Submitted by Sub-Chief Gary Price Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia I submit this statement in support of House Joint Resolution 17 (HJ17), which proposes to extend state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Our Tribe has been seeking state recognition through Virginia’s established processes for more than ten years. Throughout that time, our community has remained continuous. Our families are still here. Our leadership is still here. Our cultural traditions are still being practiced and passed on. What has changed over the years is the process used to evaluate recognition. At one point, our recognition efforts moved forward through the House of Delegates. After that, the recognition process shifted. A new review structure was created, and our Tribe was placed into a system that now requires documentation standards that closely resemble federal recognition rules, even though we are seeking state recognition only. This standard does not reflect Virginia’s own recognition history. With the sole exception of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, every federally recognized tribe in Virginia was recognized through an Act of Congress, not through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ modern federal acknowledgment process. Those federal standards were not the path used for recognition in Virginia, yet they are now being applied to tribes like ours at the state level. Virginia’s history must also be acknowledged. During the early–mid twentieth century, state policies under the Walter Plecker era deliberately removed Native identity from public records. Birth certificates, marriage records, and other official documents were altered or destroyed. The effects of those actions remain today and directly impact the availability of the documentation now being required. Despite these barriers, the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe has continued to engage with the Commonwealth in good faith. We formally entered Virginia’s current recognition process in 2019. We have been open and transparent. We have demonstrated who we are through our museum, our educational programs, our community outreach, and our service to the people of Virginia. House Joint Resolution 17 does not seek federal recognition, sovereignty, gaming rights, or special legal status. It seeks state recognition only—acknowledgment by the Commonwealth of a Native community that has endured, remained intact, and contributed to Virginia’s cultural and educational life. State recognition is a decision that rests with the Commonwealth of Virginia. We respectfully ask that this decision be made based on Virginia’s history, Virginia’s authority, and the facts before the General Assembly. On behalf of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia, I respectfully urge the advancement of House Joint Resolution 17. Respectfully submitted,

In Support of House Joint Resolution 17 (HJ17) I respectfully submit this written public comment in support of House Joint Resolution 17 (HJ17), which proposes to extend state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. The Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe has been seeking state recognition for more than a decade, including prior legislative efforts that advanced through the Virginia House of Delegates. The Tribe’s status and continuity did not change during that time. What changed was the recognition process itself. Following earlier legislative advances, the Commonwealth adopted a more formal recognition framework, including the creation of the Virginia Indian Advisory Board. While this framework was intended to promote consistency and transparency, in practice it has required tribes seeking state recognition to satisfy federal BIA-style evidentiary standards, even though the recognition sought here is state recognition only, not federal recognition or sovereignty. This creates a fundamental inconsistency when viewed against Virginia’s own recognition history. Every federally recognized tribe in Virginia except the Pamunkey Indian Tribe achieved federal recognition through an Act of Congress, rather than through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ modern Federal Acknowledgement Process. Those tribes were not required to meet the BIA criteria that are now being effectively imposed on tribes seeking state recognition in Virginia. At the same time, Virginia’s historical record presents a unique and unavoidable reality. During the Walter Plecker era, the Commonwealth systematically erased Native identity from official public records through state policy. Birth certificates, marriage records, and other documents were altered or destroyed, creating lasting documentation barriers for Native communities. The evidentiary standards now being applied rely heavily on records that the Commonwealth itself eliminated. Despite these structural challenges, the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe formally entered Virginia’s modern recognition process in 2019 and has participated fully and in good faith. The Tribe has demonstrated: continuous organizational and community presence as a Virginia nonprofit since 2006; sustained public cultural and educational engagement, including operation of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Museum and Tribal Center and statewide educational programming since 2015; and clear cultural continuity and self-identification, maintained despite historical documentation loss caused by state action. It is also important to recognize that state recognition is a sovereign legislative decision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. While perspectives may be offered by individuals or organizations outside the Commonwealth, Virginia’s recognition determinations have historically rested on Virginia-based records, Virginia-based institutions, and the independent judgment of the General Assembly. Hj17 represents a measured, state-limited acknowledgment fully within the authority of the General Assembly. HJ17 provides a responsible and equitable path forward—one that restores fairness, clarity, and forward movement to a process that has extended for many years. I respectfully urge the Subcommittee to advance House Joint Resolution 17 for consideration by the full House of Delegates. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this comment for the record. Respectfully submitted,

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.