273 (2026) during its regular session on Thursday, Aug. 6 for the EBCI to remain in NCAI. There are 13 members of the Southeast Caucus with 7 being federally recognized. On Thursday, Ugvwiyuhi Hicks commented, “They are making progress as it relates to changing some of the stipulations around state recognition and how that impacts, especially the Southeast Caucus. It states in part, “…the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians supports the mission of NCAI, but the Tribe is discouraged by the shifting priorities of NCAI.” It continues, “NCAI has moved away from serving the interests of federally recognized tribes which it was founded to serve and that have a trust relationship with government-to-government status with the United States of America; and the interests non-federally recognized groups often diverge significantly from the interests of federally recognized tribes, and the divergence harms federally recognized tribes and diminishes their sovereignty.”