House Could Consider Yuchi Bill Today

The Tennessee House of Representatives could vote today to give state recognition to local Yuchi Indians who want that validity for their heritage.

For supporters, like Chief Lee Vest, it could be the culmination of years of work to see official recognition by the state. Vest and others have asked Rep. Jason Mumpower, R-Bristol, to carry the bill in the house and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, to support the measure in the state Senate.

But we urge the Legislature to turn this question back to the Tennessee Indian Commission, even though the Tennessee attorney general in 2007 issued an opinion that the Legislature has the authority to recognize Indian tribes. We just don’t believe the AG’s opinion gives state lawmakers expert understanding of Indian affairs and history.

We fear there is a chance that groups that are not aligned with recognized, established tribes could gain state recognition; that would pave the way for federal recognition and associated scholarships, business loans and other funds.

And unlike Mumpower, who on Thursday flippantly said such a mistake could be easily reversed next year, and one of his legislative aides, Brent Easley, who said the same thing earlier this month, we know American Indians do not want to see recognition granted to any group that is not proven to be legitimate. Saying any “mistake” could be corrected next year is insensitive to the seriousness American Indian recognition truly deserves.

Earlier this month, Mumpower and Ramsey agreed to drop five Cherokee tribes from the legislation when the Cherokee Nation expressed doubts about the validity of those tribes and their ability to prove their claims. Mumpower told this newspaper he did not want to sponsor a bill when the Cherokee Nation objected to inclusion of those tribes and their validity.
When asked if he was comfortable about the Yuchi’s documentation, Mumpower said Vest can document Yuchi activity in this region to 1857. He countered by asking if local critics are college professors who have earned doctorates. He was told that various local citizens, several of whom consider themselves well-versed on local history, are concerned about this bill.
If being a college professor with an earned doctorate is Mumpower’s expert standard for deciding Indian issues, he is making our point for us. Lawmakers are not experts in this field, and the 2007 AG ruling did not confer special knowledge on them. The Tennessee Indian Commission knows the most about how to handle these claims and properly answer any concerns.

A week after removing the contested Cherokee tribes from the bill, similar claims were raised about the Yuchi tribe. Tennessee lawmakers were sent a letter from Alfred Berryhill, the second chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who said it does not recognize the local Yuchi and urged legislators not to support this legislation. And Joyce Bear, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma, traveled to Tennessee last week to tell lawmakers that the group objects to the recognition for the Yuchi.

Mumpower’s reaction? On Thursday he claimed there is local resentment by residents who support the bill and that members of the House dislike being told what to do by outsiders. He said established tribes in Oklahoma are thinking only of themselves and are “selfishly hoarding” a limited pool of federal funds that they would have to share if more people are recognized as American Indians.

Asked if he remembered saying he would drop the legislation if the local Yuchi’s claims were called into question, Mumpower developed amnesia. He said his job is to represent upper East Tennessee and that the Yuchi asked for the bill. He also said Vest can prove his claims and no speaker or letter sent to his office could disprove it in his mind.
Kim “Tali” Schaffer, who lives in Bristol, Tenn., is an American Indian artisan who is ardently opposed to recognizing the Yuchi. “Recognizing this tribe is unfair to all the Native Americans out there who have a legacy, and that is all they may have left. Giving legitimacy to a tribe that cannot prove its claims is unfair.”

Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, said there appears to be widespread support for the bill, but he “may be the lone wolf who is not supportive” and wants to study the issue more.

Lundberg noted that Tennessee has the Indian Commission and believes it has more expertise to decide these issues. “I am not an expert in Indian affairs and being able to make these decisions does not automatically impose expert knowledge on legislators,” he said.

We agree. The Tennessee Indian Commission has the expertise and experience to weigh the Yuchi request and the opposition from the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma. Legislators should treat the Yuchi’s request with respect and weigh the critics’ words with the same scrutiny by sending these issues to be handled by real experts.