Updated 2020
According to the National Conference of State Legislature and the National Congress of American Indians, there are 17 states with state recognized tribes and a total of 63 state recognized tribes within the listed states. If you find anything that is incorrect, please feel free to contact me.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act defines a State-recognized Indian tribe, solely for purposes of certain sections of the Act, as “an Indian group that has been formally recognized as an Indian tribe by--
(i) a State legislature;
(ii) a State commission; or
(iii) another similar organization vested with State legislative tribal recognition authority;”
***If you know of a state recognized tribe that meets one of the 3 criteria and is not listed below, please email me with that information.***
"State tribal recognition for the states below specifically refers to states that have created a formal process for recognition. Please note, some states, even if they have not established a formal process for recognition acknowledge the historical and cultural contribution of tribes, however they are not captured in this list."...National Conference of State Legislature.
Alabama
California
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Montana
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Sources:
Please contact me, Weeya Calif, with any comment, questions or concerns.
According to the National Conference of State Legislature and the National Congress of American Indians, there are 17 states with state recognized tribes and a total of 63 state recognized tribes within the listed states. If you find anything that is incorrect, please feel free to contact me.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act defines a State-recognized Indian tribe, solely for purposes of certain sections of the Act, as “an Indian group that has been formally recognized as an Indian tribe by--
(i) a State legislature;
(ii) a State commission; or
(iii) another similar organization vested with State legislative tribal recognition authority;”
***If you know of a state recognized tribe that meets one of the 3 criteria and is not listed below, please email me with that information.***
"State tribal recognition for the states below specifically refers to states that have created a formal process for recognition. Please note, some states, even if they have not established a formal process for recognition acknowledge the historical and cultural contribution of tribes, however they are not captured in this list."...National Conference of State Legislature.
Alabama
- Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians
- Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama
- Cherokees of Southeast Alabama
- Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama
- Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama
- Mowa Band of Choctaw Indians
- Piqua Shawnee Tribe
- Southeastern Muscogee Nation
- United Cherokee Ani-Yun-Wiya Nation
California
Connecticut
- Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation
- The Golden Hill Paugussett
- Schaghticoke Tribal Nation
Delaware
Georgia
- Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council
- Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee
- Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe
Louisiana
- Addai Caddo Tribe
- Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogee
- Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb
- Clifton Choctaw
- Four Winds Tribe Louisiana Cherokee Confederacy
- Grand Caillou/Dulac Band
- Isle de Jean Charles Band
- Louisiana Choctaw Tribe
- Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana
- Pointe-Au-Chien Indian Tribe
- United Houma Nation
Maryland
Massachusetts
Montana
- Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
- Cohaire Intra-Tribal Council, Inc.
- Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe
- Lumbee Tribe
- Meherrin Nation
- Occaneechi Band of teh Saponi Nation
- Sappony
- Waccamaw-Siouan Tribe
South Carolina
- Beaver Creek Indians
- Edisto Natchez Kusso Tribe of South Carolina
- Pee Dee Nation of Upper South Carolina
- Pee Dee Indian Tribe of South Carolina
- Piedmont American Indian Association-Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina
- Santee Indian Organization
- The Waccamaw Indian People
- Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians
Texas
Vermont
- Elnu Abenaki Tribe
- Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
- Koasek Abenaki Tribe
- Mississquoi Abenaki Tribe
Virginia
- Cheroenhaka (Nottoway)
- Eastern Chickahominy Tribe
- Mattaponi
- Monacan Nation
- Nansemond
- Nottoway of Virginia
- Pattawomeck
- Upper Mattaponi Tribe
Washington
Sources:
- National Conference of State Legislatures 2020
- Federal Register, January 2015
- State Commissions on Indian Affairs
- Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A Survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes Across the United States; Santa Clara Law Review, Volume 48 (2007); by Alexa Koenig and Jonathan Stein
- National Congress of American Indians 2020
- Newspapers and state government websites
Please contact me, Weeya Calif, with any comment, questions or concerns.