GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1997 SESSION

S.L. 1997-293
SENATE BILL 1074

AN ACT TO OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE THE INDIANS PREVIOUSLY RECOGNIZED IN THE GENERAL STATUTES AS THE HALIWA TRIBE AS THE HALIWA SAPONI TRIBE.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 71A-5 reads as rewritten:
"§ 71A-5. Haliwa Saponi Tribe of North Carolina; rights, privileges, immunities, obligations and duties.
The Indians now residing in Halifax, Warren and adjoining counties of North Carolina, originally found by the first permanent white settlers on the Roanoke River in Halifax and Warren Counties, and claiming descent from certain tribes of Indians originally inhabiting the coastal regions of North Carolina, shall, from and after April 15, 1965, be designated and officially recognized as the Haliwa Saponi Tribe of North Carolina, and they shall continue to enjoy all their rights, privileges and immunities as citizens of the State as now or hereafter provided by law, and shall continue to be subject to all the obligations and duties of citizens under the law."
Section 2.  G.S. 143B-407(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	The State Commission of Indian Affairs shall consist of two persons appointed by the General Assembly, the Secretary of Human Resources, the Director of the State Employment Security Commission, the Secretary of Administration, the Secretary of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, the Commissioner of Labor or their designees and 18 representatives of the Indian community. These Indian members shall be selected by tribal or community consent from the Indian groups that are recognized by the State of North Carolina and are principally geographically located as follows: the Coharie of Sampson and Harnett Counties; the Eastern Band of Cherokees; the Haliwa Saponi of Halifax, Warren, and adjoining counties; the Lumbees of Robeson, Hoke and Scotland Counties; the Meherrin of Hertford County; the Waccamaw-Siouan from Columbus and Bladen Counties; and the Native Americans located in Cumberland, Guilford and Mecklenburg Counties. The Coharie shall have two members; the Eastern Band of Cherokees, two; the Haliwa Saponi, two; the Lumbees, three; the Meherrin, one; the Waccamaw-Siouan, two; the Cumberland County Association for Indian People, two; the Guilford Native Americans, two; the Metrolina Native Americans, two. Of the two appointments made by the General Assembly, one shall be made upon the recommendation of the Speaker, and one shall be made upon recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Appointments by the General Assembly shall be made in accordance with G.S. 120-121 and vacancies shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 120-122."
Section 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 1st day of July, 1997.
s/	Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate

s/	Harold J. Brubaker
Speaker of the House of Representatives

s/	James B. Hunt, Jr.
Governor

Approved 11:54 a.m. this 10th day of July, 1997