political backwash from the controversies involving tribal casinos and gaming on the East and West Coast has affected us. We are a small tribe in Montana, yet this controversy has an effect on our ruling.”
Meanwhile, Shield said the tribes continuing efforts to cooperate with the Department of Indian Affairs, which is "short handed" at the Branch of Acknowledgment Research.
"They said we needed to provide them with more information. That additional information included a stack of thirteen binders, two feet tall," he said. "The Tribe’s anthropologists provided additional evidence about the tribe’s identity, political and cultural involvements. The lengthy and administratively burdensome process has resulted in frustration for the tribe. We have decided to explore a Congressional Recognition Bill with our delegates from Montana, Senator Burns, Senator Baucus, and Congressman Rehberg.”
What that means for the tribal leaders is they must go through the official process, which includes committee hearings and steps in the government protocols.
“We are just in the planning stages of all that,” said Shield, “We don’t know how long it will take. Our hope is that the Recognition Bill will be introduced in this upcoming session in Congress.”
Shield said the struggle is worth the effort, for the benefits of tribal recognition include “new tribes’ money” which helps pay for the planning and administration of setting up new programs and the Tribe would then qualify for housing programs. According to Shield, the tribe could work toward buying small parcels for home sites for the tribal members.
“We have a lot of people asking us if we will have a reservation,” he said. “We don’t see that happening. What we want is a place for our tribal headquarters, a place for our people to come and meet, have a health clinic, and a place to hold our traditional ceremonies."
Shield explained the Little Shell people have resided in communities where they have lived for generations. They do not have a whole lot of interest in moving. The tribe could provide home sites and housing for people in the areas where they now reside.
Records quoted one tribal member as saying they had hoped the federal recognition would “finally allow her people to rest their feet. We’re somebody, not just this body floating around out there.”
For more information on the Little Shell Tribe refer to their website Little Shell