A bill that allows the Tigua Tribe of Texas to define its own membership standards is being sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.

In 1968, Congress placed the tribe under state jurisdiction. The tribe was restored to federal status in 1987 but the law imposed a one-eighth blood quantum requirement on members.

The House passed H.R. 1560, a bill to eliminate the blood quantum requirement, last December. The Senate approved the same bill on Thursday by unanimous consent.

"Throughout my career, I have had advocated for self-governance, self-determination, and governmental parity for all Native peoples. This bill embodies all of these core principles and marks an important victory for the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo people," Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said in a press release.

Get the Story:
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN AKAKA ON THE PASSAGE OF THE YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO TRIBAL MEMBERSHIP BILL (SCIA 8/2)

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