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75–372 PDF 2012

S. HRG. 112–626

S. 356, S. 908, AND S. 1739

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

SECOND SESSION

ON

S. 356, A BILL TO AMEND THE GRAND RONDE RESERVATION ACT 

TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

S. 908, A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADDITION OF CERTAIN REAL 

PROPERTY TO THE RESERVATION OF THE SILETZ TRIBE IN THE 

STATE OF OREGON

S. 1739, A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE USE AND DISTRIBUTION OF 

JUDGMENT FUNDS AWARDED TO THE MINNESOTA CHIPPEWA 

TRIBE BY THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS IN 

DOCKET NUMBERS 19 AND 188, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Printed for the use of the Committee on Indian Affairs

(

(II)

COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS 

DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii, Chairman 

JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming, Vice Chairman 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii 

KENT CONRAD, North Dakota 

TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

JON TESTER, Montana 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

AL FRANKEN, Minnesota 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska 

JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota 

MIKE CRAPO, Idaho 

MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska 

LORETTA A. TUELL, Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

DAVID A. MULLON JR., Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Hearing held on February 2, 2012 ......................................................................... 1

Statement of Senator Akaka ................................................................................... 1 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 1

Statement of Senator Barrasso ............................................................................... 43

Statement of Senator Franken ............................................................................... 2

Statement of Senator Merkley ................................................................................ 3

WITNESSES

Deschampe, Hon. Norman W., President, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe ............... 4

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 7

Garcia, Hon. Robert, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua 

and Siuslaw Indians ............................................................................................ 36

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 38

Kennedy, Hon. Cheryle, Tribal Council Chairwoman, Confederated Tribes 

of Grand Ronde, Oregon ...................................................................................... 20

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 22

LaRose, Hon. Arthur, Chairman, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe ............................ 9

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 11

Pigsley, Hon. Delores, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Oregon ....................................................................................................................... 25

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 27

APPENDIX

Anderson, Marge, Chief Executive, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians, prepared statement ................................................................................................... 53

Black, Mike S., Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the 

Interior, prepared statement ............................................................................... 49

Fry, Hon. Donald L., Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue, 

prepared statement .............................................................................................. 59

Leecy, Hon. Kevin W., (Chairman) and David C. Morrison, Sr. (SecretaryTreasurer), Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, prepared statement ...................... 56

Vizenor, Hon. Erma J., Chairwoman, White Earth Tribal Nation, prepared 

statement .............................................................................................................. 57

Wilkinson, Charles, Distinguished Professor/Moses Lasky Professor of Law, 

University of Colorado, prepared statement ...................................................... 58

(1)

S. 356, S. 908, AND S. 1739 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 5:53 p.m. in room 

628, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K. Akaka,

Chairman of the Committee, presiding. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. AKAKA,

U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII 

The CHAIRMAN. The Committee will come to order. 

Aloha, and I want to start by thanking all of you for being with 

us today and staying while the 18 votes were completed. I wanted 

to do this hearing anyway, and I am glad you are patient enough 

to be here. 

The fact that all the Tribal leaders stayed with us despite the 

long delays highlights how important these bills are to each of the 

Tribes and their members. 

For purposes of hearing from all of the witnesses in a timely 

manner, my full opening statement will be entered into the record. 

The views of the Department of the Interior will also be entered 

into the official record. I encourage any other interested parties to 

submit written comments to the Committee. And the hearing 

record will remain open for two weeks. 

I know my good friends and colleagues, Senators Franken, 

Merkley and Wyden have done a significant amount of work on 

these bills. I look forward to working with all of them as we move 

these bills through Congress. 

Again, I want to welcome Senator Merkley. Let me welcome also 

my good friend and member of the Committee Senator Al Franken, 

and ask for any comments he may have at this time. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Akaka follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. AKAKA, U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII

Aloha! Today the Committee will hold a legislative hearing on three bills dealing 

with issues of great importance to the Tribes involved. 

We are all aware that prior federal policies often resulted in significant land and 

resource losses for Tribes. The bills we will consider today seek to restore some of 

those losses and make sure Tribes are adequately compensated for those losses and 

ensure Tribal land bases are restored. 

The first bill S. 1739, the ‘‘Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 2011’’ would distribute settlement funds to the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe. Senator Franken introduced this bill and I am certain he will have more to 

say about it in his opening statement. 

2

The other bills we will hear about today would streamline the land into trust 

process for two restored Oregon Tribes so they can better provide for the housing, 

education, and infrastructure needs of their members. 

I know that my good friends and colleagues Senators Merkley and Wyden have 

done a significant amount of work on these bills. I look forward to working with 

them and Senator Franken as we move these bills through Congress.

STATEMENT OF HON. AL FRANKEN,

U.S. SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA 

Senator FRANKEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this 

important hearing. I introduced the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe 

Judgment Fund Distribution Act with my friend and colleague 

from Minnesota, Senator Klobuchar. This legislation will finally 

allow for distribution of funds owed to the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe. 

It has been a long road getting to this point. The Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe first filed a claim before the Indian Claims Commission in 1948. Their claims were finally settled in 1999. For over 

60 years, members of the Minesota Chippewa have been waiting 

for these funds, and it is time to get this done. 

The United States Court of Federal Claims awarded $20 million 

to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. This money is to compensate 

Tribal members for the improper taking and sale of land and timber under the Nelson Act of 1889. The Federal Government owes 

the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe this money. In fact, in 1999, the 

$20 million settlement was deposited in a trust fund account for 

the Minnesota Chippewa at the Department of the Interior, where 

it has been since collecting 1 percent interest. 

The Tribal members in my home State of Minnesota have never 

received a dime. And that is because before any money can go to 

the Tribe, Congress must pass legislation detailing how to allocate 

the funds between the six bands that make up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. My bill does just that. It will provide $300 to each 

Tribal member and then allocates the remaining funds equally to 

each of the six bands. 

My bill reflects the distribution plan that was agreed upon by the 

Tribe through its sovereign, democratic processes. Under the Minnesota Chippewa Tribal constitution, the Tribe is governed by an 

executive committee. This is a democratic body comprised of two 

elected officials from each of the Tribe’s bands. 

The Tribal executive committee voted ten to two in favor of this 

distribution plan. One band, Leech Lake, voted against. And its esteemed chairman, Archie LaRose, is here today to testify. I am 

sympathetic to their concerns and I sincerely hoped that a consensus agreement could have been reached. However, I deeply respect Tribal sovereignty and therefore believe we must respect the 

decision of the Tribal executive committee of the Minnesota Chippewa. 

I also worry that any further delay will only cause hardship for 

individual Tribal members. The thousands of Tribal members 

across Minnesota cannot afford to wait another decade. It is time 

for Congress to act to allow for the distribution of the funds owed 

to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. 

3

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. We 

have so many members of the Tribes who have come here, and I 

am so sorry that we had all those votes in the chamber and we got 

started so late. I am sure you made mention of that at the beginning of this hearing. I want to thank all the witnesses for coming 

today and I look forward to your testimony. 

I thank you again, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Franken. 

Now I welcome Senator Merkley of Oregon to speak on the bills 

impacting the Siletz and Grande Ronde Tribes. Thank you for 

being patient, too, Senator Merkley. Please proceed with your testimony. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JEFF MERKLEY,

U.S. SENATOR FROM OREGON 

Senator MERKLEY. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for 

holding this hearing. I would also like to recognize the staff of the 

Indian Affairs Committee for their hard work on these issues. 

We have coming before the Committee this evening Chair Kennedy, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community, 

Chair Pigsley, of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of 

Oregon, and Chair Garcia of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, 

Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. I am delighted that they can 

all be here to share their thoughts directly with the Committee. 

I appreciate that the Committee is considering Senate Bill 356 

and Senate Bill 908, both of which I have co-sponsored. They address a fundamental issue facing Indian Tribes, that is, ensuring 

that Tribal communities are able to successfully secure their own 

future through the expansion of their Tribal reservations. 

The story of the people who comprise the Confederated Tribes of 

the Grand Ronde and the people who comprise the Confederated 

Tribes of the Siletz Indians is a difficult story to tell, a complicated 

story. But it is one that has been and continues to be inspiring. 

Like many other communities in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, 

the bands of Indians that make up the two Confederated Tribes 

suffered through decades upon decades of broken treaties, failed 

promises and neglect on the part of the Federal Government. Ultimately, the Federal Government terminated the trust status of 

both Tribes. 

It was only through very hard work on the part of the groups 

themselves and some representatives in Congress that led to Congress restoring and reestablishing the trust relationship with the 

Tribes. And in this case, I want to particularly thank Senator Hatfield, who served in this body for 30 years, and I had the privilege 

of serving as an intern to him and saw how hard he worked on behalf of fairness and restoring the trust relationships. 

In the years since restoration, both Tribes have worked to rebuild their communities. Of course, a critical piece of rebuilding includes the purchase of land for the expansion of the reservations. 

Unfortunately, as this Committee knows well, the current process 

that a Tribe must follow to restore land to a reservation is not an 

easy process and has not worked well for these two Tribes. As the 

Committee will hear during testimony this afternoon, the current 

process is not only cumbersome and expensive for the Tribes to folVerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:48 Nov 28, 2012 Jkt 075372 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\75372.TXT JACK
4

low, it also will often take years and years for the land which is 

owned by the Tribe to be formally added and recognized as part of 

the reservation. 

I firmly believe that the two bills before this Committee simplify 

the process and should receive favorable consideration. I certainly 

look forward to reviewing the testimony of all the leaders who have 

gathered this afternoon, and I certainly appreciate that three leaders from Oregon can come to share their thoughts. I thank all of 

you for your commitment to improving the current fee to trust 

process and your participation in this evening’s hearing. 

Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much. And I thank you again, 

Senator Merkley, for your participation in this hearing. Thank you. 

I would like to now invite the first panel to the witness table. 

Serving our first panel is the Honorable Norman Deschampe, 

President of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe; the Honorable Arthur 

LaRose, Chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; the Honorable Cheryle Kennedy, Chairwoman of the Confederated Tribes of 

Grand Ronde Community; the Honorable Delores Pigsley, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians; and the Honorable Robert Garcia, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the 

Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. 

Welcome, everyone, and thank you so much for your patience. 

Mr. Deschampe, please proceed with your testimony. 

STATEMENT OF HON. NORMAN W. DESCHAMPE, PRESIDENT, 

MINNESOTA CHIPPEWA TRIBE 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Thank you, Chairman Akaka and members of 

the Committee. My name is Norman Deschampe, I am President 

of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe as well as Chairman of the 

Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. 

I am here in support of S. 1739, a bill that would provide for the 

use and distribution of the funds awarded to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in Minnesota Chippewa Tribe v. United States, Dockets 

Nos. 19 and 188, United States Court of Federal Claims. 

Also with me are Chairman Leecy from the Bois Forte Reservation, Chief Executive Marge Anderson from Mille Lacs, Chairman 

Visinor from White Earth, and Chairman Diver had to leave. So 

they are here also. 

I support S. 1739 because it provides for the distribution of funds 

being held in trust for the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in the manner determined by the Tribal Executive Committee of the Tribe. I 

also support it because it is a just way to allocate the funds. 

Pursuant to the Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the governing body of the Tribe is the Tribal Executive Committee. The Minnesota Chippewa was a plaintiff 

in the cases known as the Nelson Act Claims. I think it is important for you to know that all of the decisions about the claims were 

made by the Minnesota Chippewa Tribal Executive Committee. 

The Tribal Executive Committee decided to bring the claims, it decided the strategy for the claims, and it also decided to settle the 

claims. And when we needed money to pursue the claims, it was 

the Tribal Executive Committee that borrowed the money to make 

that possible. 

5

In 1999, the Tribal Executive Committee approved the settlement by resolution and again in 1999 the Tribal Executive Committee decided to allocate the funds on an equal basis to each of 

the six member reservations. We decided on equal shares because 

each of the Bands had loaned the same amount to the Tribe to support the claims effort. 

For years, we have not succeeded in getting the funds released. 

Following a hearing in the House of Representatives in 2008 and 

an apparent stalemate, the Tribal Executive Committee once again 

considered different ways to allocate the award. And in October 

2009, a resolution approving a new distribution plan was enacted. 

The distribution plan in that resolution is reflected in S. 1739 and 

it effectively provides more to the bands with greater populations 

through the per capita payments to members. I believe that the 

compromise adopted by the Tribal Executive Committee should become law so that we can finally get the benefit of what was awarded in 1999. 

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe appreciate Senator Franken’s assistance in this matter. He understands that the constitution of the 

Tribe established a governmental structure that authorizes the 

Tribal Executive Committee to make decisions that affect the Tribe 

as a whole. Our constitution specifically gives the Tribal Executive 

Committee authority to allocate funds belonging to the Tribe. Article V, Section 1(d) of our Constitution provides that the Tribal Executive Committee has the power to administer any funds within 

the control of the Tribe and to apportion all funds within its control 

to the various reservations. That is what these fund are, they are 

Tribal funds, and they have been Tribal funds since 1999 when 

they were deposited into a trust account for the Tribe. 

Senator Franken’s bill also recognizes that the beneficiary of the 

claims award is the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The bill acknowledges what the Tribal Executive Committee knew from the very beginning, that we were going to bring the claim as the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe and that we would decide how to allocate any recovery. 

We need these funds released now. It has been too long and our 

members are constantly asking about the Nelson Act claims. In addition, a small part of the distribution plan in S. 1739 is that the 

Tribal government can be reimbursed the expenses it has incurred. 

This is important, because the Tribe has carried that amount on 

its books and the result has been a negative balance on our account. Our auditors have made it an issue and we have had to borrow to stay above water. Perhaps the Federal Government can do 

that, but we cannot. Just two weeks ago, the Tribe was denied a 

$25,000 grant for a program for elders because of that audit issue. 

As I said, it is time to get these fund distributed. 

Finally, I want you to know that the Tribal leadership has carefully considered Leech Lake’s argument that it should receive 68.9 

percent of the award because it suffered that amount of the damages. Chairman Goggleye made that argument in his testimony before the House Resources Committee on June 5, 2008, and Chairman LaRose has made that same argument time after time before 

the Tribal Executive Committee. The problem with that argument 

is that it is based only on speculation and not on any court findVerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:48 Nov 28, 2012 Jkt 075372 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\75372.TXT JACK
6

ings. My written testimony explains the problems with Leech 

Lake’s claim in full detail, but I want to make it clear that over 

nearly 20 years, the Tribe has considered all arguments about 

what is fair, and the result is the formula in Senator Franken’s 

bill. 

Our Senators understand that this is a Tribal fund that must be 

allocated in deference to the Tribal government’s decision. I urge 

you to join them and pass this bill. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Deschampe follows:]

7

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. NORMAN W. DESCHAMPE, PRESIDENT, MINNESOTA

CHIPPEWA TRIBE


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Senator Franken's bill also recognizes that tin: beneficiary of the claims 

award i~ the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The bill aoknowledgeS what the Tribal 

Executive Committee knew from the very begitming: that we werre going to bring 

the clwm as the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and that we would deoide how to 

allocate any recovery. 

We need these funds released now. It has been too long and our members 

arc constantly asking about the Nelson Act claims. In addition. a small part of the 

dislribution plnn in S.1739 is that the Tribal government can be reimbursed the 

exptlnses that it has incurred. Thal is imporlant because the Tribe has carried that 

£lmOWlt on its books and the result has been a negative balanoe in our accounts. 

Our auditors have made it an issue and we have had to borrow to stay above water. 

Perbaps the Federal government can do that, but we cannot. Just two weeks ago 

tlHl tribe was denied a $25,000.00 grant for a program for elders because of that 

audit issue. As I said, it is time to get these funds distributed. 

Finally, I want you to know that the tribal leadership has carefully 

considered Leech Lake's argument that it should receive 68.9% of the award 

because it suffered that amount of the damages. Chairmun Goggleye mauc Ihat 

argument in his testimony before the Hotlse Rooonrces Committee on June 5, 

2008, and Chainnan LaRose hilS mau~ the same argument time after time before 

the Tribal Executive Committee. The problem witt.ilic argument is Ih!lt it is based 

only on speculation and not on any Court fmdings. My written testimony explains 

the problems with Leech L~'s claim in detail, I::ut I want to make it clear that 

over nearly twenty years the Tribe has considered an arguments about what is fair 

nnd the result is the formula in Senator Franken's bill. 

