Moreover, the new law also confirms that the tribe is subject to the rules and regulations of the IGRA on their modern and ancestral lands in North Carolina. In their statement, the tribe further said the enactment of this legislation will help the Catawba secure economic self-sufficiency, as originally envisioned by Congress when passing the IGRA in 1988. “Make no mistake, this legislation means more people will have good-paying jobs, more kids will have a better education and more people will have better housing and health care. “These are the lands of not just our ancestors, but also the hundreds of Catawba citizens residing there today,” Harris stated. The six counties in North Carolina are part of Catawba's service area, as defined by the U.S. It confirmed the tribe’s aboriginal lands extend to six North Carolina counties and farther north in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The Department of Interior first completed a thorough review prior to a March 2020 action taking 17 acres of land into trust status in Cleveland County for the Catawba Nation. “Congress, Interior, the State of North Carolina and a federal court have now all confirmed what the Catawba people have said from the beginning - these lands are the ancestral homelands of the Catawba people, and we intend to use them to improve the life of all the people in the community,” he added. Department of Interior’s action recognizing our historical and ancestral ties to North Carolina,” said Catawba Nation Chief Bill Harris. “The Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act reaffirms the U.S. President Biden is now expected to sign the National Defense Authorization Act, and thus the Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act, into law in the coming days.

In a press statement, the Catawba Nation voices its thanks and appreciation for the passage. The House had first voiced bipartisan support of the Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act in a 361-55 vote on November 1. The bill was part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and passed the Senate by a vote of 89 to 10 last Thursday, after passing the House of Representatives on December 7. The tribe calls the passage of the legislation “historic,” and describes it as the “final step in a decades-long fight.” The news was highly expected by the Catawbas, which opened the Catawba Two Kings casino in Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, in a temporary facility in July, while awaiting federal approval. Congress has passed the Catawba Indian Nation Lands bill, which affirms the tribe’s territory extends to North Carolina, and clarifies the nation is subject to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in said lands.

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