to obtain a Bureau of Indian Affairs loan or an Indian scholarship to a state university. Using federal laws to define "Indian" signals to some a continued government control over Indians, even as the government seeks to establish a sense of deference. Thus Indianness becomes a rigid legal term defined by the BIA, rather than an expression of tradition, history, and culture. Many groups claim descendants from tribes that predate European contact not federally recognized. According to Rennard Strickland, an Indian Law scholar, the federal government uses the process of recognizing groups to "divide and conquer" Indians: "the question of who is 'more' or 'most' Indian may draw people away from common concerns." Recognition Gaining federal recognition In order to become a federally recognized, tribes must meet certain requirements and achieving these requirements can be extremely difficult. The Bureau of Indian affairs defines a federally recognized tribe as an American Indian or Alaska Native tribal entity that is recognized having a government-to-government relationship with the United States, with the responsibilities, powers, limitations, and obligations attached to that designation, and is eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Moreover, according to the Bureau of Indian affairs and the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe list act, there are three ways that an Indian tribe may become federally recognized are: By act of congress, By the administrative procedures under 25 C.F.R Part 83, or by decision of a United States court. The Bureau also states that if a tribe’s relationship with the United States has been expressly terminated by congress, then it may not go by this Federal acknowledgment process, furthermore, the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act also requires the secretary of the Interior to publish annually a list of the federally recognized tribes in the Federal Register Today there are 574 groups (bands and tribes) recognized as Native American by the government. Those tribes which have already achieved federal recognition do not want the process made easier. Some spokesmen discuss what other kinds of groups might be encouraged, without encroaching on the recognized tribes. Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller suggests that people with an interest in Indian culture can form heritage groups. Federally recognized tribes are suspicious of non-recognized tribes' efforts to gain acknowledgment, concerned that they may dilute already limited federal benefits. As casino gambling has raised tribal revenues dramatically, there is more competition by tribal groups