To explain, the process leading up to settlement disclli!sions with the 

government included hiring experts to review the timber and land sales and come 

up with values. Leech Lal{e's testimony in the Honse was that the value of timber 

sold was about $26 million and $18 million of that was at Leech Lake. In 2008, 

Chairman Gogglcye said that "the value ofthe damage suffi.:rcd at Lcceh Lake WIlS 

approximately $18 million or 68.9 %." 

There an: scvl.'Tal problems with that arguffil.'llt: 

1. Leech Lake did not dednct the amount that the government actually 

paid the Tribe for timber and land. 

2. The appraisals done by the experts were estimates for settlement 

purposes that were never tested in the Court. 

3. The estimates were hotly contested by the United States. In met, the 

government's fIrsl offer of compensation for land and timber wa~ 

zero. The govemment believed that the Tribe got at lenst what the 

timber and land were worth ~ $14. B million. 

4. There never was a Band-by-Band accounting and the Claims Court 

ruled decades ago thllt the government was not obligated to do that 

kind of accounting. 
9

*Attachments retained in Committee files*

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much. 

Let me call on Chairman LaRose for your testimony. Please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF HON. ARTHUR LAROSE, CHAIRMAN, LEECH 

LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE 

Mr. LAROSE. Good afternoon, Chairman Akaka and Senator 

Franken. My name is Archie LaRose, I am the Leech Lake Reservation Chairman. 

On behalf of my people watching and listening at home, I want 

to thank you for giving me this opportunity. You have heard some 

history behind the settlement. I am here to tell the rest of the 

story. Leech Lake suffered 68.9 percent of the damages. S. 1739 

does not reflect the harm done to my people. That is why we 

strongly oppose the bill. 

The story starts with the establishment of the Leech Lake Reservation. My ancestors entered into a series of treaties and executive orders from 1855 to 1874. These treaties promised that the 

reservation would be our permanent home lands forever. Back in 

1874, our closed reservation consisted of 640,000 acres. We owned 

it all. Under the Nelson Act, our reservation was cut to less than 

40,000 acres. 

According to the map there, this map compares our treaty reservation with our reservation today. Our current trust lands are 

highlighted in red. You can barely see them. They total less than 

30,000 acres. This gives you an idea of the damages the Nelson Act 

inflicted on our reservation. 

I am here today more than a century later to ask the Committee 

to right this wrong and not compound our problem under this bill. 

The bill directs the Secretary to distribute the settlement fund 

based on a proposal by the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. It does not 

honor sovereignty; it ignores fairness; and it only satisfies the four 

smaller bands. 

Congress passed the Indian Tribal Judgment Funds Act to set up 

an administrative process when there is a disagreement in the disVerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:48 Nov 28, 2012 Jkt 075372 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\75372.TXT JACK

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10

tribution of settlement funds. The Act takes politics out of the 

equation. This is a court settlement. But unless we know who was 

harmed, Congress is giving settlement funds that belong to one 

Tribe to other Tribes. The BIA did its job under the Judgment 

Fund Act. The BIA studied the case and in 2001, found that there 

is no compelling reason to give preferential treatment to the four 

smaller bands. The four smaller bands control the MCT. And they 

want to collect payment for harm suffered by Leech Lake. 

The MCT hired an expert to justify the settlement amount. The 

expert found that Leech Lake suffered 68.9 percent of the damages. 

The amounts of damages for other bands ranged from 1 percent to 

12 percent. 

In 1999, the MCT used this report to advance the settlement. 

MCT now wants to sweep it under the rug. The DOJ also filed a 

property list with the court that the settlement is based on. This 

list shows that most lands from the settlement came from the 

Leech Lake reservation to form the Chippewa National Forest. In 

1999, the court based the settlement on damages. Unfortunately, 

damages are not even considered in the bill before the Committee 

today. 

Instead of asking who was harmed, the bill looks to an MCT resolution that would give bands who suffered as little as 0.9 percent 

damages the same share as Leech Lake, who suffered 68.9 percent 

of the damages. In addition, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac, and Bois 

Forte relinquished all claims to our lands involved in this settlement in the 1854 treaty. Our reservation was established long before the MCT was even formed. None of our treaty rights were delegated to the MCT. Likewise, the Nelson Act and the damages inflicted occurred long before the MCT existed. 

Federal courts have also ruled that the MCT acts only in a representative capacity. The MCT is not a beneficiary. They have no 

treaties. Federal courts in at least 25 other Nelson Act claims made 

awards to the individual bands based on which of the treaty bands 

had a legal treaty right to the settlement funds. 

If Congress is going to ignore the Judgment Funds Act, it should 

at least look to those cases. After 25 courts issued judgments based 

on damages, it makes no sense to now ignore damages. We have 

been trying to negotiate a fair distribution. However, if this bill is 

enacted without a compromise, we will bring a lawsuit to stop this 

unjust distribution. This bill doesn’t meet judicial scrutiny. It gives 

the property of Leech Lake to the other bands. This clearly violates 

your constitutional responsibilities to protect our Tribal property 

and treaty rights. 

The bill disrespects Leech Lake’s sovereignty. It compounds the 

injustice done to our treaties, our lands, and our people. In our 

view, a consensus position is the only way to resolve this. 

Thank you for this opportunity. Mii-gwich. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. LaRose follows:]

11

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ARTHUR LAROSE, CHAIRMAN, LEECH LAKE BAND OF

OJIBWE


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awmds were then distributed to the individual b!lllds that wen: the parties to tile vll!io~ treatit:.l that 

t:.Itablished the reservation lands in the first place. In other words, the Unil<:d Sl<ltc~ hw. nOYCr 

abrogat~d the sQV~rcign rights of the Lee(:h Lake BlII1d ofOjib"", or tr.nsfeu.::d its lal\ds gt MY point 

to the MeT or anyone eI~~:!I; 50mB have sugps:.d. ifthllt Wllrc lh~ I'l.Ilse, tllen Lilech Lake !ooks 

forward to sharing in the JUCJ:alivz gaming revcm..:s ()flhc other bands. MeT cannot speak for Leecl! 

l.'ke up!r.l matrel1l imJW-ctingth~ leech l.ub. !,.opl~ 01 the Le~cllLake r,,-,diM 5:csorvari<Jn. 

!nst~d of following this pl'OCedent of distributing S..-tllemenl funds to the individual blUIds, S. 1139 

isnol"CS actual damag~ suffered by individual fud.rally rr.oognized bands, tileir individual treaties, and 

baun to their reservations. The court-llflProved settlement omount 0[$20 million was bUGed upon tlle 

O"t11~ll"" in~111T1'd (hnd ~nd lirnheT _<old imprnp"dy or lokNl nnd mismnnnged) cn each :re~rvatiOIl 

Imder tlJe Nelson Act. The MCT ~ommi~sioned Wesley Wld Rickard.lllC., as its e);p<J!\ in the ~ase te 

conduct aa appraisal of the land.q ~ubject \0 Ille claims. The resulting Mer COmpar1S011 Rep<lr\ fmmG 

that me Lee"h Lake Im:Ean Ruervation incuned 53.9% of (he damns""; Grand Portago O.9%; Millo. 

Lacs 2.40%; B~ Forto 8.60%; WhM Enrth 9%; and Fond dll Lac 10.20%. It wocld <lot be fuir to 

allocate the fund, bn~ed ,olely upon 3 ?flr ~,,?ita ~rul per bund oosi~ while ofuregarrli:lg darnage~ 

incuJTed by each b;rnd giYen the settlement mnounl W3, b3l<ed upor, damnges. The parties V/(lliid mt 

have agreed to tlJ~ $20 mi1llQll s;:ttlcmcnt amount ifit hae not beun fortno 68.9% of Mm~1¥$ suffered 

by Leech Lnke. 

Th~ Indian Tribal Judgment Funds Use or Distribution Act (J\ld~cnl Funds Act), 25 U.S.C. 1401 et 

:;eq., sWs fmth the proceduro to handle 'the distribution of ~~ttl.ments whe[~ mOre than (lne tribe is 

involved ia tlte sctUcmcntond whm-e they do notagnm on a di6!ribution formula. That Actgo".ms the 

distribution of this settlement Tim Bureau oflndian Affu!l':'; (lilA) exectlted thelrres9onsibiliti~s under 

the Judgment f:mds Act ill :1.001 and then Ilg:l.in in 1007 by submiltingarepOfl and draft kgislalion to 

Congrl!Ss propusing <>er!ll:n difi!rlbdo::. allocauOJls to C4ng.'U"~ hased llpon it, rcvio.w of the 

cirouIQ..lImo",;, \h;o fnct:> in the case u~ whieb t!le set,lement "'a" based, and the cqnliles. (1'1 other 

words, !lie BfA's re:;Wl1mel1dat{om to Congress Were not bused upon lhe formula su~ght by MeT 

(where tile four snmllar band:; have Ii majority vote). The rDW- ,maller bands (and, Ulerefore, the 

~(lIltroliing voice of MeT) h~v~ not ogreed with the BL\'s rceolUlllcnd(l1ions for the past ~ecade 

boonuse the BlA did not recommend a division of the settlement based upon the mnnber of bands, 

whi~h would benefit tbem to a Greater degree than other alternatives on the table. S. \"/39 i~ their 

offort to atlllin the per band$l'1itth~ seek. 

Further, S. 17J.9 mandates paymeot1ll'mt nre beyond the S<:<lp~ ofthosc approved in the Judsnent 

Fi<.1.ds Act. The \}iU wc~ld mnndale P"Y"'''''! to tru MCT fur /lOW; nnd illterest in=d rosc-lting fwm 

the MeT's wnrk O!I "the disld!}u!irm oflh~ jtldgme;lt fm1<ls." wbid, could include lobbying, eonsalthtg 

fees, and oth~r relakd oosI~ to <,l"vel<lJ' ""d ooV<lcate ill f~v"r of S. 1139. Su~h Work was done ill 

din=~l ",,"fiict with the itltW.l.l8 of the Leech lake Hnnd of Ojibwe. SUGh f.)(Jl~f.ditUres are mrt 

nllthorized under the Judgluent Fl.lnds Act. 

TD resolve this long-staading diiij'ul<:, the Le.ch take Tribal Council proposed a oompromi~o position 

that would acknowledge d"mug~s alous with tlle views "rthe otller bands. A consensus po~ltion is the 

only way to achieve tbe go-~l of pUlling the settlement funds in tllc hands of the rightful b~J1elkiaries. 

We rcspcctfillly requcst tilul the Coogres, an~ th~ AdministratlDn facilitate di~"ussion among the sl" 

b<mds t" d~lop an equitablo soJntion to this prob:cm. 
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BACKGROUND/HISTORY 

Treatie~ witll 1M L~eclt lAke Band ufOjibwe and uther Indians ofMinnesoia 

The 011ired Sw.~ enrured)me 43 (r;)alios with tIlt Chippewa Indians betwee.. 1785 ;md 187l.l. TIle 

L=.,'1 Lake Indian Rcserr..ti[m wm; established through a ~"Wlel; cftte~;jes with the \.hJi!ed States lmd 

p[eI;idential executive orders. Sca Treaties oC febrn~ry 22, 1855 (10 &"'1It. 1165) &. M~R:h 19, 1867 

(Article I, 16 Stal. 719); Exccu(ivc Orders ofOclObcr 29, 1813, November4, 1873, amlMay26, 1874. 

Th<l:le treaties and executivo OJdN5 promised to make the reserved lands the "permanen( b(}mc" for the 

Le~rh Lake people. 

Nelson Act of 18&9 

In tn;,. 50th Cungress, MiruI8Sota Con£re88~ Km!tc Nc1301l spo~sored a hill formally tit:ed, "An Act 

fur the ""ie[ and ci"iL'2:ltioo of II:c CJlippewa rnd~ns of MinnllSa""':!.~ C.ollgrel>S passed lhc hW and 

Pn.""Stdffit Clc"I,,:,i3m! ~jgoe;l it (1:1 .;MU!ry ,4, 1889. 25 SM. 642 (Jlla. ,4, 1&.'>9). 1"hc A~I, known as 

the Ne!sO!1 Act, is the Minm:slltt """,ion to lhl fuil~d nll.w~~ Act (also lmm;m as tlJ~ General 

Allo(m"",1 Act). E~tablished during the fedeml gcvemment's era of AlIotm<rn! ~n~ Assimilation, !he 

Unitod Slates - through tho Nelson Act - sought to dc,troy Ih~ governing struotures Orlb~ Minnesota 

lJ~nds, pareel out tribal governm~nlallands to individual rudions, and open up our r~sel""~tion lands to 

settlers and private companies 111 elcarviolution ofexistmg treati", "betweCII !he Uniled Stotes and the 

various Chippewa bandS. A primary geal of th~ Neloon Act was 10 opon up the nQrthern white pine 

f~rcsls fur lumber companies for logging. 

Sootion I orthe Nelsoo Act provides that, "in anyclISe Where an allOlmmll In sevel1ilty h~" \1ercLor,,;C 

b~cl\ ;undc to My Indilll1 of hmd upml. IIny of s~id Ieoef'i'!ltions, he shull not be deprived lOOrwf 0., 

dist\1rhe.ci "therein .... " This proy".si<m :aclmowied~es the ves'.oo rlg\!'.s of the mdivicnRllndians to 

c~se land lIlId '~main on IMir R~lle1Vation;. 

Section 3 of the Act provided [or:p!lT~cls 10 be al101~d to indlviduallndians. Sections 4 and 5 directed 

pinclands 10 be sold at public auction to non-Tndians. Seeti~n 6 direclcdagri~ulturall.nds to be <aid to 

non-lndiM settlers as hOm<!stsad1i. 

Section" cfthe Act provides: 

"Tllat atll\l()noy aoonlmg from the disptl~l of said lands ... sball ••• be pla~ed in the 

~ro!lliU!)' cf the United States to fhe credit of all tile Chippewa IndiaNS ill Iha Slata if 

M/mlesrAa ~s n pel11lllIlern fund ... we whidl intere,t 3nd -PCJmaII6!!\ fimd shall be 

expended for the hencm of 3aid ludiuns inlmumer foll(lwing; Otle-JlO./f of said interest 

~"ol! ... bea'lIlualfy Pf1id In cash In equal share. {a (ke heads "ffamilirlS /me! gIM'ti/({IIS 

of olphan minor.~ fur the;, w;e; IIJ1d one-jollrlh of .oid inlerwl lliJall, during the sam~ 

period and with the liku cK(lcption, be annutll/y Raid 1>1 (la .• h i" equal "harM per ('<Jpira 

10 all Oilier class'!$ c>j ~(lid inditms; and t~e remaIning "",,-fourth of~(jid il!lote.S1 sluj/l, d~ring the sDid period offifly years, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, 

be ,I<:votr:d =dusi>my to tile estllblfsilmmt omi mai1lf£IfImce Ilf a IIJOfl<:m of free 

mum}s among .,aid fmr.""s, in their midst I1m/fqr Ih6ir belwjiil nnd:rt the e:<pirntiilll 

of the said fifty years, !lll' said permrme1J(limd sholl be divided and paid!a all of said 
14


202b4.eps

Chippuwa Indi""," and l/lrur kme IfJ"" livmg, in ca.,", in e~"al shares." (empha.is 

added.) 

AmendIiHmts tll tI.e Ncl~n Antl.Ertab!i!bment (If the Chipp""''' Nntimwl Fllrest 

In ]900 the LeagUe of WQm~n VO~!1l petitioned CongrcilS In protect the rernaini!Ji; furos:]pnd. 

