The tests the Shinnecocks had to meet

To win federal acknowledgment, the Shinnecocks had to meet seven mandatory criteria laid down by the federal government.

1 They had to be

continuously identified as an American Indian entity since 1900.

2 They had to be a distinct community since historical times.

3 They had to have maintained political influence over members.

4 They had to have a governing document describing governance procedures needed to show membership criteria.

5 They needed a list of current members who descend from a historical Indian tribe.

6 The members are not members of another federally recognized tribe.

7 The tribe is not

the subject of

any congressional legislation that forbids its being recognized by the federal government.