But the new process did not end the power of Congress or the courts to grant tribal recognition.

They said the appeals board had apparently agreed with their contention that the groups lacked basic requirements for federal tribal recognition.

Decisions regarding tribal recognition," she said on Friday, "are critical to the future of our state.

"The questions of tribal recognition, of Indian gaming, things like that, it's all happening here."

The tribal recognition isn't strong enough to overcome their mutual antagonism.

Administration officials say one problem with tribal recognition is that there has been a huge increase in the number of Americans calling themselves Indians.

And are there cultural or racial factors involved in gaining tribal recognition?

Legal experts say procedures for securing tribal recognition have long been either capriciously political or highly bureaucratic.

At the time, the state had not developed its own criteria or regulations related to tribal recognition.

Negotiations and legal struggles over land ownership and tribal recognition continued for decades.