5~rrounding the Lccch, Cass, "Und Winnibigo,hi£h Lah, an the Leech Lake rndian Reservation. The 

Chippewa National FMest {GNl'}, originally name:! lhe Minnesota Forest Reserve, was e,toblished 

through p.ssnge of the Marris Act (June 27, 1902) by 11lkin.g these lands from tho J..ec~h Lake l~diEm 

R""f\'.tion.' Approxim.tely 75% of the eN!:' land. ate within the trentyhoundnries of tho Leech Lake 

litdian Ro.crvatiQ'>' 

The Mnrris Aot amCll<i<:d the Nelson Act. opening 25,000 acre~ of agriculturel lmtd to ~c!tlem!!11l, 

re~el'Vl!<! 10 Sl'ctions aril areas of Indian la~d and aHotmeals from sale or $etlrement. oad provided far 

the sui .. llf200,IlGO &:res ,,[pine timber with p;<>coods 10 be paid "10 the beI1eflt ofthe lndian •. -

Section 2 "fthc Marris Act read: 

"Provided further, That in !)Utling tim timberon two hundred Ihousand acres o[the pine 

Ia~ds, to be seleoted M soan as praclicable by Ihe forester of Ihe Department of 

Agriculture, with thB 'lI'prnval of the S"ctel1lry of the fntenor, an the following 

reservations, to wit, Chippewns of tlte Mississippi, Leo:ch Lake, Cass Lako, and 

Wimrebigmltish, wh\<:11 suid lands so selecred ~ball he known and hereinafter de~ibed 

~s 'furestry landI!,' , .. : Ptovi~d furfher, '[hal Ihtira :tfmll be r .. erved from :rale or 

selllem<ml tile limber t;lJld ia.'!d OJ, If,,: isla",~ in G'a% Lr'!w al1d;/l Leech fAke, ami nor 

r"Y~ Iho" tlIt!' hrmdred a"dsiKly ur:resa( IlieiiZlfflrnity o/Sugo, hl,,(, "" Lt·e~h Lake ... 

"" which fhe I1L'W Leli!JfJ Lal,e Ag",,~y;" ""'" foca(¢, ... :rnd notlriJ:g herein oontained 

shall int~rfr:ro with th allotments to the lu<iiaa, bererooore ~nd hereafter lIiar.r.. The 

Is/ands in GllIlS mId /,Mch laM! and liJ~ land "esl!lWd a( Sugar Point and Pfnc Painl 

Peninsula shall remai'l ().j" ["dian /w,d ""der II,~ conlral of Ihe Departmen/ of (he 

[Merlor. " 

i quote the Mom. Act for two reasons. First, this _.Oate d~monSlTate, fn., a majority ufLcecll Lake's 

treat)' lands were taken from it 1(1 establish a fCITCst 11>.se1l its timber. Second, this C1\c(lrpt shows thaI 

the u.s.. silll mainlllil,oo its gQWmmenl-!O·gnwmmel11 rcl:JJionshil' with the Leech Lak(1. amid on our 

Re$et."'/1Ition even lIS it Wa& takillg it< land" m 191)2. Tooa}', the Leed, L~ Sand naW hckls cnly 

approximately 4% of the <e,ervatiania:ld& promised ty trc~t}' and c.... ocuti"" onier! This amounts Ie 

"ppr':'Ximalely 29,{lQ(J ac~es Clf tru~t IDads, mcst Qf whicb = $wa"'plan<is L'tat no Me WlfIltcd 10 

plu:clmsc. At; a result, mll~h I>f the trust lnnds within the Leech Lake Indlan Roserv~tion are 

~wnmplnnds nud not sujl~ble for housing, infrastrm:ture, or economic development ~ •• ds. The U.S. 

Forest Service oud the slIllI: afMinncso1ll now hold most ()f\h~ wable bnds with;~ th~ boundaries of 

the Le~ch Lake I:ndian Res,rrvation, 

, 'I1w< forest'g no",,, W!lS ch""~(:<\ (Q CNF in 1925 In ro""ootlho ChiIlP~'\va h1d"'~s fr(!Il1 w~~:ro- bnd 11 w,s 

~'~ntoo. 

, AttllclJed is a map ~h"wir.g the J!Of~e Qf 10l1d <>WIled by doc L=1t <-$.o B",:d h' comp~tison to L\I! CNF 

anrllht siate ofMin""rota withl" our R.""IWIloo 's hollf.6lrks. 
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Th. CN!' today h"" lIS employees and an atll1.ual budgel oC$ll,5 million, It also makes p.ymenls to 

lO~Jl ~ounties. Fiscal ycar2008 an\\' $l.l million go to the counti.s. No similarpaymenls are mooe to 

too ~ch Lake Indian K=rvacinn. The L""cn Lake Indian Reservation sltould lmvc more HWIl J rigM 

10 comment an !.1c" anntml fm'eSt ~lans. TIle Sllp~~me Coort bas he,d fhat the forest and lalws (emain 

our ccos~'stem and remain S'lbject in "'~rtre:\1y bunting. fu;hing,;me pthering rights, The Leech Dlke 

lndilm R~..",.t;"' .. should 3e 1;i\'OO an Op)l\lIlUO:ty 1(1 ~ in self.-determinru:On··type ';:OIl\I;K::ing 

with Ih" CNF 1IIId haw II m<laningful Sl!.y in how etIvimmnllllt 2Ild r.arnralre-s-:lul"C:<; Iocaled wi!l>jn om 

l'c~ervntion boundarie~ a.-eusod. 

After the daIrnlge caw;t:d by tho Nelson Act, the Leech take Band CQlllillUcd to govnm the TI:maining 

tribal and alkl\lcd lands ",ftlle i.~ech Lnke Indian R.o:,~rv;:Ltion, The leaders of the Leech Lake Indian 

Rc.crvatton oontinued to aut on a govcrlllucnt-lo"grWllmment hasis with the U.S, tQ ensure the 

pro~ction of our W:21}' rights and:" hold the f.dera! gQvernmCll!:o ils trust obligation;. AhnV<l is ~ 

pholQ taken during the 1920's of llillegalroa~ from the L~cl: Lake Band and the SlLosi1<:JILe-Bonnt)Ck 

Tri~<lS of t"" Furl HHlllndhm R.csclVatkm dmir.g Ll visit to :htl White E()ll~ In Ille pilo!oglllph, lite 

lrib.:!l dc1cgmions are accompanied hy Ell'. Cnmmissio.'1m' Chat1c~ Burkc, 

Attached to this stalLmlent is corrc;spondcnce between Commissioner Burke Md a reprr.s[ltl!atlve (If the 

Leech Lake Band ofOjlbwe. This cOrTe'pond.nee iaclu~ a pctWon written by DlIICb Lake Band of 

Ojlbwc tribal leaden; to Congress. The petition led to the lp.gi,lation that authorizo:d the Nelson Act 

ulaims 10 go fmward in fedornl coun. I'm here today, more Ihan a century aL'tw our lund. were 

wroaglytaken, to Mk thi~ Committee 10 rigllt Ihis wrong - no! exacerb~le it~s would be done under S. 

1719. 
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202b6.eps

E<tahli,hment oftbe Minnesoh Chippewa Tribe 

The Secrelmy of the Interior te~(ll!ni7."d !h~ MCT on July 201, 1936, pnnmalll to the au!harlly gratlted 

unde:; the Indian R<=g~nizalioJ.\ Act (IRA) leug afu:r the ISS!> Nelson Ac! and 19{]2 Morm A:1. 

Governed by Ii. cooolilutleo, iheMCT's govemmen:<!l {lOwe;::; p.!"\> delegate<! to it from tbesb; bands. In 

addition t{I t'te Le~ll L~l-e B~nd, tb~ "th.e,h:i:::ds include !he Boii h)l"lC, ,''Ond du Lac, Gl"and P"rlllge, 

Mille T..nc., nnd White Enrth.. Tht:: initial primllry jlUIpost:: oflile MCT w.>S to ease Ihe admilli<tr..tive 

burden-on the six bands, who had little infrastnlCtme and few mOllurce.,. 

At 110 tim~ have any of the bands cedc-d ooveJ"cignly OJ' tr~aty rights 10 Ihe MCT. The individu.1 

lIlelnbcr band. are separate, kdornlly r~o.\lnU:ed tribal govemrl1~nts, No law or court mling has laken 

~way the Leech Lake Band's sovereignty or ncknowl~dgemcnt as a federally recognized tribe,l'\Irther, 

t11<l ClIippewa Indians of Minnesota nnd tm: individual bands at1: diff<m:nt fr-onl the MeT. To say that 

tbcy nl'llhc s.meis like ~ayitlg th~ citlxens oflllc United St"t~J; and the fifty st~tes .... -.. \be same us the 

g-ovemmenlal bOOy-ofllu: United Slal~s. 

The L&'m Lake Band of Ojibwe Tm:Jay 

The LC\:ch Lakc Band of Ojibwe j~ a federaUy recognized Indian Idbe witb a l-ong hist-o!"y offlliations 

with the United Slale;. The I.c""h Lake Tribal Cauncii is the governing body of the Leech Lake Band. 

O\lr ellisting R~servation cansi~1S of29,717 acres of trust lands, less than 4% of the tornl ofour initial 

Re!)8I."VaLiou e"lab~hed through the Treaties nnd F.1:ecutiv~ Orders from 1855 to 1874. 

!:o the early 1990's, the Band eootracted with !he BlA to operate progr:uns <IS <me of ten lribes in u 

seound gnmp allow,,:! mtll a seif.gOlvemanee pilot P[Qject. Pl1t~uar>t t-o Pub-lic L.w 83-21\1), IlleSlr,te-of 

Miuoosotn rut. cOll.cJ;rrcnt cciminaijuri.:licti':>n ova: criffi<>ll oc..-uning 011 tile ~serv~ti(ln. Yr,.., B:md 

.etains full cl<ril jurisdiction ovct" Indl= OIl !he Rernve.tiOJl. 

ThB Leech Lnh tribal c~mmunity COTIs;';t. of appmx:nmtcl.y HI,OOO enr-olled memhllm. W. n.."<l 

retained n str-ong and vibr:mt culture and oontinue 10 ~);I;lrolse and :protect aur treaty righlli to hunt, fish, 

and galhe,on the land. pl"OlTlist)(1 A~ Oll1rpcrm~ncnthomehlIlds. 

V,'hil~ our colture and way oflif~ rernain5 strong, our CQmmlUlity faces high WlernploYlIwnt, concerns 

will:l substall~e abuse, and ~haUcn.\lcs in :providing .d.qunle health care and education t{I 0\1, people. A 

gbring gap on OUI" Rcscry,.,lml ~, the iOO!l,tandiug IWtld to replace the Bng-O-Nny_Oe..,.<!],ig High 

Sehool foeilit"j, whlen;,; admir.iste.."1:d":ly the Bureou onl1ill~n Edw:.tiaH, IGcated in Be~a, MiWle30ll!. 

T.he =rent High School fu(:fllty is It mel:a1·clad pole bam, f-oEmerly \!Sud lIS an IIgr:culturili :n.ilding. 

Onc-Urlrd OftllC high school fa~Ui(y was destrcyeciin a gas tl~ploskJll in 1992. The facilijy bas :;erioi.:lS 

structnral and mec1t~nical dcfidcncies and lacks prop~r in5l1iatien. The facility d()~s nol meet sufcty, 

fire, ~nd s.eurily slandatili due to the flim;mess of the constnu;tion materials, clectrical probkrns. and 

IRck Olf nlnnn systems. The building l~cks a commullicntion intercom system, telecommunication 

te~hnology. and safe zones, which puts students, tenchers, and <tafT at great risk in emergency 

~itu~tiQas. The facility jeopnm,7.CS tho health of the studOll1li and facutty due to POlor indoor air qu~lity 

ft-om mold, fungus, and" f:!.!llly HVAC syslem. The (!\cility also suffers from rod<mt infeslalion, roof 

leaks !lml sagging roofS, holes in the roo:~:from ja, nnllV<m lloor.;, poor lighting, sewer problems, lack 
17


202b7.eps

of han.dicap accc~., and lack of classroom and other Sp~M" These nre j115t n few of the facility's 

numerous deficiencies. 

Ono of (he primary plJlJlOSllS of the Nc!oon Act (wl:icil is quoted on pnge J) pemJ3I1ent fund was to 

pI'ovide p~'f!dir;g for cdl.'Catinllal Jnstitnt'<lns for Ih~ various band$. Weurge lhe Commil:te~ to COIIslco;r 

=ding S. 1739 Ie< lICdr~ mi. lo!lg'-51alldillg um:u:tnoed. 

NELSON ACT LITIGATION AND SETTLEMENT 

As noted abovo, Congr~ss firot acknowledged the wrongs inflicted by the Nel:;nn Aot upon Lbe 

Chipp~wo Indions ofMinn"'OI~ io 1926, in pml, du~ to the work oflhe past leaders o[ the Le~ch Lake 

Band of Ojibwe when CoogrCS!l first authorizoo the fooetlll courts to he~r claims brou~ht by the 

vatiOlls bands furda\llllg~S incumd \\ndcrthc NelsQn Act See Act ojMay 14, /926. 

Pursuant ttl this Act of 1926 and its sub3:>q\Wll1 ~me:!ld!l:flll:lS, the bldlan Claims CommissJen (ICC} nne 

U:.e U,S. Ccu.'1 of Federul Clnims, in at :east 25 otner Ne.l«m Act.",i:.ted el~i=, :warded me,,~~~<:~ 

judgment.; t.'1a! wer~ distri(,uted kl the mdil'iduJl hands b~sed "" damages incurred to their spocllie 

In::oIi •• lrescrvations. While the Chippewa Indians of M.inncsot.. and Jator tb.e MGT were the 

nll1l1OO plaintiffs in these cns~s, tne awft~s werl! distributed on II per~lIplt"- bm;is to th~ m~mb"rs 

of thl! band~ wtwsc r~servutj~ns suffered the loss of laQII and timber. Th. ,etileulL'nt that is the 

subject of S. 1739 is the result of unresolved Nei<on Act clainl' for damagcs iucurr~d by the vnrious 

sill: bands that were lntnsfcrrerl totho U.S. Court of Federal Claims when tbe ICC dis,olv~d in )978. 

To ~d"aJl[e the 3e[lleImmt of the case {docke! numbcrs 19 and IS8}, the MeT hired W~siey Rickard. 

inc., 10 compile s report, whi(:h f<lund ihnt Leeoh L~ke $Usiained the bulk of the dama~s under th~ 

Nelson Act. The follO\Ying is a list of the da:nage5 apprn[ood by WC:llcy Rickard, J\:C., alld put fOfWord 

by the MeT: !&ech Lilke incutrod 68.9% of the danmg<01; (ha~d P<:rrmge Q.!i%; &lis Forte 8.60%; 

)'om:l du La~ 1Ci.2fJ%; Mille Lacs 2.411%; lUld While Eartb goA.) 

On May 21, 1999, th~ Departnleot of Justic~. as part of th~, litigation, commissioned II "subj.ct 

property list" that described the oisposition of the lands cede<! under the Nelson Act. This list was 

file<! with the Court and i~ ~lso aUochoo to tbis stalemen!. The listing clearly sllOWB that the gre~t 

majority oftha lllnd!; coded CWll~ from the Leech Lake Inoiiln Reservation ro establish th~ CNt'. The 

listing also acknowledges IMt tho majority ofthc listed Leech Lake !nnds were )line lands, which wore 

f"r more valuoblc tMn the agriculturlll lands ceded unoorthe Ne1= Act and which were. mru:e often 

subject (0. L1~ fmud that t~d 10 U\""le claims. In 1999, tile CQ\l1t based its approval ofth~ $20 million 

r;.mieme:lt on the subjectp:n)l!!'£i;y liat 

SPECIFIC CONCER'!S WJTH S. l739 

Th. Judgmcnt Funds Act govOOlS (lle distribution of this settlement. Pursuant to that Act, the BlA 

prepared a Results afResearoh Ropor! dated Jun~ 6. 2001 ("BlA Report"). The BrA Rapon opposed 

distnllution of tile settlement fun.d on a per baud basi~. The EllA Rcport acknowledged thal the Nelson 

Act, ami itsamcndment8, ooD8istently refen; m the "Chippewa Indillll' ofMinm,solll." not th~ MCT, as 

the houdini"ries of nny di:;tribution of fuods. The BlA Reporl concluded, "We do not find any 

J A" cx~t fram this r~po" is attaci<cci. 
18


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compelling reasons to SUPPOIt ~ six_way ~plit of th~ funo that woulo result in giving preferential 

treatment to lhemembr><SJJip Qf [Qur smaller bands at the ~tjJMse of the mruubcrsllip ofthr. two l~r!lCI 

banns." EIA Rep<Jrt, p. 10. 

