Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Indigenous Affairs Commission topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Panel releases bill to establish Delaware Indigenous Affairs Commission amid tribal objections
Summary
House Bill 365 would create a state commission to advise on Indigenous affairs; supporters framed it as overdue recognition while representatives of the Delaware Tribe and Delaware Nation opposed the bill as a failure to consult sovereign tribes and an erosion of tribal sovereignty.
Chair Representative Harris presented House Bill 365, characterizing it as an opportunity to create a formal advisory body—the Delaware Commission on Indigenous Affairs—to advise on education, health care, housing, burial-site protection and cultural preservation. Harris described the commission as a volunteer body with a small fiscal note and urged release from committee so the chamber may consider the measure.
Several Indigenous speakers gave in-person testimony with opposite positions. Susan Bacher, historic preservation specialist for the Delaware Tribe of Indians, read a joint letter from the Delaware Tribe and the Delaware Nation opposing HB 365. She said both federally recognized nations are headquartered in Oklahoma and that the bill, as drafted, excludes and fails to consult the tribes, undermining tribal sovereignty and perpetuating settler-colonial erasure. Elder John Thomas described the history of displacement and urged adherence to federal standards for tribal recognition and government-to-government consultation; he and Bacher urged legislators to engage with tribes directly and offered enrollment information.
Doris Cooper, a Lenape descendant who noted state recognition, urged passage of HB 365 as meaningful recognition and an important step toward inclusion and justice for Indigenous Delawareans.
After public comment, the committee moved to release HB 365; the roll-call vote recorded Chair Harris, Vice chair Kozinski, Speaker Minor Brown, Representative Dukes and Representative Spiegelman voting yes, and the motion carried. Committee members and supporters described the bill as overdue recognition and a mechanism to improve communication with Indigenous communities; opponents urged formal consultation with federally recognized tribes and caution regarding sovereignty implications.
