The bill seeks to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993. Specifically, it aims to strike the provision that limits tribal membership to lineal descendants of individuals on the final base membership roll who have continued to maintain political relations with the Tribe. If passed, the bill would impact the future membership criteria of the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina, potentially expanding eligibility beyond the current restrictions based on lineage and political relations.
This bill revises tribal membership requirements for the Catawba Indian Nation (a tribe in South Carolina).
The Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 explicitly restricted the tribe’s future membership to lineal descendants of people on the final base membership roll who maintained continuous political relations with the tribe. This bill removes these membership criteria and allows the tribe to determine its membership. (The tribe uses three base membership rolls and anyone who wants to be enrolled must prove lineal descent from someone listed on one of these base membership rolls.)