The lHA Rcprm: 11150 ackoow!ec.g<:5 tbst, "the 1a.'1(is mId [un<kr th<: Neh"" Act] from eaclt c, th~ 

re;;c"'lIlioos Were cciginJEy reserved 10 \h~ ba~ds under trnaty. Undw tbc temlll of the Nelson Act, 

l.e<;cb Lake gave up the milS! !ll.1ld lind recciv~d tb~ least compensntiOll per ~=." Til~ BIA Report nol~s thai Ihe BTA fir.;! rcC()w.meuded a compromi,e that would bave dislributoo lbe funds based on 

damages (35%) and per capitn (65%). TIle majority of the MCT rejected this compromise proposal; 

nnd ilie BIA Report, thus, recommended thai Ihe settlemenl be dlstributed On a pI>!" ~apitn b~sis. 

Puo\lllnt to the Judgment Funds Act, the BIA thoon submitted th" BIA Report to Con~ss. Then, in 

1.007, the EIA sent proposed legislation setting forth a per capltlll1istribulion 10 Congress under ilie 

Judgment Funds Act, Tile BlA R~port is aUached. 

S. 1739 iR ·Msed on all M('T J{esnlutiDl1 that Sllilports the disrnbution fwmula !><It fOTlh in lac bil!. 

H<JWev~:, (be sovercignty oflhe MCT flow.; from i~ ~i" member bOl1ds, not tile rev=. The MCT 

shocid have no say in jbn dlsmb1ttion of th~ NelSOll Act s~I!en:.ent funds. The T ",aLie.! and Executive 

Ord= between the Unit~d Slal~s and the Leech LaJre BfllJd lhnt e:;!nblished ourRe:;ervnlion look place 

long bcfore the MCT was established. No~e ofth ... ,e trenty righls Were tr.msrcrrcd or d$l~g~ted to the 

MCT. Likewise, the 1889N~I.on Act and the dama~es it collsed our Reservation occurred w~ll before 

tbe MCT came into e:tistellc~. Fi~Dl1y, the Act of Cougress that authorized the claim to be brought 

forward WIIS also enueted prior to th~ existence ofth. MCT. 

federal courts bavc acknowledged that the MCT a<:lS only in a representative capadty in these 

~laim". The U.s. Couct (If Claims, i... MCTv. Unilcd !lIales, 3.15" F.2d 906 (Cl CI. 1963}, Dverturned 

un ICC r~lfug in patt by finding Ibm the tre.'!ty right; to ja,"1ds ~re held by the trioo! en!il)' tlwt emm-e<;!. 

iUl]) the treo.rj, no! tile individll~l Indian descendarns. In thlll -ease, um Cmrrt statoo: 

"The Commission's order de~lJred that the [MGIl °is ct\dtloo to maintrun 1hls ~ctlon in 

a roprcseDta!ive capacity on behalf of allihe dasn"danw of the Mississippi b~nds of 

Chippewa, and the Pillagm- and Lake Winuibigos!Jish bands of Chippewns who we!" 

parties to lhe TrCllly ofFehlllnT}' 22, IS55,' regardle!ls of their present-day memborsblp 

in Ihe Tribe .... At tho oral argument. !bo !I~felldatll S!1Zzostcd that the CommL~sioll's 

Qrder and findings should he Ulodified to delete the rei'eren""" 10 "descendants", arrd [0 

provide imteud that the [MCn i:; entitled :tl !Ilaintain this action iu ~ represemalivo 

capacity on beha!fofth<>se lnnds ofarlpJll'W~ (me Mi;;slssippi bands ~nd the Pil1~ger 

aud Lake Wilmiolgosllis..\) bands} "l'.'ilO were jlmiies (0 th<l i855 T~"aty. We agree. Tribal 

lands are cmnmU!lJi prope;rty in ·wbi~h tll!;' individual lncmhcrs h~.,.C;lO separate inw;-e.t 

whicll C<Ul pass to their de;lC'-Mants who ar~no ion!l~rmemb= oflhe group. The r.:llDC 

mIl' is applicable nnder the Indian Claims Commission Ac!. ... At least ill. such 

proceoomgl the [JCCA] rc([uircs thAt the aWllrds be mad~, not to individual de~cendants 

of tribal members at th~ time of the 13king, but I<l the ll:ibal CIltity or entities to<hy. In 

this case, tho tribal entity is the Millncsotn C.1ippewa Tribe 0/1 behalf "jthe Mississippi, 

Plllag~,., arnl Lake Wimulligoshisll bands." 

MGT". U.s., 3 I5 F.2d 906 (Ct. CL 1963) (in!erlocl;IOJ)' appc~l oflCC No, 13-8 deei~ian :f.n!Iing: that 

(he Mil;3issiWI, PiIla"...;r, ann Wmnibigosbisll held f«:ogni:r.eil tide to the 1&5S11lITi!OIy). 
19


202b9.eps

If the Committee decide. to advance S. 1739, we w;ge the Committee to look to the fedcl'lll COllrts' 

previous l.realmeDt of dairns. for money damages caused by the Nelson Aet bdbre finalizing this 

distrlbmkm furmula. Ali stated above, the ICC and CO\,rt of C!"ims, in at leas! 25 j",dsm""l~, 

ar.knol>lkclgcd tt.e cllImag:.s incum:d unci", the N~lron Act by the specific ""-""Ids. These award:! were 

cl.isLn1mteci 10 tWtb. oft;'" six bands i!l.djvidu~ny. WSOO un the ()1lmIlgeo lllflictgd to tlwlr re~elVlltrons 

plUsuantto sp~clfic tr<.:aty or exeC(I\iVeOroCr, A chart ol'thc lndMdIlal awards is Rttnched. 

1854 Treaty Rights !Unl De!Celldants 

Th= i.<; ,Iso concern that ~ome eulitic3 may not be entitl.d tQ sharo in Ule settlement. The 1854 Trenty 

righ!ll afthe Mississippi arc de!1~rjbed in Artielel as fu!1ows: 

TheChippewas ofthe Mississippi hereby assent and .'lgree to the furegQing ces~ion,!rnd 

couwm tlm~ the whole runOWlt ofttre ~QlISid=tlon IT\OOCY for the COltnhy ceded atwve,. 

~lmll be pmd to the Cltipp~w<13 of La.lte Supe:;'.or, and in cDnsitiel"ruio/1 lhereof fk? 

O!tppewm of l.aIre Supm'jm' };11J¥!!;Y ro!i"'lHish to ti", ChipplfWtls of Ih" ¥J33i.Y-lippJ, aT! 

Ih~i,. illter'esl in "",J claim to Ihf! lands hcreloft,... "WIfed by them in "",wm>1, Iylngwe;1 

ofth 000"" ooundr;,<-lins. 

Th)~ is an e~pre5sly re=,-,~d, tr83ty property right with denr!y identified va!uahle ~onsiderati!ID, 

which, um.kIT conlnlCl and pltlJlerty law, legally preclndes any light fur recovcry for the C'Wp[lCwas of 

L~ke Superior with regard to CQmpenSl1tion for damas"s for losses of lands and timbr.l" in the 1855 

oeded temtory_ tim territory dit"lletly weSl ofUm 1854 boundary line. 

The United Su.t~ SupremeCounhasrepomtdly rul~d thlu Congress lnEIY ~bmgare ludiun treaty rigli!s, 

but it lllUst clearly e.."'P~' its m:<mt to c:lo so. Untied Srales"l'. Diem, 475 U.s. 734, 738·40 (1\186); s"'" 

als;:; Washington "1'. Washingtoll Slale Commerd<li Pass<tnger Fishing Yrusel Mm., ~~ U.s. 658, 69{! 

(l9'i9): Me1llJminee Tribe l'. Uniled Slafr!S, 391 U,S. 4C4. 413 (:%8), TJ~re ml'st be "dollT evidence 

that Congre5s actually CQQ8idurcd the conJ1kt between its illteHded actiou ou the one hand and Indian 

u:,-,a\y rights on the otlwr, and chQ~ to ,-""solve that o~nflici hy abrogating the tr""-ly." Ulliled Siales"l'. 

Dlon, supra, nt 74Q; ... e also Mi,m~"Qlo v, Mille l.oco· Dand c1CMpp"wa IndiolUi, 526 U.S. 172,203 

(1999), 

S. 1739 contains no SIlch "d~ar evid""ce~ of cO<lgr=ronal ultent to abro!}1le the Chipp" ... "tl~' 1854 

treaty rigl1t In fa~t this Act t~ si1())li on the subject of treaLy rights, and p.'"!Ivides no inilio::atioll th~t 

CongrffiS is COIls;dcrmg thG H154 trt'.nty =erverl rights cf!he Chip;:><l'Mls oftlle MississippI. 

Thu~ ~5 the Committee oon,!den S. :739, we urge it to 00: "'<XIgnize the pas! lre"Jt,eg lind cxemttive 

orden: that established the v.mou~ r"-'t:rValion~, II is the damage to these reserv~ljon~ upon wllich the 

original claims IUld the resulting acttl~mcnt Ill"C based. 

Alternative Proposals P:rt!~ellted by the Leech L~ke Blind ofOjibWc 

For a nWllber of years, the Leech Lake Bnnd held th~ pmrition that we WCluld only support n 

distribution formula solely ba~ed upon d"lIlag= However,;n 201 I, the Cauncil put forward a 

compromise 10 the other five bands. Tlus compromise wcu!d ackn()wledge tbe signifi~~lIt harm done [0 
20

*Attachments retained in Committee files*

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Chairman LaRose. 

Chairwoman Kennedy, would you please proceed with your testimony? 

STATEMENT OF HON. CHERYLE KENNEDY, TRIBAL COUNCIL 

CHAIRWOMAN, CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND RONDE, 

OREGON 

Ms. KENNEDY. Thank you Chairman Akaka, Senator Franken. 

My name is Cheryle Kennedy, I am the Tribal Chairwoman of 

the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon. I appreciate 

your time and for affording me the ability to testify on S. 356, a 

bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act, to make technical 

corrections and S. 908, a bill to provide for the addition of certain 

real properties to the reservation of the Siletz Tribe in Oregon. 

S. 356, Grand Ronde, is a common sense approach to streamlining the BIA process for putting land into trust. As Senator 


202b10.eps
21

Merkley articulated, the Tribes of Oregon suffered great injustices, 

including termination, which took all of our land holdings. That is 

the basis for our testimony here. 

In 1983, we were restored, and in 1988, the Tribe pursued the 

goal of securing its sovereignty by acquiring additional parcels of 

its original reservation and providing on-reservation jobs and services to Tribal members. Today the Tribe owns a total of 12,500 

acres, in various lands of either some in reservation status or fee 

or that are in the pile to go to be approved for in trust status. 

The Tribe is hampered in its effort to restore land within its 

original reservation by a lengthy and cumbersome Bureau of Indian Affairs process. The lands that we are talking about here are 

treated as off-reservation designation, even though the lands that 

we purchased are across from our reservation. It means that we go 

through a more rigorous process of scrutiny, of filing plans, and 

then after even that process is through by the BIA, we then have 

to come back here to Congress to amend our Grand Ronde Restoration Act to include those lands into our reservation land bases. 

In order to make both the fee in trust to trust and reservation 

designation process less cumbersome, Senator Merkley and Senator 

Wyden introduced S. 356, which would establish real property located within the boundaries of the Tribe’s original reservation. 

They shall be treated as on-reservation land, a very important 

point, for the purpose of processing acquisitions of real property 

into trust, and deemed a part of the Tribe’s reservation once taken 

into trust, establish that the Tribe’s land held in trust on the date 

of the legislation would automatically become part of the Tribe’s 

reservation and correct technical errors in the legal descriptions of 

the parcels included in the Reservation Act. 

House companion legislation, H.R. 726, was introduced by Representative Kurt Schrader, Representative Bluemenauer and Representative DeFazio. Both S. 356 and H.R. 726 have the unanimous 

support of Polk and Yamhill County Commissioners, the two counties affected by this bill. 

In order to streamline this, it would save the Tribe a lot of resources and funds. It would also eliminate a lot of the time that 

the Bureau has to spend in processing these applications, and of 

course, the Congressional time for when we come back here to 

change our reservation bill. 

Senate 908, the Siletz legislation, is materially different from our 

bill, to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation. And this would significantly infringe on the rights of Grand Ronde and other Tribes 

in western Oregon. S. 908 does nothing to streamline or improve 

the process by which lands are taken into trust or given reservation status. In fact, it does the opposite. It is precedent-setting and 

is not good Indian policy. 

We support the Siletz’ objective of taking land into trust in Lincoln County as contained in the Siletz Indian Tribe Restoration 

Act, but not rewriting history to expand the Siletz Reservation. I 

urge the Committee not to proceed with further consideration unless these issues are remedied. We do support the effort that other 

Tribes have made in making sure that the land into trust process 

goes well and is streamlined. 

22

I thank you and I thank my people for putting together and 

standing behind us as we present this bill, in all due respect to the 

Siletz Tribe. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Kennedy follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. CHERYLE KENNEDY, TRIBAL COUNCIL CHAIRWOMAN, 

CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND RONDE, OREGON


202c1.eps
23


202c2.eps

the Tribe does 110t have exterior reservation boundaries (instead it has distinct parcels deenloo 

reservation through legislation), all parcels are pr~c~d under the morerigorous off-reservation 

acquisitionregulntions - even if the parcel is located within the boundaries of the original 

reservation. After the lend is accepted into trust, fuc Tribe must take an additional step of 

mn«nding its ReservationAct through federal legislation to include the trust pnrcels in order for 

the l!lIld to be d~med reservationlEUld. Grand Ronde has been forced to come to the United 

States Congress twice in the last 20 years to amend its Reservation Act to·seeure Re.3ervation 

status for its trust lauds. Tills process is unduly time consuming, expensive, bureaucratic" !IIld 

often takes years to complete. 

In order to make both the fee-to-trust and Iooervation designation process less burdensome, 

Senator Merkley and Senatox Wyden introduced S. 356 which would (1) establish thatreal 

property loeatd within the boundaries ofilie Tribe's original reservation shall be (i) treated as 

on-reservation land for the purpose of processing acquisitions of real property into trust, aud (li) 

deemed a part of the Tuoe's rcse.rvation, once taken into trust; (2) establish thatthe Tnoe's lands 

held in trust on the date of the legislation will automatically become part of the Tribe's 

reservation; and (3) corrent technical errors in the legal deseriptiOIIS ofllie parcels included in the 

Reservation Act. 

House compllllion legislation, HR 726, was introduced by Represeo.talive Kurt Schradcx, 

Representatiye Blumenauer, and RepresentativeDeFazio. Both S. 356 and lLR. 726 have the 

unanimous support of the Polk and Yru:nlJ.ill County CommissioneIB, the two counties affected by 

this bill. 

S. 356 would not only save Gmnd Ronde time and money which could b~ better utilized scrving 

its memb=hi.p, but would also sb;eamJine the Department's iand"lnto-trust Iespomibilities to 

Gmnd Rmide, thus saving taxpayer money. 

I lookfurward to auy questions yonmay have on S. 356. 

I would like to take myremaining allotted time to provide views on S. 90S. 

s. 908, the Si1elzlegisiatioo., is materially diffcrClltfrom Grand Ronde's bill to amend the Grand 

Ronde Reservntion Act, and would significantly iIlfringe on the rights ofGrnnd Ronde rmd other 

tribes in western Oregon. 

