Questions about organizational & individual recognition

The following are some questions about the past and future Native American Indian Organizational and Individual Recognition in Tennessee that need to be answered before the state Commission of Indian Affairs considers writing new rules for Native American Indian organizational and individual recognition. We all should know and be satisfied with the complete answers to these questions before we go any further toward developing state rules about indianness in Tennessee.

1. Purpose of recognition
   
   
   
   1. What is the purpose of 'recognizing' Native American Indian organizations and individuals by the state of Tennessee? Is there a goal to 'recognition'?
      
   2. To what degree do the tribes, the state, the public, the organizations and the individuals benefit from state recognition of Native American Indian organizations and/or individuals?
      
   3. What are the material benefits of Native American Indian organizational and individual recognition? Will recognized individuals or members of recognized organizations qualify for K-12 federal funding, college scholarships, artisan status under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, Small Business Administration 8(a) minority contract set-asides, Administration for Native Americans grants?
      
   4. What was the political situation that initiated discussion and desire for recognition criteria?
      
   5. How have organizations and individuals recognized in the past (1990-2000) as Native American Indian by the State of Tennessee benefitted from their changed recognition status?
      
   6. What are the problems associated with Native American Indian organizational and individual recognition?
      
   7. What are the traditional Native American Indian cultural values that are being promoted by state recognition of Native American Indian organizations and individuals?
      
   8. Is state-based 'recognition' of a person or group as Native American Indian a valid racial or ethnic entitlement, ie, a rectification of past injustice?
   
   
2. Authority
   
   
   
   1. Who recognizes indians as indians? Indians or non-indians? Tribes or non-indian governmental agencies?
      
   2. Why should the state be interested in 'recognizing' organizations or individuals as Native American Indian?
      
   3. Given the Equal Protection clause of the US Constitution, does the state define, determine and officially 'recognize' organizations and individual members of other racial/ethnic/minority groups?
      
   4. How is the principle of Tribal Sovereignty advanced through the development of Native American Indian organizational and individual recognition controlled and provided by a non-tribal public governmental agency?
   
   
3. Comparative recognition
   
   
   
   1. Which states have or had or are considering state tribal recognition and what are their regulations?
      
   2. Which states have or had or are considering state organizational recognition and what are their regulations?
      
   3. Which states have or had or are considering state individual recognition and what are their regulations?
      
   4. Given that other states have such types of recognition, what are the opinions of their Indian Affairs Commissions regarding the benefits and problems associated with each type of recognition?
   
   
4. Alternatives
   
   Tribes can charter affiliate organizations directly or or recognize an associated organization by resolution in the same manner as states.
   
   1. Which tribes have affiliate or associate organizational recognition?
      
   2. How are these affiliate or associate organizations chartered by the tribe?
      
   3. Native American Indian organizations and individuals in this state and in others have survived without recognition for years. How are they coping without recognition?
   
   
5. Elder relatives' opinions
   
   Being indian means that an organization or an individual is related by family to a larger and much older social group of a tribe or nation. As older relatives, their opinions should be requested and acknowledged. To deny them a voice is to deny relationship.
   
   1. Why did the Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs amend the rules to severely restrict individual recognition in 1991, less than one year after implementation?
      
   2. Why did the Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs call a meeting on 22 december 1997 to dismantle the recognition criteria seven years after implementation? Was that meeting ever held?
      
   3. What do tribes say about state recognition of Native American Indian organizations and individuals?
      
   4. What do other non-tribal indian organizations (eg, National Congress of American Indians, Governors Interstate Indian Council, Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes) say about state recognition of Native American Indian organizations and individuals?