Virginia Enabling Authority

Virginia Indians have state recognition, but still no federal recognition.

The Virginia council held several business meetings during 2007.

• Membership Changes
• Legislative Action
• State Recognition Activity
• Fourth Annual Tribal Leadership Summit
• Support of Jamestown 2007 Activities
• Historic Highway Markers Program

The enabling authority which recognize Virginia Indians is §2.2-2628:

§ 2.2-2628. Council on Indians; membership; terms; chairman; compensation and expenses; chairman's executive summary.
A. The Council on Indians (the Council) is established as an advisory council, within the meaning of § 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The Council shall be composed of (i) the chiefs of the Virginia tribes officially recognized by the Commonwealth, (ii) two members appointed at large by the Governor from the Indian population residing in Virginia, and (iii) one nonvoting member appointed by the Governor who is a senior member of his staff. Each at-large member from the Indian population residing in the Commonwealth shall be required, as a condition of his appointment to the Council, to provide verification of his status as an enrolled member of a tribe recognized by either the Commonwealth, another state, or territory. Such verification shall consist of a valid tribal identification card, confirmation of membership through a central tribal registry, a written statement of a tribal chief or council confirming membership, or certification of the enrolled member status from a tribal office.
B. Each chief shall serve a term coincident with his term of office as chief and may appoint one designee who may serve as his representative at Council meetings and other Council activities. The senior member of the Governor's staff shall serve a term coincident with the member's term of office. After the original appointments, the appointments of the at large members shall be for terms of two years except appointments to fill vacancies, which shall be for the unexpired terms. At large members may be reappointed. However, no at large member shall be eligible to serve more than three successive two-year terms.
C. The Council shall annually elect a chair and vice-chair from among its membership. The meetings of the Council shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the voting members so request. A majority of members shall constitute a quorum.
D. Members of the Council shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for the costs of expenses of the members shall be provided by the Office of the Governor.
E. The chairman of the Council shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the Council no later than the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
(1983, c. 20, § 9-138.1; 1985, c. 448; 1989, c. 406; 1991, c. 563; 1994, c. 755; 2001, c. 844; 2003, c. 885; 2004, c. 142; 2005, cc. 61, 758; 2007, c. 915.)