Unlike Grand Ronde's bill - Whiell seeks to imprllYe the precess of acquiring i!lIlds in trust and 

Ietum to reservation status those lands the Tribe reacquires within its origiDal reservation - we 

believe the purpose ofllie SjJelz legislation is to eliminate the historic c1aims of other tribes to 

the fanner Coa.stReservation (wblch was set asid~ for n11 tribes in western Oregon) by equating 

the boundaries of the Siletz Reservation (established J875) with the boundaries of the Coast 

Reservation (established 1855). 'I1w CoastReser~atiOll, lIS described in the Executive Order 

dntM N"v=ber 9, 1855, WlIS neVBI designRted e-:.::clnsivdy fnr the ~ilet7.. Itwa.~ set aside for 

IndiaIlll throughout western Oregon, including the anlecedeIlt 1ribes and bands ofilie Grand 
24


202c3.eps

Runde such as the tribes of the Willamette Valley, Umpqua Valley, and RogueRiver Valley. 

The Siletz are aware that Grand Ronde has made historio claims to the Coast R=vation. Their 

proposed legislation is no1hi.ng more than a veiled attempt to eradicate th~ claim:; of Grand 

Runde and otherwe5lem Oregon tribes to the Coast Reservation. 

The intent of the Siletz legislation is clear ItS the legislation does nothing to streamline or 

improve the process by which landa arc takcninto trust D1 given reservation status. The 

provisions of the legislation are not effective unless the affected countie('l. submit a resolution OI 

similar document8.Cl:.eptiugthe provisions of the legislation and there is no certainty that the 

affected connties would actually do lhis. 

Theproposed legislation is also inconsistent with Section 7(d) of the Siletz Indian Tribe 

R.est:orationAct (2S U.S.C. 711!l(d», whichpro·.ides that"tIw Secretary shiillJ,lot accept !!Ill' real 

property in trustforlhe benefit of the tribe or its memb5ls lIIl1e~s such real propmy is located 

within Lincoln County, State of Oregon." The property descn"bed in the proposed legislation is 

much more expansive, covering Lincoln, Lane, Tillamook, Yamhill, Benton, and Douglas 

Counties. Moreover, sincetlle proposed l.egislationinclude.> property in Tillamook and Yamhill 

Counties, lheproposedlegislation infringes on interest'l ofGnmd Ronde. Specifically, Section 8 

of the Grand Ronde R.estOl1ltion Act (25 U.S.C. 713f(c», provides that ''the Secretary shall not 

accept any real property in trust for the benefit uf tlJe tribe or ils members which is not located. 

within the political boundaries of Polk, Yamhill, orTilI!IIllook .connty, Oregon." 

As you will hear from ChnimwnBob Garcia of the Confederated Tnees of Coos, Lower 

Umpqua and SillSlow Indians also ere opposed to S. 908 as it infringes on thek hiatorical lnnds. 

S. 908 also includes a troubling provision tlmt ocUy allow~ aland application to be ool1Sidered as 

Ill.l on_reservation proposal if the Board of County CommissiOIlClS or other appropriate county 

executive in the county where the proposed land acquisition is being malie approves of the 

acquisition. If the county does not send such an approval, lhe land acquisition application shnll 

be considered Ulldertheregulations goveming off-reservation applications. 

Even more complicated, the proposal allows a Board of County Commil;sioners or other 

~pproprlate county exe"'lt\Ve who hrrve 9u"hmitted an approval letter to the Secretary to chan2e 

positionaud revoke suoh approval. Upon receiving this second disapproval notice, the Secretary 

would be required to consider the tribe's trust land as off-reservation land under the relevant 

regulations governing the acquisition of off-reserv-.itio~ trust land. There arc; no time limits for 

these "opt-in" and "opt-ouf' provisions. 

Bolhofthese provisions involving the C(lullties are troubliug. M smatter ofIndianpolicy, 

COIlg[ess should not delegate to alooal government the ability to determine whether a proposed 

Indian land acquisition shall be considered off-teservation or on-reservn.tion land. These 

detBIIILinatiDIls have heen and should continue to be made by Indian tribes warking iII 

COnsultatiDIl with the federal government. . 
25

*Attachments retained in Committee files*

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Chairwoman Kennedy. 

Ms. Pigsley, will you please proceed with your testimony? 

STATEMENT OF HON. DELORES PIGSLEY, CHAIRMAN, 

CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF SILETZ INDIANS, OREGON 

Ms. PIGSLEY. Yes, thank you. My name is Delores Pigsley and I 

am the Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in 

Oregon. I too want to thank the Committee for allowing me to testify today in support of S. 908, legislation to designate the original 

1855 Siletz Reservation as on-reservation for purposes of processing our Tribe’s fee to trust applications. 

I also want to thank Senators Wyden and Merkley for sponsoring 

this important legislation. This bill has been a long time in coming 

and is sorely needed by the Siletz Tribe to fully achieve the restoration that was started in 1977. We have submitted written testimony and exhibits, which we ask be made part of the record. 

The Siletz Tribe, for 200 years, has survived every negative policy thrown at it by the Federal Government. The Tribe’s history is 

set out in great detail in Professor Charles Wilkinson’s recent history of the Siletz Tribe, called The People Are Dancing Again. The 

Tribe is not one single historic Tribe; rather, it is a confederation 

of approximately 30 Tribes and bands of Indians covering all of 

western Oregon. We were thrown together under a Federal policy 

in the 1850s to combine as many Tribes as possible on one Reservation. 

The Tribes and bands that make up the Siletz ceded approximately 22 million acres in a series of ratified and non-ratified treaties, and were moved to a 1.1 million acre reservation that 

stretched over 100 miles along the Oregon coast. We have a map 

to show you what it looks like. All of the 30 Tribes and bands were 

moved to the Siletz Reservation by the Federal Government. The 

reservation was slowly taken away by executive order, by statute, 


202c4.eps
26

the Allotment Act, and finally by termination in 1954, until the 

Tribe was left with nothing. 

The Siletz Tribe was restored to Federal recognition by Congress 

in 1977, the second Tribe in the Nation, but without any land base. 

A reservation bill was ultimately passed by Congress in 1980 establishing a Siletz reservation. The reservation that was established 

was a modest 3,600 acres of scattered timber lands, designed to 

support Tribal government, a Tribal cemetery, and pow-wow 

grounds. Since that time, the Tribe has added more than 800 acres 

in trust. The Tribe has purchased land that were once allotments 

and tried to build a land base. 

The need for additional land is still great. The modest amount 

of land the Tribe has acquired in trust has not met even our most 

modest needs. The fee to trust process has been completely frustrating for the Siletz Tribe and has taken years to acquire land in 

trust. And the Tribe has currently seven fee to trust requests that 

have been pending for several years. 

Because the Tribe’s restored lands consists of 52 scattered parcels of trust land without an exterior reservation boundary, the Bureau of Indian Affairs reviews all of our trust applications under 

the more restrictive and difficult off-reservation criteria. The Tribe 

has to prove a higher justification for taking land into trust, and 

go through additional procedural hoops, even for land that is adjacent to our reservation. 

S. 908 will place the Tribe in the same position as other Tribes 

with regard to fee to trust requests as Tribes with existing reservations and exterior boundaries. It does not create a reservation. It 

does not establish Siletz Tribal jurisdiction over the area, and it 

does not affect the rights of any other Tribe. 

The first issue that we had discussed with this legislation many, 

many years ago was to be able to act like any other Tribe. Because 

we are a restored Tribe that wasn’t possible. And with the taking 

of all of our land and trying to get it restored under a simple process, it is just not there. And we wanted also to respond to issues 

in our bill that the Bureau and other Tribes have taken issue to, 

which is the issue with the county provision. It was a provision 

that Lincoln County wanted to have in the bill. We suggested it 

would not likely pass, and actually, we would like to have that provision removed from the bill. 

We also wanted to briefly respond to statements that are on the 

record with regard to the Coos Tribe, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw, 

to talk about the removal of those Tribes to the Siletz Reservation. 

We have many members on our reservation who are descendants 

of these three Tribes. The modern day Coos Tribe is comprised of 

off-reservation Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians who either never moved to the Siletz Reservation or who individually left 

the Siletz Reservation. They renounced any connection to the reservation. Federal case law clearly rejects their claims to anything 

on the Siletz Reservation. 

Secondly, the Grand Ronde Tribe’s claim to the Siletz coastward 

reservation were made and rejected in several court claims. They 

have no legal basis and are contrary to existing Federal law. The 

Grand Ronde Tribe is the Indian Tribe recognized by the Federal 

27

Government with authority over the Grand Ronde Reservation. 

They were never part of the Siletz Reservation. 

The Grand Ronde Tribe Restoration Act says specifically that 

their Tribe is comprised of Indians from the Willamette Valley who 

were settled on the Grand Ronde Reservation. There is no mention 

of the Siletz Coast Reservation or any claim of the Grand Ronde 

Tribe to the Siletz Coast Reservation and it doesn’t appear anywhere in history. 

We support, very much support a Carcieri fix. I know that has 

been discussed by many Tribes across the Nation, a fix to legislation that settles who is an Indian Tribe and what Tribe has a right 

to take land into trust. And how that gets fixed we don’t know. But 

we know, Senator Akaka, that you have worked toward a fix, and 

we truly support your efforts. We have sent letters in support of 

your efforts. 

That concludes my testimony. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Pigsley follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. DELORES PIGSLEY, CHAIRMAN, CONFEDERATED

TRIBES OF SILETZ INDIANS, OREGON


202d1.eps
28


202d2.eps

tl:e Siletz Tribe's original 1855 NSm'VlltiOJ'l and the Tribe's ,,:u=1I1 reservatiu» end ohier Ullst 

lands is ntlll.ehed ns Exhibit A. B~cauS(: ofthi~ history, nny addlti0rl31 land the Siletz Tribe seeks 

to haVtl pla~ed in truststalu~ under fedemlll1w is ~tmsidered to be "off-reservation" because it 

necessarily is beyond the boundaries "fthe Siletz ':'ribe's CUIJent reaerv~tion. 

Authority must be fonnd in fed~rallaw or in treaties fur the S~crctary ofTmcriorto lnke 

land into trust fm rndian lribes.. The iluthOlity [or most fcc-te-trust transfers appears in Section 5 

ufthe 193~ lndian Reorganization Act ("IRA"), oXdified at25 U.S.C. §- 465. This i.1WWas mad", 

e;.:pressly applicable to the Siletz Tribe in its Rcstma!iOll Act, at 25 U.S.C. % 71 In(a). This 

pro\'i!>ion WflS eJlactcd to rcVtlrne the devastating less oflamls snITered by Indian tribes between 

1887 end 1934 (ovcr911 miHion acres):md to restore a minimally adi::quate land base for thusc 

1ri00s. 

Them am no Seographic lirnilations on the Secretary ofIntcriOO"s ~uthority 10 take Janel 

into trust Cor an Jndian tribe in Section MiS. No regulations implementing this provisi[Jn [Jfthe 

19341RA were enacled until 1980. See 45 Federal Register 62036 {SepL J 8, 1980}. The 

regulallolls currently appear at 25 C.P.R, 'Part 1ST. No distillation bet\\fCCll on and offreservatiOll 

fce-to-lruSl requests by Tribes wus illcluded ill theodgill~l regulations_ It W~5 not until pas5~ge 

oftbe Indlen Gaming Regula!ory Aot in 19st and the subsaqucnf n>.q\leslS rrom S!)!lJe lrifres (0 

place off-resurvation hIDo in tru~t fur gaminzpUlposes tlwtchilllges III theregulatinns were 

considered. The Department began enforcing an internal on-rest:rvarionloff-rcscrvaticm rc~totrust polk)' 1n [991, and in 1995 added this di~tiIl~\iQn into the fee-tn-u\lst reglljatinns. &1160 

Federal Regl~ter 32879 (June 23, 1995). No consideration ordiseussitm of the Siletz Tribe's 

ractual $ituation factored into the regulntoQ' changes. 

The CUrrent fee-ta-trust rugulatinns distinguish b~t\',.e0J1 on-rn;~'IVlltion t(lL~t acquisitions 

(25 C.r:.R. § 151.10) ~nd off-rest:rvalio., trust rxquisition~ (25 C.F.R- § 151_11). 'nte 

!~qui=e::lts for II Tribe cblll!llinz ir,,"ld in trust rIfe m= restrictive, more costly and timl'twm;uming, and require Ildditionl11Justifioation. Bec~u3e ofmcSiJetz Tribe's unique hiot"!),, nIl 

fee-to4:rust requesis by the Tribe are revicw~ umier!be off-reservation proOOflS, evert close to 

the Tribe's euo:cnt reservation lands and wen within the boundaries oflhe TribB's historical 

reservation, 

S, 908 will place the Siletz Tribe on the same legal rOOling as all other federnl1yn:eogtli?..::d Indian tribes who did not suffer through the traged)' ofierminadon ~nd the loss of 

their reservations. It will treat the SiletzTribc'$ rc~'-Io-trust r"qu~s[.~ within its historical. 

n:wrvatlon ;be Sll'llC m; f" .... t"-lr"~l req~~sts f:Oill ather tn'bes wltbi., theirhlstlJricnl rtlStrrVations.. 

It will facilitate the rc~t()ration of 11 tdbll1 land base fllr Ihe Siletz Trioo so the Trib<: CiOn m<!l:'t tr.~ 

needs of its rnemben;. It wlll reduw cost, timc and bllrCallCTht\c ()bstacle~ to the Tribeobtaining 

~pproval ofit$)Qlld into trust n:questl. Tl1e leeislation is consistent with the defillitioll Q£ onreservation as set oul in the current fee-to·tru~t regulati'JIlli at25 C.F.R, §151.2(f). 
29


202d3.eps

The Silc1Z Tribe has an ongoing critical Ileed to acquire additio/lalla/lds in trust to mc"l 

the /leeds onhe Tribe and its members. The Tribe received a modest approximately 3630 ~= 

in trust lIS a Reservation in 19&0, comprised 007 scattered pmels. This !and was prima:ily 

rmmcr BLM timber land~, ana was cll1eulalclu at the I!me to callow the Tribe \0 generate revenlle 

lop:rovidc limit"d aCJ\'jxs til its lIH:.mO= and to support tnDal government. 1110 revenue 

generntd frwn these pUl'l:els has beet! illsllffieicllt to meetgro ..... "ing tribal oeeds. The R.ese..-v.atlon 

Act ~Iro returned ~ tribal c~mctcry and Pow-Wow grollnds to the Trine. Sinoo 19i!0 thBTrine 

has obtained additioonl804 acres ofland in trust to m~ct ~'Om~ oflhe Tn'b~'s need~ forhollsiog. 

health and social servke3, nolunll resources, and economic development including a g;lming 

operation. Currently 1M Trlhe hns a tntal of63 sepaT;lt~ trust properties, fo.r a tOlal acreage or 

4434.01 acres. Tribal needs hflve not been satisfied, ht)Wev.:!f. and the Tribe has a cenlieulng 

need to acquimOOdilional hInd, in trust TIlls is 0 jong_teml ohjective oftb~ TIibe becauso cftlro. 

inOc'!!' limited finallcial I'l':SUllT(!CS, which only allow it to puwhase hnd!< little:n a time. 

Historical and LegalA~; 

Num=u~ bands and tribes oflndi= resided aboriginally in Western Oregon, from the 

crcst orlhe Cascade Muuntains to the Pacific Deenn. Early federal Indian policy was 10 cnlcr 

into treaties wilh lrnJjan tn'be~ to obtain the cession OfthBir aboriginal lands to clem' title for nOI\-

Indian settlement. A "r=rvulion policy" evolved to place the Indians who entered inw Ihese 

treaties OIl small telllllant:> ortht:irllborigiuallands, bnt to open most ofthc$e lnnds fur future 

development and sertlernent. In most cases eac.1. tribe that enlored iuto. a treaty was Jeitwlth its 

own rescr\'lltioll somewhere within its ahorigimtl tmritruy. Eatering tire IS5Cs, this tetiel'lll jlCl!icy 

evolved into 1\ new reserllltionPCllicy, p:!;"tiClllar/y along the W{l~l coast, to place as mnny tribes 

lIs11as!iibll;on one reSl.'rVaUou.111is freed up llddrtionallrutd fcrsettlemer.t and simplilicd 

administration of the remaining Indians. See Cbul1es .1". Wilkinson, The Pellple Are Dllncil1!; 

Again: A History of the Siletz Tribe (U. cfWashington p=~ 2010). 

