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

• 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

• Juaneno Band of Mission Indians

Connecticut

• Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation
• The Golden Hill Paugussett
• Schaghticoke Tribal Nation

Delaware

• Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware
• Nanticoke Indian Tribe

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

• Piscataway Indian Nation
• Piscataway Conoy Tribe

Massachusetts

• Nipmuc Nation

Montana

• Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana

New Jersey

• Ramapough Lenape Nation

New York

• Unkechaug Nation​

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

• Lipan Apache Tribe of 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

• Chinook Indian Tribe

​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.