Historic Site Preservation
Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs Statute
The Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs is a state agency established by TCA 4-34-101 through TCA 4-34-108. The TCIA's statutory purposes and duties, as specified in TCA 4-34-102 and TCA 4-34-103, charge the TCIA with broad responsibility for all aspects of Indian affairs in the state, and specific responsibilities for several areas of Indian affairs.
The TCIA's statutory responsibilities make the TCIA an interested party in consultations conducted in Tennessee under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This allows the TCIA to bring it's familiarity with local conditions that may affect Native American cultural resources into the consultations, enhancing the efforts to preserve these resources.
The TCIA's responsibilities also make it an interested party in cases involving the termination of Native American cemeteries in the state. The termination of cemetery statute defines an interested person as any persons having any right in a burial ground. An interested person as defined in the statute would have to be admitted into the case and be allowed to present testimony to the court. In other words, in a termination case involving a Native American burial ground, the TCIA could present testimony that would disprove that the conditions necessary for a termination exist.
Complete Text of Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs Statutes
Tennessee State Preservation Laws
Historic & Sacred Site Preservation