This bill extends federal recognition to the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, a historic Native American nation with documented roots in Virginia dating back to the 1580s. The Nottoway, an Iroquoian people, maintained control over reservation lands in Southampton County and surrounding areas for centuries, though they faced significant pressure from colonial expansion, trustee mismanagement, and Virginia's racial classification laws. The tribe reorganized in 2006 and received state recognition from Virginia in 2010. Federal recognition under this legislation makes the Nottoway and their members eligible for all federal services and benefits provided to federally recognized tribes, with a service area covering seven Virginia counties: Nottoway, Southampton, Sussex, Surry, Isle of Wight, Franklin, and Dinwiddie. The bill also allows the Secretary of the Interior to place Nottoway-owned lands within these counties into federal trust status, establishing a potential reservation. However, the legislation explicitly prohibits the tribe from conducting gaming activities and does not expand or restrict the tribe's hunting, fishing, water, or other traditional rights.
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