Treaties negotiared with western Oregon Indian tribe. in the early lSSDs by Anson Dart 

,vere rejected by the Senate OOC3USC they did not implemcnt tl1isncw policy (lnd instead provided. 

for individual reservations withill a tribe's historiclIi tcnitory. The subsequent Indian 

Supe::intendent in Oregon in ti:e185Os, J(I~ P~hr.er, W.ltS grvclllilc tusk Ilfncgotiming treaties 

with all oft.'!e tribes in weslem Oregon 3nd finding a P=lmcnt ICS<:r>lUtion where they could aU 

be smiled. Sup<lrinle.'l!icnt Palmer fi!]t considered moving all the wester.; Oregon tribes east nf 

the Ca~'ClIdeMO".mtqil1s It) tbe Klamath Reservation, ootnl),'le of the western OregCl."! t:ibcs 

wanled. to go there. In wrly 1855 he located what h(:(:ame the Silelz or Coast Re3ervutit)u and 

t;ommunic~led it:; sUi1abilitY as 1he permlUl~llt reserYation fer all the western Oregon trjb~ to his 

superiors in Washington, D.C. Because of the leng time lag in conununication between the ~st 

and west Coasts in the 18508, Palrnerpro-visionally St:t ~de the CO::tSt Reservation ou hi~ own 

~llthOrily on April 17. IS5S, This action WlIS subsequently ratified by the Department ofJnterior. 
30


202d4.eps

There w-..sno one= method orproc~d-<.lIe by w:Jch the tribes ami blinds thlltllTe;>art oithe 

C(mf::d~J<lled Tribes of Siletz Indians entered into treaties or came to the Siletz Reservation. A 

map shewing the..nncestrnllands and tribes that make np the Si1etzTr!b~ iB atlllehed as Exhibit B. 

The Siletz Tlibe has II legal n:laiiooshillto seven ,atified treaties (Treat)' wI the Rogue River, 

Sept. [0, 1853, 10 Stat. lois; Treaty wI the Umpqua·Cow Creek Band, Sc;pt. 19, [853, 10 Stat. 

1027; Treaty wI the Rogue River, NO"II. 15, 18;i4, 10 Stat. 1119; Treaty wI the Chnsm, Nov. 18, 

1854, 10 SUIt. 1122; Treatywl the Umpq\lll and KaJapuya, Nov. 29, 1854, 10 Slat. 1125; Treaty 

w!tha Molr-la, Dlle, 21, 1855, 12 Sta1. 981; Treaty wllhe Kalapuya, Jatl. 22, 1855, 10 StaL 

1143), a1ld one unratified trenty a'renty with tlJe Tiiamooks Jnd Qther clT.lfederate trioo~ ~rnl 

wnds .residing alor.g tileco8st,AIIg. 11,1$55 \COllSt Treuly"). Ttl ~mnp!ic:are things further, 

theu! l!re ulso ~everal ndditlonnl unratified tm:nies negc.tiated in 18$ 1 wit.1 th~ northern Or«g<m 

coaslal trlbe~;lM bands, known as the An.~or) Dnrt trealieJ;. Indians frem aU (lfthesc tribes and 

band, ended up on the SiletziCoastReslln'ation. In snme ofthese treatWl;, such as the 1854 

Rogue Riwr Treaty and the lillmtificd Coa~t Treaty, the signatory tribes were "oonfederated~ by 

the federal government into one tribe. The Confederated Tribe ofSilet"l; Indians is the federuIly_ 

recognized Tribe that is the legal flnd polill~nl successorlo these original tribes, Sec United 

Star~ v. Or~on, 29 F.3d 481. 485-86 (9~' Cir.1994)(Yakama Nation compri~ed ofllle Indians 

who moved \0 the reservation under the Yll.karull Treaty: Nez Pw::e Tribe comprised ofNcz 

Perce Bnnds who !rlgned Nez PerceT:lI~ty and mv~'ed 10 iliminished Nez Perce Reservation), 

Movement ofilie tribes, bnnds unu lncfuH!s to the Sile!:>. ReSeJ'V31iOll. was ais-:>note1ean or IInlionn, So!l1~ tribes moved in severnl waves to the SiJetzRese!'"rot1on, at difi'l'wrlt \ll::v.os. III 

some cases onlyparh (If the tribl', smaller £roups or individual fumiii~s ended up on the 

Reservation. In Olber ~ascs individuals or small groups WhCl were moved to the Siletz 

Reservation l~ft the Res;::rvation and returned to their aboriginal arens; other individuals hid and 

were nwer moved. Some ortbe individuals who left the Siletz Reservation ~n(.1 returned to their 

Jboriginal arens w~rerounded up and .... 1ur:uod to the Siletz Reservation. For tlXamplo. member 

of the Coos alld Lower Umpqua Tn'bes who!eft the Siletz ReselV3lion Rud retumed to lheir 

aboriginal afe~ were forcibly returned 10 the Reservation. 

In all of these cases and under ail of~ treaties, both mliDed and lln,atified,:he tribes 

and bands il1 qm:stion w= mUYl:d to the Siletz Resen'aticn rutd 'Jecane pnrt of the COIIfederntcd 

Tribes of Siletz Indhms. This early history ofth'-' Silc\4 Tritm and SHe!.? Re:;,:rvation:is set Dutin 

"aciOllS f~dcrnl comt decisions, inclllding Rilg/le RiWl' Tribe v. Unil<!d Stales, 64 P,Supp. 339, 

341 (Ct.C!. 1946); A!cea Band a/Tillamook; v. Uni(ed Sta(l!.';, 59 F.Supp, 934, 942 (Ct.CI. 1945); 

COIJS, LoweJ' Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indian rrlQsn. United States, 87 Ct. Ct 143 (1938); and 

Tillamook Trib(! oflmlians v. Uni/(!d Stales, 4lnd. C1. CI)[l1ll1'n 31-65 (1955). Copies of these 

decisions are attached as Exhibit C. The Silclz Tribe ulso submits some of the Interior 

DepartrllclIt and Oregon Indian Agency corresponden()(J from thi~ period (18.55.75), 

docUllNnting the set:!emem OfWHious ttibes and bands on the Siletz Reseryation pursu3nt to 

the5C {:elides, as llxhibitD. The settlem:m! OfWfWl!3 tribes on {he Siletz Rescrv:ltian is also 

dm::mm:nted in vllfiaus a.cadl:lnic publicatlnns such as arep.ortprtlprrrlld by HistOO3n Dr. Sto:r,>hen 

DowBec..ldJ1UlI. &e "!heHatclt Trac1: A Tmdhlonnl S'I!~lnw Village Within lhe SHe!:;: 

R~'ServutiOll, 1855-75," prepared by Dr. Sreph\lll Dow Beckham fin the COllfcdrratcd Tribes of 

ColiS, LoWC.t:UmpqllH Hnd Sillslaw. Dec. 4, 2000, pp.12-14 {"On July 20, 1852, Linus Brooks, 

Sub-Agent, confirmed that the remO'l'al ofthc Coos, LowcrUmpqlla, and Siu!llaw India/IS onto 
31


202d5.eps

the Siletz Reservation Wll5 ~omp!ete," and "On July 21, 1864, Sub-AfiCnL Goorge W. Collins 

eonf=d the pre.ounce oflbe tnlles 011 llle Siletz Reservation~.)_ 

The Confederated Tribes ofSile!:! Ind!ans was recognized as the goveroing body and 

moe reprflS<mting all of the tribes eml bands senled on the Siletz Reservation a~ early as 1859. 

See, e.g.. Indian Traders Liclmse issued by the Si\~!z rndian Agent on Jwu: 16, 18~9, to trade 

with "The Confederated Tribes ofllldj~ns ... within the boundary of the Siletz Indian agency 

clistrlo;;l Coast Rt:Serv~tion." (Copy ~1\a(:1uxl as E"hibitE); Tillamonk Trioa ofilldions, mpra, 4 

!lld. Cl. Comm 'n at 31 ("Collfederoted Tnoes of Siletz Imiians, ..• a duly oonreder~ted and 

Ol'ganized nroup MJndian:; h~vi .. g a tribal orgtmization and reoognized by the Sec.."Ctary of th~ 

!n:erior oflhe United States" is tire only entity with s1snding to prosecute olaims against the 

Unitecl St.ltcs hwolving Ihe Sile!:;: Reservation). It M5 consistentiybeeo reco,grdzcdas Ihe tribe 

representmg the original Siletz or Coast Re$ervntion since that time. As ~'Uch it is im: legal and 

political su"'ce~~QrtQ 011 of the tribe. <lnci bands of Indians ,;,·.t1led on or !~esented on the Silel!!': 

Re~ervation. 

This legal prindple was established and has been repeatedly confirmed in the U.S. v. 

Washing/oil Pugct Sound off-rc~crvation treaty fl~hlng rights litigation. Se'3, i!.g., See United 

Slates v. Washillgtrm,593 F.3d 790, 800 at n.12 (91h Ci •. '201 O)("SallJ;~'h"), citing to U.s. v. 

Wasl:fngkm, 384 F.SUPr>. 312, 360 (W.D.Wash. 1974)(Lurmni) and 10 U.s. v. WashrngfQn, 459 

f.Sup{!. 1020, 1039 (W.D. Wash. :978){Swir.omish)(Lmnmi IImj Swinomim ro=$SDIS in 

interest to tribes and bnnlls ~ettled: on ih~~aliom under Treaty ofPC)int Elliott; both t.-ibes 

sUccessOTll in interest to :he Samish Jndilm Tribe'; modem day Sarnish nibe ulw n successor in 

interestlO the. historical Samish Tribe for non-off-reservation treaty fishing right!; purpOS"lS): 

Evans v. Sala:rfJY, 604 F.3d 1120. 1122 n. :3 (9'h Cir. 2010), citing u.s. Y. Washlngtoll, 459 

F.Supp. 1020, 1039 (W .D.Wash. 1973)(TuJ~lip Tribes recognized governing body and sueccs~or 

to tribes and bands settled on the Tul~]jp R~QrVUtion undcrthe Treaty of"Pomt Elliott); U.S. 1'. 

WashillgTolI, 520 F.2d 676, 692 (9~' Cir. 197:'i)(J\fuckleshoot Tribe, which did uot ~xist althe 

time ofthc Treaty of Point Ellion and Treaty ofMudi~in~ Creek, recognIzed as a tribe by t'le 

United Stales and is II su=sor in inK'I'I.'>!t to I~constituent tribes wbicl: WI!re settkd an tl~e 

Mu~kleshootReserwtion underfue two \.Tl'lati<!a). 

Tv,-e Olner lcg01' princaples, confirmed by Ninth Cir>:::llit COUi't of Appeals decisions, e.1so 

cOO'.fum the Confederated Tribes of Siletz IndiallS as theonly-tederntly-reco!,'Ilized Imlian tribe 

ropresentins tbe tribes and bands who WMe scnled on the Siletz ReservatIon, and a~ the only 

Indian tribe with a legal interest in und thle to the original 1855 SUB1z or Const Reservation. The 

first legal principle involves groups or bauds of Indians who eIther refused or clid not move to Lhe 

reservatiun designated for them under a treaty orolher federdl action, or who subsequently left 

thaI reservation or rerused to mov~ to a reconfigured reservation. In U.S. v. Oregan, 29 F.3d 

481,484-85 (9'" Cif. 1994), the Ninth Circuil n:jeeted the claim of the Colville COllfed~rn\ed 

'Li\re the simatimt of Lummi and Swi:'lomisr.., wl::\Oof! reserl'aLions were set aside forall thc 

Indians who ~ib'Ul.-rl the Point Emotl Tre~ty, both theSUetz. and Grand Rondo Rl:scrvStiQIlS were 

cxp=ly set aside for settlement oithc Wi!lsmellc Valle), Tribes, wd membeIli oith05e tribes 

o~tlled ('In both the Siletz nnd Grand Ronde Re~en'atiOns. Unde!' the Ninth CirCUit's decisions in 

U.S. v, Wasill/lgirm. both the Silcl~ and Grand Ronde Tribes are SlICOOS50r~ to the histonclll 

Willnroette VaHey Tribes and the three raHned Ire(llies signed by tho~ tribas. 

Page 5 - Testimony of Siletz Tribal Cl!airm~n Delores Pigsley in Supp0r!. afS. 908 

Submitted to the S~""IC Conmlittee on Indi~n Affoir.; - February 2, 2012 
32


202d6.eps

Tribes to h~ve treaty and i:\U,,~e:;5o::lhlp rights \mdcl'tile Ynkmna anci Ne~ Perce Treaties of 1855 

b~C\1uSC hand~ offile tribes that had signed those treaties bd refused In move to the reser\'nlioos 

established underlhcse tr<.:ati\l$, or hd SIlb~cqucnt1y [eft Ihose reserl'lltions, lind inlt~'!\d h~d 

(ll,dcd up settling on the Colville ReSlll'VlltiOll. The NiU~l Circuil coru:hlded Iba those ba.,ds, by 

refusing to move to the treaty rcscrvnlioill: or subsequently leaving iho3(l resGrVllllor.s, had 

abandoned thcirrlght lotteat)' st~tus crsuccesJ\rn:l!hip ofthc arigloal tribes. 

This legal prindplc applies 10 the elaims of the nlodern day Confedcrnted TribGS -of Coos, 

LowerUmpqua and 3lmklwlndians (oomprlsedofmdividuallndians frnm thoilZ tribes WUIJ 

either refused to r.:'J}W~O til!! Siletz; Resmvation 1)[ who subiequently left theSilotttwa:crvation 

and moved back to the Coos J3ay a.-ea) 10 have kg:tl daim to tlJe ori~illal Siletz RestrValkm. It 

also applies \(l !he cl~im of the Confuderlll~d TtThe..~ of the Grand Ronde Commu'!),!ty "fOregon 

lo be a su~oessorto the Rogue River Tribe (a b!j"Tl\i fir ~lflal1 group- of Rogue River }ndi;:ns 

refused in 1S57 \<l muve to the Siletz Resel"Vll1ion, O:l~ignated as tlu;:pcn)lanem r~gervation for 

InatTn'be, and stayed instead on the OwnJ Ronde Re:;e . .''V~tlon}, and to have a claim through !1l!l. 

tribe to tile Si1~ Reserva';on. 

The second addili:ml'!j legal princip ill. -aplllie; io the iltctuai situ3tion whnre Clne lritm is oot 

s~1cd on a re.o;etVDlh:lli under a treaty, butindividu,L! roemben Ofll» ''unuftUiatOO'' lriooeoollp 

on the re5ern!tiOO1 ohllOlh!:r 11100, eilher by ()btaIn~}g IIl1ctmel1ts on that.re~tion 0, fo,"<lther 

f"3S0ilS. Tr,;s Wll~ tho! ,.!tmltlon in finited Stales v. Sutruumi.<!n Jndi,.,1 Trib",_ 901 F.1C. 772, 777 

(9<ft Cir. 1990), wne."ethe Nicth Circuit rejec:ed theSuquarnis..'l Tribe's c18lm to be the SUll(:eSiOr 

to the Duwumi:sh Tribe on the grounds that "indivirlual Duwami,l; had moved to and oettled at" 

the SUqn;lmiiili Reservalinl"~ obtaining. nllotmen1s tm. ThecQuTt fOl1nd Ill!l! no group orband of 

Duwamiall mcverl th=.ld.~ This relit w~s elariliedln Ui'lfrea S/atflS 'J. Oregon, .rupra, where the 

Ninth C:mlit eun;;:h.Jde<lthat fur one tribe to be abl~ to claim &tICCcswrship to anothe: tribe, the 

first t:ibe \'iOllld h~vo. 00 'Sho;\, "a cohelliv() oomtnlllla! decis':en by ih(l' DuwamWt to Illlitewitll the 

Sliqamish," ot}\Crwl3etL>e SUqtmmj~l', '\:wld nolSlIXcssfuUy clI!im that [twas U 'PQE!icnl 

successw' to th...,1reaty tb= Duwmnish Toolil." 2:1 V.3d at4B4. Movernmrtllnd ~ett!oement of 

individual Indians d03S 001 r~1l1tin !uc=rship, tinder .<;ettle-:! pri'tCi?!es c-fl.."W. 

