P
May 23
Indian canoeists set off on the Enatai on
Alki.
To help revive their cultural traditions surround-
ing canoe travel, 15 representatives of seven Pacific
Northwest tribes begin a month-long journey from
the Puget Sound to Bella Bella, British Columbia.
The participants call the grueling 1,000-mile trip
the Enatai on Alki, which means “a crossing into
the future” in Chinook. When the canoeists arrive
in Bella Bella, they join in a potlatch ceremony at-
tended by thousands as part of a Washington State
Day celebration.
August 7
Ada Deer is sworn in as the head of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Following his election to the presidency, Bill
Clinton names Menominee scholar and activist
Ada Deer the assistant secretary of the Bureau
of Indian Affairs (BIA). During the congressio-
nal hearing on her appointment, the Senate gives
her a standing ovation, a gesture that displays the
popularity she earned while lobbying in Washing-
ton on behalf of her tribe (see entry for 1970). As
her nomination is confirmed, Ada Deer becomes
the first Native American woman ever to head the
BIA.
“My vision for the Bureau of
Indian Affairs is to create a
progressive federal/tribal part-
nership. First and foremost,
the heart of Indian policy must
be strong, effective tribal sov-
ereignty. There is no reason
for me or for any of you to be
reluctant to support the per-
manency of tribal sovereigntyany more than we would be
reluctant to support the per-
manency of federal or state
sovereignty.... The role of the
federal government should be to
support and to implement trib-
ally-inspired solutions to tribally
defined problems. The days of
federal paternalism are over.”
—Ada Deer, speaking before
Congress following her
nomination for the assistant
secretary of Indian affairsOctober 28The House recognizes the Lumbee tribe.
The Lumbee Indians of North Carolina are for-
mally recognized by the House of Representatives.
With recognition, the Lumbee are permitted to
adopt a constitution, but they are still not eligible
for federal funding (see entry for JULY 7, 1956).
Recognized by the state of North Carolina in 1885,
the tribe has been seeking full federal recognition
since 1890.November 29The Catawba’s federal recognition is
restored.
After 13 years of negotiation between the United
States and the Native American Rights Fund, Ca-
tawba chief Gilbert Blue signs an agreement that
settles the claim to lands in South Carolina taken
from the Catawba by the Treaty of Nation Ford of- As part of the settlement, the United States
restores federal recognition to the Catawba tribe
(see entry for JULY 1, 1962), making it eligible for
government services reserved for Indians. Congress
also awards the Catawba $50 million to purchase
land, fund economic and social programs, and
make payments to tribal members.