Reposting from IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com: 

BREAKING: Federal Recognition Reform Moves Forward

Gale Courey Toensing, 5/22/14

Proposed regulations to reform the cumbersome, opaque and sluggish process to federally recognize Indian nations have been published in the Federal Register, kicking off a 60-day comment period that will ultimately lead to final regulations being put in place.

Interior’s Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn announced the publication of the proposed regulations Thursday. The proposed regulations follow up on a draft proposal he issued last June that was widely applauded in Indian country as the best thing to happen in decades to a system that’s been described as “broken, long, expensive, burdensome, intrusive, unfair, arbitrary and capricious, less than transparent, unpredictable, and subject to undue political influence and manipulation.”