WASHINGTON D.C., DC — A bill that would give land located in Monroe County back to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians passed the U.S. House on Tuesday, according to a release from Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R - Tenn.).
The release said that the bill, HR 548, passed unanimously. It gives around 76 acres of land located in Monroe County to the EBCI. The lands include the Sequoyah Museum, the Chota Memorial, the Tanasi Memorial and additional land to provide support for the properties and cultural programs.
The Tennessee Valley Authority would keep the right to carry out river control and development on the lands, including the ability to temporarily flood some areas. Structures could be built with the TVA's consent on lands that could face flooding in the future.
The bill also prohibits gaming on the lands.
It still needs to pass the U.S. Senate and be signed by the president before becoming law. It was previously introduced in the last three sessions of Congress, passing the House each year.
“For the fourth Congress in a row, the House passed my bill to return 76.1 acres of sacred land to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians – correcting a historic wrong when the federal government forcibly took their land. It is on these 76 sacred acres the Cherokee People have honored the birth and life of Sequoyah, one of the most influential and important Native Americans to have lived," said Rep. Fleischmann.