Ti".is lega, pmmipleapplies:o the ::Iairr.s of the Gnmc Ronde Tribe tbnl it bas an interest 

in the origL."l1il Sll1l1Z Rase:vaIiQJI througb its olllS1!r\cd :ruccessorship to th1l Nehalum Tribr:., fur 

c.. .... ~mple. Cas!'! !;\w to 1>r1licit the Gr~nd Ronde Tribe Wa, II p<lrty lind is then:ftlle bound 

C<lrJc1uded that the Silelz;Tribe is tbe5uc<:ussorlhc Nehalum Tribe: "P!lIinliff~ Chluook, Clalsop 

and thtl Nc·hfl..ll.Im !:ib~s were pin<=! on th~ Coast ResorvaliOCl." Alc.:a BaNd I.1[TillamtJoks, 

;mp",,59 F.SIIW. at 954. G:mnd Ronde r:19ims suC(esscl!ship 10 tl:e Neh.alum Tn'bc h'ClllSC geniC 

indlvidual N(1h~I<lm [udinns later moved to and settledOll the Gnnd RmJclo R(l£crvation. Umier 

e:sttlbJislJed federal precedefll, Ib" facttb!ll wmeln~ividoal Nebalumlndi>lll$ mcved to th>:! Grand 

R(mde Res~f\mtion d[d not make theGrand Roode Trfue q SUClE5rorto the Ne:tl!llm Tribe. 

=-=-=---""-- , The OJu:1.ea.ntt'llsmd thi~ fu.c~1 ~tmItlM with ttat \lfthe Muck!esl\n(lt and Tu!a1ip Tlibes. 

who were not trib~ Il\ tln; lirn~ "flh~ lr<:a~)' hI.ll be<ame trlbc~ compriS<.:d ofs!JInll n"jgl1lxldng 

b:llnd~ oflndiuna who signed the treaties and moved:llS bands. 10 tlle design~led resCN~lioll. 901 

F.2d al176. ThOSl;: banoh Who r~s1ded together \Jr. the !iam~ r<:s"rvation then "became known H 

tne Tula!ip am!: MuckleshootL.dians:' It! 
33


202d7.eps

The Siletz Reservation llliS boca referred to byvarious ru;;mcs in its history, but has been 

known mast often as the Siletz Reso;rVation since 1857. Tim Reservation we.~ originally referred 

to as the Coast Reservation before it was reserved by Oregon Indian A"."'OOt Joel Palmer because 

it was located on the Orellon Coa~"t ~nd b~cl!u~c it was set aside for the "Coast, Umpqu~, and 

Willamette Tribes of Indians in Oregon Territory." After official H5labli~hment by ExeGutive 

Order all November 9, 185:5, it was referred to .. mously as the Siletx, Si!\ltx 0, Coast, or 

SiktdCuast Reservation. Starling in 18:57, \1SC of the tenn Siletz Rei'lel'Vation became most 

eommOl' .. see, e.g., Letterdared July 20, 1857 (Anmml Report ofGnmd "Ronde fndion Agency). 

att<lciwd M E:>:.hibi: D, page *("Ellrly in rhe month ofMl!ythe gr<:!!t1!r portion ofllJ.e Rogue River 

ami all oitho Shasta Indi[!Jls were fW!lOvrAl, with ~hel\'<JWn consen\., to tile Silrn:zcoasl 

reservation •.. In oomeqnence oftlle remnya! oithe majority ofthes~ tribes to lh~ Sileill 

reservation" ,and ConSress fornmlly referred to the Rcscrvo:ion as the Siletz ReselYation in 

iegisiatiOtl enacl~d in IS68 and IS7:i. Act of July 27, 1868. ]5 Stnl. 198, 219~'For Indians upon 

thc Siletz re5~rya(ion ..• 10 compensate th~tn fnr losses sustained by reason of executive 

proclamation Inking from them tim! portion ofthelrreselYation c~lled Y~ql.lina 13ay~); Act of 

M3I'ch 3, 1875, 18 Stat. 420, 446("Socreta(y ofthe Interior ... is authorized to remove all bands 

ofJndiEln.~ now Jo~atedupoD the Alsea and Siletz Reservation, set apart ror them by Executive 

order dated November ninth, eignteen hundred and fifty-five"). Copies of these stalutes 8re 

atL.."\lhed as E:t..'Jlbit F. 

Tue Siletz Reservation was e~,abllshed by Executive Order on November 9, 1855 as a 

perm:ment home:and fur all the Tribes and 13and~ afTmlians in western Oregon. who were to 

confederate upon it ami make the remaining ceded land available fur settlement. The originlll 

SiM>: Reservati'ln stretched for over ]00 miles along the central Oreg(ln Coast, from the ocean to 

the western boundary ofthe 8th Range, WiIlamct1e Meridian, around 1.1 million ucres. A copY of 

the original map of this reservation nUl.de sometime between 1857 and 1&65 Is attached as 

Exhibit Q, Treaty tribes such as the Rogue Rivers. Shastas and Umpquas were moved 10 the 

Silctz.Remvnt!on by May 1857 in fulfillment "flh", iellllS "ftheir twali~s to settle them em n 

permanent treatyreservatiQn. The Siletz R=vl\urln umk:r wcll-csmbl::;bed case Imv became 11 

tr:::ilty ro!<C.1"VlIticn at that timc, The Siletz Reservation was then ::educed ollN:he comlng years 'Jy 

VlI.ri= feOernl3(:tions - E;.;e;utiw Orc'Zin 1865, fedw;l statute in 181$', lind lin Agree:lle..'1t !lnd 

legislatiQll impl~m~nlillg allotmlmt andslll'plusl11g of the rell1!lilllngreselVll.tlon in 1892. A map 

of the origin~l Siletz Reservation sholVi."lg the various reductions ofthl:l Si1!:l~ Rese.rv~tioll i~ 

attached as E;l(hibit H. A l1l.1p showing the original Silel7, Raservaticn in context to the State of 

Oregon and to modem Oregon cities ill altllched as Exhibit I. 

Vari()ll~ Court ofCIoims und Indian Claims Commission cases haVl;l ~ddressed whether 

tile Tribes that were Iceated on the Siletz Reservation ... :ere entitled to compemat!Oll for t1H~ 

taking olthetr aboriginal l'llSIJrvatiQD, ilr fw the vurious diminishments oft~e Siletz Reservation. 

These Cl!~"~ - Rowe Riwr, Aicw Band ofTillmoolrs, Coos, Lower Umpqua and $iftsimv[r.diall 

Tribes, nnd Tillamook 1Hbe o/l/ldiam>, aro cited above. These cases document 'the connection of 

the Siletz Tribe to the original Siletz ReflCrlialton. As such, they aIM show that the original Siletz 

RcgclYation meets tne definition oron_res~rvation 3S set out in the feHo-l1'!lst regulations al2S 
34


202d8.eps

C.F.R. § lSI.Z(f): "[\Vjbero Ibere hlls b~ u flnaijudk-ia! determination. thalli m~ervatiOll has 

been dis6slublished Of diminished, bit/ron reseJ'V<//{cm IIl~DIlS that Droll of1nud constituting:he 

former reservation oflhe !riba." Sf!<) Cilbm Ecwd Po/alValomi Indicms v. Collier, 17 F.3d 132:5 

(10'" Cit. 1998)(proccssing feC-lo-trust rcqncstwithin fumIer reservation ofPotawatomi Tribe). 

Enactin6 S.903 will allow the Siletz Tribe 10 request fee-to-trust Ir3nsten on the same basis as 

llthel"Indlan tdbes within Iheiroriginal reservations. 

Some qucstiolls have been rniiii!d ~fore tl>,ls Ilea..";ng about ~pecifi::: l\Sp6C!S of [he 

proposeu legislation.l want to address some of those issues here, andc~n respond \0 other issues 

during my oral testimony. 

1. DOell this bill make the original Si\et/i ReSIlrVSlion ;nlO a reswlntion forthe Siletz Tn'be, 

Dl' r.r~at~ tribnl juri~dielion or 9uthoritv oYerthe original Siletz Res~MtklIl area? 

Amwer: No. All S.9()3 dOO3 is to d~signale It gcngraphic IIreIl within which lhe Si1e~ 

Tnoe's fec-to-tmst requests will be IJroces,ed under the BlA'5 on-reservation rather trn.n offr=rYlItion fee-to-tru~tcrireria. Thejurlsc..'eri=l status ofind!vidUllI fC::l-tO-l,"Sl [l3ree1S chacges 

Ulwclhost:: parcel5 go into trust stJrus, but !hal happens wffilih"'f or not this bill passes, and 

wheUle~ or Ilot the on--reser"latian or off.·resemrtioo. "dtem.. ~re used, This i$81le wn~ addressed 

by the federal oourts in Yallkroll SiOIlX TrIbe v, Podhradsky, 606 F.3d 994, Hll3 (8"' Cir. 

:201O)("WhUe it is trn~ that the original 1853 [rcsorvation] boundaries are no longer markers 

dividingjurlsdiction between the Tribe and the stIlte, that does nat mean !bey haw loot their 

hi~!oriC<lI rolcwncc for [he Secretnry's dlsoretionary Mts [of taking land into tnlS! plilSunnllo:25 

U.s.C. §46.S]." lInder 8.90B, the origilllll1S55 Si1~l1; Reservation will beo::()lne 011 historical 

reference point tbrthe BIA in deciding wheller-to process a Siletz fee-to-trust 3pplic3tion ~s onreservation or off-reservation ur.de;:-the f~_to_lmst regulations at 25 C,r:.R. Pa..'115!. J:'\e bill 

cloos notlting mere. 

2, .Qr,tt'::S I)!!: Siletz Re~toration Act limit theSile\7;Tribe to taking; land into trust only within 

J..jll.~Q:!Il£9J!IDY? 

Answer; ND. TIle origin~1 Sile\7; Reservation extends into six current Oregon counties, although 

the heart oftl,c ori,ginal Siletz Rc~crvation beCllme. Lincoln County. The oountieswithin tb~ 

original Slletz Rcsen:alion is located al'e slmWl1 on the map atttLched as Exhibit A. As you can 

sue, two Dfth"counties hn~ b~rcly Ilny 1000d im'Clved. Some partie; !l;ivc WlS\'ncd tim! federnl 

mw - the SilM2 Restomtior. Acl- Rlnlts the SUetz Tribe lu laking lund mto trust onlywith!!l. 

Lincoln County. The sectioo of the Rm:toration Act in 'lllcSiion, at2$ U.S.C. § 71 ;<:(d), is 

addres~cd to the reserlntion plan called for by the Restoration Act. It limits ony land rle~igneted 

under !he reservation plan to Lincoln County. 
35

*Attachments retained in Committee files*


202d9.eps 202d10.eps

The que~tiOIl OfWMlh~r this provi~ioll ofthc Siletz Rcstol'Htion Act, 2S USC § ?11e-Cd), 

limited the BIA from taking land in tnlst for the Siletz Tnbe only to Lincoln County was 

ad(lrcssed immediately afler p8SS~gc ofthc SiletZ Regtorotion Act by the Office ofthc Soliciror, 

in 1973 r.nd lY79. Those oplnlon~ conclnded thJt the statutory restrkticm at § 1tl~d) applied 

only to fue original SHett Reservation Plan., and did nat limit thelluthority uftlle Secretary from 

taking land in tnlSt for tile SiietzTribe elsewhere? This clmcksioo was :rea~hed in Jlmt because 

the SilC17. Restonr:\on Aot expressly mcices 25 US.C. § 41iS - s.:ction 5 ortbe IRA _ app/innblc 10 

the Siletz Tribe, without restriction. This is no! am of any ollJerresLOred tribe in Oregon. Copies 

of the two SolicitorOpiniona reaching this conclusion 01'11 ottnched as ExhibitJ. 

TiJc Siletz Tribe hns ~cqllired lund in trust outside ofLinooln County since Restoration. 

For axrnnp!e.. tl>.e Trih'! has a 20 acre parcel ofl:mo:i in trust in Salem, Marion County, Oregon. 

Within the Tribe'~ 11istorical territory. 

3. Does the CmmtL¥proval provision ofS. 908 !live the crm:llleS within ".'hi&. the original 

Siletz Reswmlion j~ located vern Dowerover Siletz ree_lo_trust regue,t§? 

Atlslvcr: No. 1l1~ Siletz Tlibe was aware going into this proposed legislation that Ibel\~ have 

been repeated attempt:.; by states and counties t(lreslriel or e]jminalll taking lwtd into ttus! for 

tribes under25 U.S.C, § 465, including proposals LO give counties and stales veto authority ovcr 

ttitml tl'\1St requests. S, 90& does not give locul Otegon counties vetoJXlweroverfhe SilCLZ 

Tribc's request 10 take any land in trust. AlIthe:clevrult provision ortlle bill doc.~ i~ to give a 

County Ihe option 1:) lllTh'e a partkular Siletz f1re-fo-lrost req'JE$ treoated as oll-resel'VatiOll croffreservation. If a C<r"mty objects to having a partic\tlar Siletz feo;:-to-uus:: request treated a& O.!lreservation, it is processed under the off-reservation criterill of the existing ree-to-tnJst 

regulntions, m; though S. 908 had notpllS5oo. TI.c Silott Tribe still has the right to have land 

taken into trust even if a County objects; itjustb8 to satisfy thc more stringent off-reservation 

criteria. 

The Siletz Tribe did not include this County language 011 it3 own initiative. Lincoln County. the 

County with which the Siletz Tribe 003 the elo!est relationship. ,equestoo this language, BcCllu8C 

t'h<:.lililgUilgC <kx:sr,Qt gil'<' the; CCWlty 1>1,), veto pow<:rover m'tuolly mking hmd into tr\Is! snd 

b~CIluSl;: :he Siletz Tribe i; camfurt:!ble with its h.mg-st!Ullling positive rciatimlship with Lincoln 

County,and its ability to Slltisf'y lmy County COll;erm that might wi~ in the future, too Siletz 

TnlJe agreed to incluOO the COlmty approvallang,u~e In its draft legislation. AI the 8amc time. 

the Tribe recognized that any ~ounly appmvallanguage of any kind might mise concerns frolll 

the Dcpartment or from Congress, nnd infmmed Lincoln County tim! ~nch conCUn\$ might 

ne~~SlSitate <;h~ng~s tt) the pmpcsed legisiation. Tho Siletz Tribe's continued S"PllOrt for S. 908 is 

not dependent upon survival of the county langvage in its C\lrreuc form. 

4. Will S, 908 allow the Siletz Tribe to acquire Jalld in !nlst and ""~ !h~t land for gaming 

underlhc IndiMI Gaming RegulatOD' Act? 

Answer. No. Tnere is nn eXflres~ prnr.ibition in S. 90S on using landacquL-ed III tru~t 'lUldorthe 

bill for ga.,nh:g. TIle Sili:~ Tribe: a!n:llrly has a m::c=ful gaming OIJ(:..atioo at Chinook Winds 

Cll.~in[) Resort on l13 ounent reservation. The Tribe does not need m a;:quiro land in trest for a 

gaming operation within :ts original reservation boundaries. 

This coneludes the written testimony cfthe Confederated Tri':lcs of Siletz Indians In 

support ofS. 903. 1 would be glad mrespond to MY questions fromthe Committee. 
36

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Chairman Pigsley. 

Chairman Garcia, please proceed with your testimony. 

STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT GARCIA, CHAIRMAN,

CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF COOS, LOWER UMPQUA AND 

SIUSLAW INDIANS 

Mr. GARCIA. Thank you very much, Chairman Akaka, members 

of the Committee. My name is Robert Garcia. I am an enrolled 

member and Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower 

Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. 

I appreciate the opportunity to be here. We support helping 

Tribes getting land into trust for a variety of purposes. It is a goal 

we share. Unfortunately, we cannot support Senate Bill 908 as introduced. This bill gives unfair advantage to one Tribe over others 

with similar claims to the land. 

