7 Directions of Service warns Section 106 changes could weaken Indigenous land protections

7 Directions of Service says proposed changes to federal historic-preservation rules could make it harder for state-recognized and non-federally recognized tribes to protect ancestral villages, burial grounds and sacred landscapes. The group is urging federal officials to keep Indigenous participation meaningful as large-scale development pressures grow across the Southeast.

Why it matters: - Proposed changes to Section 106 could reduce Indigenous communities’ ability to flag threats to ancestral lands, burial grounds and sacred sites before federal projects advance. - State-recognized and non-federally recognized tribes already have fewer formal consultation rights than federally recognized Tribal Nations. - The group says weaker review standards could leave culturally significant places exposed to development from data centers, pipelines, power lines, highways and other projects. - Many burial grounds remain undocumented, many villages have not been comprehensively surveyed, and many sacred places sit on private property.

What happened: - 7 Directions of Service warned that proposed changes to federal historic-preservation regulations could disproportionately affect state-recognized and non-federally recognized Indigenous tribes. - The concern centers on Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to consider the effects of federally funded, permitted, licensed or approved projects on historic properties. - The organization said the proposed changes could limit opportunities to advocate for protection of ancestral villages, burial grounds, archaeological resources, sacred places and cultural landscapes. - Executive Director Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck said federal recognition does not determine whether ancestors lived on the land, whether people are buried there, or whether a river, village, burial ground or landscape is sacred. - Cavalier-Keck said weakening Section 106 could deepen inequities for Indigenous communities without federal recognition.

The details: - Federally recognized Tribal Nations have specific consultation rights in the Section 106 process. - State-recognized and non-federally recognized tribes generally do not have the same government-to-government consultation status. - Those tribes may participate instead as additional consulting parties. - Through Section 106, state-recognized tribes can share historical and cultural knowledge about ancestral villages, burial grounds and archaeological sites. - They can also challenge inadequate surveys, identify areas that need more investigation and push for avoidance of culturally sensitive places. - Those opportunities depend on tribal communities learning about projects early enough to participate before decisions are finalized. - Cavalier-Keck said communities with less power are often the ones most likely to be left out when public participation is weakened. - Jason Keck said Indigenous villages, trade routes, hunting grounds, ceremonial places and burial grounds remain part of these lands regardless of federal recognition. - 7 Directions of Service said history for Indigenous peoples includes natural features and broader cultural landscapes, not just buildings or archaeological boundaries. - Rivers, mountains, forests and entire watersheds can hold cultural, historical and spiritual significance.

Between the lines: - The fight is about more than process. It is about who gets a voice when federal decisions could affect places tied to Indigenous identity, memory and sovereignty. - The organization is signaling that narrowing the definition of protected historic property could exclude landscapes and natural features central to Indigenous heritage. - The warning reflects a broader pattern: displacement, forced removal, racial reclassification and assimilation have already separated many Indigenous communities from ancestral lands for generations. - That history makes advance notice and formal participation especially important when development pressure is rising.

What's next: - 7 Directions of Service is urging the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and federal agencies to consult meaningfully with federally recognized Tribal Nations, state-recognized tribes, non-federally recognized Indigenous communities and Indigenous descendant communities before changing the rules. - The group wants federal historic-preservation policy to strengthen, not reduce, opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in decisions affecting documented ancestral places. - The organization says the stakes are especially high across North Carolina, Virginia and the Southeast, where large-scale industrial projects may trigger Section 106 review. - If the process is weakened, 7 Directions of Service warns the damage to burial grounds, villages and sacred places could be irreversible.

The bottom line: - 7 Directions of Service says Section 106 is one of the few practical tools many Indigenous communities have to protect ancestral places before federal projects move forward, and changing it could shut them out further.