Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and the ranking member. I appreciate the great opportunity to address the House today.

Mr. Speaker, I have spent a lot of time in this Chamber over the past 8 years, sometimes in sorrow when we have come together as a nation, sometimes in celebration, a lot of highs and lows, but tonight is a very special night as I offer the Eastern Band Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act.

It is special for a lot of reasons, because in my district, I represent an east Tennessee district of 11 wonderful counties, outstanding people, but I received a contact years ago from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and they came to me, and they said: Congressman, will you please help us with a situation, with a problem, with a promise that was made and a promise that was unfulfilled to us? So I sat down with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. They are from North Carolina, a sister State to Tennessee.

They told me the story. And, of course, we know the story of the Trail of Tears, where over 15,000 Cherokee were forcibly removed from their home in east Tennessee out West. Some avoided capture and stayed in this area, and they remain today. Some came back from the West and now are in a vibrant community in North Carolina.

But the sadness of this broken promise, another broken promise to our Native Americans, was something that was staggering, because there is a place called Tanasi, T-A-N-A-S-I. Sound familiar? That is what the great State of Tennessee, that area I represent, was named after, but this was the Cherokee capital in Monroe County, the area I represent today.

Well, they were promised, a long time ago and a short time ago, that they would have the return of these 76 key acres. It is amazing. Even today, as I have fought for our Native Americans in our great State of Tennessee, we had to overcome stereotypes. People said: Oh, gosh, they want to have a casino.

We said: No. This is a return of their sacred homeland over their sacred capital.

So in this legislation, there is a no-gaming provision.

This should be something that Members on both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, embrace as a matter of civil liberties, as a matter of doing the right thing, as a matter of keeping our broken promises made for a change.

What are we going to do with this land? We are going to honor Sequoia, as we do in this great capital, we are going to honor Cherokee culture.

What is great about this bill is our surrounding counties in Monroe County, where this exists, in McMinn County, in Polk County, counties I represent, the local people want this. They want to bring the Cherokee back and honor the Cherokee.

Can this undo the foils of history that happened to the Cherokee? No, it cannot. But this bill, in some meaningful way, can restore the Cherokee homeland to them, their capital to them. This is something I think all Americans can and should embrace.

In this great people's House in which we all serve, this is something that we all can vote for and all embrace. Keep this broken promise that was long overdue, honor Cherokee tradition, and do something that is really right for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what we have done, embrace this bill, embrace this opportunity, and honor a great tradition in America, the Cherokee Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of this aisle, I thank my constituents at home for the privilege of representing the great State of Tennessee, and I thank my friends in the Cherokee Nation for asking that Tanasi be brought home where it belongs.

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