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My name is Burlong Epps III, I am the grandson of Burlong Epps Sr., of Virgilina, Person County, NC. Checking in here to see what is going on in Sapponitown USA.
It is good you have joined us here. I see there are many posts containing with the name Epps. We look forward to getting to know you. 🙂 Dianne
I’ve noticed conversation working around the Roxboro, NC area. My family is from that area, specifically Person County. We are the Highplains band of the Sappony indians. I try to keep my ear close to the ground with goings on around that area. Federal Recognition, will it ever come for us? Is anyone here working on any councils that are endeavoring to that end?
Burt
Hello and welcome to the forum.
I have some cousins that have Epps lines.
Don’t know much about the Epps. Just know that the Epps are in my cousins lines.
Well, now that the Lumbee have gotten federal recognition, I would imagine that will pave the way for more local tribes to get the same.
Linda,
Where did you hear that the Lumbee got federal recognition? I’ve just now searched the Fayetteville Observer and the Robesonian and I can’t find anything? Did the bill pass the committee or the entire congress? This is wonderful news!!!!!
Roy
http://www.wbtv.com/news/topstories/7202106.html
Congratulations to the Lumbee cousins. It has been a long time coming, Oho!
Yippee!!!!! I truly never thought I’d live to see the day that the Lumbee were federally recognized. I am absolutely thrilled. (And I’m only HALF Lumbee). Maybe in another 122 years, my mother’s people, the Coharie will be federally recognized.
Thanks Collins for the confirming links.
Oops. I hope I didn’t celebrate too soon. The MAJOR hurdle was crossed when the House Committee on Natural Resources approved H. R. 65, an act extending federal recognition to the Lumbee by a vote of 24 to 7. However, it must still pass the U. S. House of Representatives as a whole and also, the U. S. Senate as a whole. And then, President Bush must sign it into law.
Congratulations also to six different Virginia Indian Tribes for their bill (H. R. 1294) being passed by the same committee; the Chickahominy, East Chickahominy, Monacan, Nansemond, Rappahannock, and the Upper Mattaponi.
Much of the info on this topic got posted on another thread, in Indian Country Issues, subject line “Federal Recognition for NC Small Tribes” — although the legislation currently moving (or not) through Congress is actually about six of the VA state-recognized tribes — the Monacans being the only one that’s Eastern Siouan.
The Library of Congress links I posted there have already expired, but I Googled around. It seems that the bill (H.R. 1294) that passed in the House was referred on May 9, 2007 to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Sen. Byron Dorgan became chairman of that in January. He has done and said several things since then, having to do with Indian health care and other topics; but as far as I could tell, the last press release from this committee was March 28, before the VA Tribes bill was referred. A lot of the work of a committee gets done by staff, and only gets into the Congressional Record, etc. if something dramatic happens. I don’t know anything about Dorgan’s committee staff, but they would be involved. Here are the members of that committee.
Democrats:
Byron Dorgan, Chairman (ND)
Daniel Inouye (HI)
Kent Conrad (ND)
Daniel Akaka (HI)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Maria Cantwell (WA)
Claire McCaskill (MO)
Jon Tester (MT)
Republicans:
Craig Thomas, Vice Chairman (WY)
John McCain (AZ)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Tom Coburn (OK)
Pete Domenici (NM)
Gordon Smith (OR)
Richard Burr (NC)
Hard not to notice that almost the entire committee is from west of the Mississippi — where, of course, most of the rez Indians live.
If one were lobbying, one might also want to contact the offices of either of the Virginia senators — since nobody has yet signed on as sponsor of this measure in the Senate.
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