Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg on Friday asked Chairman Nick Rahall, DW. Va., and ranking member Don Young, R-Alaska, of the House Resources Committee to hold a hearing on federal recognition for the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe. Rehberg introduced a bill earlier this year to recognize the tribe. “The Little Shell have spent more than a century seeking recognition and being held up by the bureaucratic process,” Rehberg, a Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee, said Friday in a news release. “I’ve introduced legislation to expedite the process and it’s time we give the tribe an opportunity to discuss the importance of the bill. I look forward to a prompt response from the chairman and ranking member.” The Little Shell Tribe is made up of approximately 4,300 members, mostly in the Great Falls area. In 2000, the same year the tribe was recognized by the stateOf Montana, the Department of Interior issued a positive finding for the tribe making them eligible for recognition. Since then, little progress has been made due to bureaucratic obstacles. Rehberg’s bill expedites recognition through the legislative process. “Federal recognition is essential for the Little Shell Tribe to establish a tribal land base, preserve its sovereignty and culture, as well as gain access to vital services and benefits for tribal members,” Rehberg said in the letter. “A House Natural Resources Committee hearing will highlight the unique history of the Little Shell Tribe and underscore the need for federal recognition.” “The bureaucrats over at Interior have held this thing up too long,” Rehberg said. “Let’s have a hearing, discuss the bill, and bring the tribe the recognition they deserve.”
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