Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 453, and I thank both my Democratic and Republican colleagues for their great, strong words of encouragement and support on this long-overdue bill.

Mr. Speaker, the great State of Tennessee gets its name from the historic Overhill Cherokee village site called Tanasi in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee, one of my 11 counties that I proudly represent in this, the people's House. Tanasi served as the capital of the Cherokee Nation from as early as 1721 until 1730.

As a result of several misguided Federal policies, the Cherokee and other Tribes were forcibly removed from Tennessee and surrounding States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia. This tragic period in American history led to the infamous Trail of Tears.

My bill, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, returns important historical land sites back to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

I want the Members of this House to understand that this was a promise that was made by the people of Tennessee and the TVA to the Cherokee decades ago. This is not something new. The promise was made, and the promise was not kept.

Many of the Eastern Band remained in east Tennessee. In other words, when this forced removal came, they refused to go. They hid, and then they came back.

Fortunately, today, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a proud Cherokee Nation in my district, and this 76.1 acres is their sacred homeland. This needs to be returned to them.

My district also includes several areas where Sequoyah was, and still is, honored by the Cherokee. As we go to vote, we see her likeness, her image, her bust here in this Capitol, but that is something that the Cherokees still want to honor on this land in Tennessee.

What is so important? This is so important that TVA, the United States of America, the great State of Tennessee, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have all come together to right a long-term wrong. We will honor and cherish Cherokee history and Cherokee traditions with this bill in Monroe County, Tennessee.

At a time when this House, perhaps even this Nation, is divided on a lot of issues, I have received overwhelming bipartisan support in this House for this bill, from Republicans and Democrats and from up the hall in the United States Senate. Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Senator Thom Tillis, Representative Phil Roe, Representative Mark Meadows, and Representative Tom Cole have all helped us.

Without further ado, Mr. Speaker, I urge prompt consideration and support of my bill.

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