Choctaw-Apache Tribe seeks federal recognition
The Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Louisiana hopes federal recognition will open the doors to health, housing and economic development.

The tribe claims descent from Adais, Apache and Choctaw families who settled in western Louisiana, near the Texas border, in the early 1700s. About 3,000 people are on the membership rolls.

The tribe was recognized by the state in 1977. A petition for federal recognition was submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal members expect an answer in the coming years.

"We're roughly a year to a year and a half from a decision, I think," Jason Rivers told The Shreveport Times.

Get the Story:
La. Choctaw-Apache Tribe growing (The Shreveport Times 12/11)