But before turning to our specific concerns, I want to provide the 

Committee with some relevant history. The Coos, Lower Umpqua 

and Siuslaw live on approximately 1.6 million acres of our ancestral lands outlined by the blue boundary on our maps with our 

written testimony. Members of the Coos and Lower Umpqua Tribes 

were forcibly removed in 1860 from our ancestral lands, moved 

north to the reservation established by executive order by President Pierced in the fall of 1855. The boundaries of that reservation 

are outlined in red on the submitted map. 

The solid yellow region on the map is the area of overlap between the reservation established by President Pierce and our ancestral lands. While the Coos and Lower Umpqua were forcibly removed to the reservation, the Siuslaw Indians remained in their 

homeland. Indeed, we believe the 1855 Coast Reservation referred 

to in S. 908 might as accurately be called the Siuslaw Coast Reservation as it can be called the Siletz Coast Reservation. 

Our existence has been acknowledged by the Federal Government at least since the summer of 1855, when Joel Palmer negotiated on behalf of the United States the Empire Treaty with our 

Tribes and others. Neither the reservation referred to in the Empire Treaty nor the reservation referred to in Senate Bill 908 were 

established by ratified treaty. The Coast Reservation is shared by 

many Tribes, including ourselves and the Siletz. 

The United States terminated our Tribe in 1954, and we were restored in 1984 by the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Restoration Act. We have since established a casino, Three Rivers Casino, 

and built Tribal housing near Florence near the heart of our 

Siuslaw lands, while our Tribal headquarters is based in Coos Bay, 

situated in our Coos territories. Today we provide approximately 

600 jobs for Indians and non-Indians alike. 

We support Senators Wyden and Merkley for introducing S. 356 

and S. 908. They understand the emotive and tangible connection 

between Native peoples and our aboriginal lands. Indeed, we have 

our own aspirations for acquiring more homelands. While we have 

no concerns about S. 356, we support it and applaud the delegation 

for helping the Tribe secure its land aspiration in a targeted way 

that avoids impinging on the interests of other Tribes. 

We object to Senate Bill 908. We do not agree that the Siletz 

Tribe is the successor Tribe to the Oregon Coast Reservation. And 

37

we believe that S. 908 has fairness and equity problems. We are 

going to leave the county government issue to others and move on. 

But under S. 908, the Siletz, and only the Siletz, are entitled to 

have treated as an on-reservation acquisition all property they propose for trust within the 800,000 Coast reservation. To give the 

Siletz favorable treatment with respect to all of this land is unsupported by law, is historically inaccurate and is just plain unfair to 

my people. 

Siletz currently have on-reservation status for lands within the 

reservation established as a result of the restoration in Lincoln 

County. S. 908 expands that reservation status to 800,000 acres of 

the Coast Reservation, a reservation we feel is shared by many 

Tribes. But only gives reservation status on those lands for the 

Siletz. Our Tribe has a casino, Three Rivers Casino, as previously 

mentioned, in Florence, Oregon, centered in our Siuslaw lands. 

Under S. 908, our casino would be in the midst of their reservation. 

If we buy land for housing Tribal members in our Siuslaw lands, 

it would be considered on the Siletz reservation. 

The Siletz and we have both intended to purchase property for 

timber. Suppose both Tribes of the adjacent lands wish to place 

them in trust. If S. 908 becomes law, the Siletz would be free of 

the obligation to satisfy the Secretary’s escalated scrutiny for acquisition far distant from the Tribe’s headquarters. If the acquisition were proposed for business purposes, the Siletz would not be 

required to provide the Secretary with a business plan to show the 

anticipated economic benefits of the proposed use. Finally, the 

Siletz acquisition would be processed within 30 days and without 

notice to the State and local government. 

In contrast, our application for adjacent parcels would be subject 

to exacting scrutiny by the Secretary. We would be required to 

write a business plan and we would then be required to give notice 

and allow for comment by State and local governments. This distinction is not justified by history or by law. It is inherently unfair. 

The complex history of Tribes on the Oregon Coast demonstrates 

that it would be an error to jump to the conclusion that the reservation created by President Pierce conveyed special status to the 

Siletz then, or supports today Congress extending such unfair advantage. 

In conclusion, I would like to paraphrase George Orwell in 1984: 

S. 908 makes some Tribes more equal to others. And we do not believe that is fair or right. 

Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Garcia follows:]

38

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT GARCIA, CHAIRMAN, CONFEDERATED TRIBES

OF COOS, LOWER UMPQUA AND SIUSLAW INDIANS


202e1.eps
39


202e2.eps

Like other Oregon tribes, tIle United States pnrporled 10 lenninate tim CTCLusr in 1954. The 

United States enacted inl\! Jaw the Coos, LowerUmpqul\, and Siusluw Restoration Ao::t in 1984. 

Although every other fcderally-recogui~~d tribe in Oregon received either moncy o[ land us a 

result of restoration, we did not, 

Since this fresh start toward sclf-dctermimttion, we have established 1\ casino ncnr Florence in the 

heart of the north~m part of our nncestrallemlory. Our headqual1ers are in the North Bend/Coos 

Bay area in the southern part of our ancestroJ lands. Today, we number 1,017 enrolled nu:mbers 

and provide approximately 600 jobs for Indians and non-Indians alike. 

Someday soon we expcct 10 be before Congress seeking to restore tribal control over npninfully 

thin remnant of our former aneestrnllands . Our history makes us uniqnely ~nsitive and 

uniquely respectful of the aspirations of MY tcibe to enlarge the tribe's control over their 

respective ancestral lands. We, lca~t of aU. hegrudge no tribe that aspiration. We are encouraged 

by Senator Wyden and Senator Mcrkcly's attention to tIle aspirations oithe Confederated Tribes 

of Siletz Indians of Oregon (Sjlw. Tribe) and Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (Gntnd 

Ronde) to udd to their respective land lxlses. I sincerely acknowledge the fact llint the Senators' 

~o-sponsor.lhip of these measures is evidence of their recognition oflllc lmponance of land in the 

life of uJ.I tribes. 

We have no objections to S. 356. Indeed, we ~upport it and ::.pplaud our delegation forbcIping 

the Grand Ronde secure their land IISpirations in a targeted way that nvoid~ imphlging on the 

illtcrn.<;t.~ of any oth~r tribe. 

I regret thnt we must oppose S. 908 as introduced. 

S. 908 grunts counties unprecedented powCI"ovcr the Siletz Tribe'~ aspinttions to ~ecure land in 

trust. Under the bill,.<tix Oregon counties have ahsolute authority to determine whether an 

application will be subject to the comparatively relaxed ~tandards of !ill "On-f<lscrvation" 

acquisition or wi!! be subjected 10 the more exoctiog sroltioy of the "off-reservation" procedures. 

This mechanism transforms a question offederallaw inlo a question ofl<JCm politics. We 

stron[:ly believe in coltnbOl"lltion and in bl1iltling consensus with the people and governments of 

the political subdivisions of our state. We do nat believe, however, thai it is in the interest of our 

tribe for Congress to esmblJ.sh a precedent for legislation which cedes control of such a h,y piBCe 

orthe feder-dl decision-making process La local ~uthorities. 

HO\.Vever. our fundamental objections to S, 908 are independent from the "county veto" 

provisions and even if those were removed, we profoundly object to S. 90G 

S. 908 would granllhe Siletz Trib~ a unique right to claim favorable on-reservation trentment 

under fcdernllaw for all land acquisitions in an area of the Coast reservation that is in faci our 

am:estralland. Under S. 908, the Siletz Tribe, and only the Siletz Tribe, ure entitled to have 

treated as an on-reI'ervatioo acquisition all property it proposes for tlllSt within the 800,000 acre 

Coast re~ervation. To give the Siletz Tribe fnvorable treatment with respect to land within the 

area ofoverlap is unsupported by law, is historicHlIy inaccurate, and is jnst ploin unfoirto the 

people of my tlibe. 

In City a/Lincoln City v. U.S. Depar1menl o[lnrerior, 229 F. Supp. 2d 1109 (D. Or. 2002), the 

Siletz Tribe osserllld that the Bureau of Indian Affair's approval ofa fee-to·tlllst transfer of land 

in thecentrllL region of me Coast reservation ncar but not on the Silet7. Tribe's existing 

reservation lands should have been approved under the ~Qn_reservaticnn criteria of 25 CFR 

Section 151.10. In support ofits theory, the tribe claimed the geographic area (lfthe Coast 

reservation established by Executive Order ill 1855 as its "fonuer roscrmtion." TIle Department 

of the. Interior disagreed. It took the pOSition that only the Siletz Tribe's then-current reservation 

lands qualified for Hon-reservation" treatment. 
40


202e3.eps

No tribe other than the Siletz Tribe W(IS n part)' to Cily of Lincoln City. The District Courl 

IlpheI~Ilhe BrA'~ approvalllnder the "off.reservation" erileda·· whieh sub5ume the less 

stringent "on-resen<ation" standards. Because ithad upheld BlA's approval undtr lilt more 

stringent standards, the court did not rule on the nbe's argument that the approval should havc 

been granted under the less stringent "on-reserv~tion" standards. 

At 1=1 as 10 the area of overlap between the Coast reservation and our ancestrnllands, we agree 

with the position taken by the BlA in 2002 ami disagree with thtl po&ition a~8CItct! by the Siletr. 

Tribe. Simply put, Ihe historical evidence does fiot support the Siletz Tribe's claim that the area 

of overlap is any part of lhatlribe'g ''former reservation." 

S. 908 would bestow on the Siletz Tribe the benefit of the nile the tribe invited the District Coun 

to adopt in Cily of Lincoln Cily. And yet no tribe otherthan the Siuslaw ever have inhabited the 

arcaof overlap between our ancl!l;tr.III~nds ~nd the ClIast reserv~tilln. S. 908 gives a tribe with 

nll hi!;tllriC clInnncti(lll \1I that area asuperillr claim to lands within that regilln. 

The Silel2: Tribe 1= acquired and hoId.~ in fee ~lOUSandS O[DCres orland within the areD of 

overlop bctween the Coast reservation and the anccstrallands of my tribe. The legal effcct and 

fundamental unfairness ors. 90B are made clearby adding two a:;sumed facts to the reality of the 

Siletz Tribe's owneJ.-ship of larnl. wHhlnlh~ arell of overlap. First, suppose my tribe purchases 

land adj~~ent to th~ lands owned by thc Siletz. Second, suppose furtber that both tribcs <lFp[y to 

have Iheir respective lands transferred to trust 

Under curren! law, both applic3tions would be c'{Hlulltcd llnder "off-reservation" standnrds. H S. 

908 beC()1IlCS law, the application by the Siletz Tribe would be tre,\lOO as au "on-reservation" 

acquisition whcrellS'our application fur the adjacent parcel would be trc:Ited as an 

"off·reservution" Ilcquisition. TIle Silel2: Tribe would be free of the obligation to sotisfy the 

Sccret"ry's escal"ted scrutiny ofacqlli~i!ions f~rdistant from the applicanltrihc's re!i~rvation. If 

the acquisition were proposed for business purposes, the Siletz Trib~ would not be rcquircd to 

provide the Secretnry with a plan specifying Ihe :mticipated economic benefits of the proposed 

use.. Finally, the Siletz Tribe's acquisition would be processed within 30 days and without notice 

to state and local governments, IISSllnllng that the county opt·infopt-out provisions of S. 908 are 

jettisoned before passage. 

In contrast, we W(luld b~ subject 10 exacting scrutiny by the Secretllry, we would be required to 

provide a business p13n. and we wOllld be required to give notice and allow fOI'~olllment by Sln!e 

and local governments. Compare, 25 CPR Section 151.1 I ("off-resen<ution" criteria) (requiring, 

in oddilion to all "on_reser.oation" crileria, SCruti:1Y proportional to distance from reservation 

boos, business plans, and notice nnd comlI1~nt r.erim1 to local governments), Wilh, 25 CFR 

Section 15 L.1O ("on-re~ervation" criteria) {not requiring proportiomd scrutiny, busiues~ pInn, or 

notice ane:! comment period}. As the federal District Court put it in City "j Unroln Cily, "land 

that is within or Ildjucent to the reservation callies with it a 'presumption' that a fec-to-trust 

transfer will benefit the tribe, wlli1~ no such ptesumptiou exiSts for ofi'·rcservntion lruJd." 229 

F.Supp. 2d at 1129. 
41


202e4.eps

In the hypothetic~l posed above, my tribe would confnmt nn mlilitional burdeu arising from S. 

908. 2S CFR Section 151.8 ~(llte8Ihat if one tribe wants to convert Jand into truSt wl1icb Iic~ in 

llIIother tribe's "reservation," the governing bcdy oJ Ihe tlihe "hElvingjurisdiction over such 

reservation" muS! give itscollSenl in writing. TheSilel;r. Tribe asserts Iha! its anccstnlllllnds 

extend south ciong!llll- Cregoo CC?.sl into llOrl!lCm C1!lforni::.., ncrth intosoulhwehl WasJingto!!, 

~nd eaill tt; the Cascade m::nlnlains. SI)t', mapalacbccito tbe prcp",eds;memetlt ofDeloros 

Pigs1cy, Tribal Chalrnt:lll. CcnfederatedTribes ofwe SUeI"1: India!'.!!, page 43 oflhe record wtlle 

December9, 2009lmnrjng of tile Senate Conuilllle on Indian Affairs, United Slates SelllllC. TIle 

Siletz Tribe has publicly ~s~erted that "any lana lIaU$fersfdisposals within the onginal 

boundaries of the Silell: (Coast) Reservation ~hould initi~llybc offered to the Conf~dewted 

Tribe!:l of tire Si1clz InlliaTlll." Leller from Delores Pi£;siey, Tribal Chairman, Confedcl'ated Tribes 

of the Siletz Indi3ll$, to T~!II1l L<:ad~r. WIlISIem OregOJl PIlLn Rewicns Office (December 14, 

'ZOO?). 

The bill does not e~ly UI<llre the &oOa or Qvtll:lap "between t.'Ic Goa'll reservatioo and our 

~esttalland.~ Si101z ~feserv1l.tinll" laI::d; it 0111::< treats tM Jane:i.5 such fc-r fee-to-trust 

applications. But ihere exi~t~ a slgnifi=tri.~k!lm!. OIK<! armed with S. 9(16, Lic Siletz Tlihc 

CQuld per;w;de iI court thaI ()Uf application to lake -n part of our ancestmlland into trust is 

depelldenton the ron!rent of the SilelzTribe pursuant to 2S CFR Section 151.8. (' .. (ltlgn:~ Shrnlld 

not give one tribe priotity ~nd dominion oycr land Which historically belongs to anothor. 

Conclusion 

Tril)!s face many challenges. I strongly prefer that we mc"" them shoulder-la-shoulder IWli 

facing in the same dirccti(Ul. 1 regret the mx:cssily of expressing my people's heartfelt objlXtioos 

to S< 908:as hllroduced. 
42

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Chairman Garcia, for 

your testimony. 


202e5.eps

The Co~st Reservation and Other Land Boundaries of the Confederated Tribes of the 

Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians 

Siletz LeA 

ClCTCLUSI Ancestral Lands 

C Orlglnai Coast Reservation 

c::r:oun1y 

_ City 

Ovtortllp between Coast RHervaUQII 

and CTCLUSI Ancestrallamfs 

~h .. 

"I!' ' \"'i".;.. .... ; ~-. 

" 

-
43

I would like to call on our Vice Chairman for any remarks that 

he may have. Senator Barrasso? 

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BARRASSO,

U.S. SENATOR FROM WYOMING 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. First 

of all, I would like to thank the witnesses for your patience in waiting for us to finish with the votes. I know you here today are here 

because you have a lot at stake. The bills involve issues of critical 

importance to the Tribes and they are issues that we need to look 

at very carefully. So I appreciate your patience, I also want to 

thank the staff. 

Since we do things, Mr. Chairman, in a bipartisan way, you 

know that the staffs are here late at night, both sides of the aisle, 

because of their commitment. I also want to thank Senator 

Franken for being here, and specifically you, Mr. Chairman, for 

your gracious leadership. It would have been very easy to have canceled this hearing. 

But you know how important these issues are and how far these 

people have traveled. But this has been the hallmark of your entire 

career in the Senate, gracious leadership, a wonderful gentleman. 

I just want to thank you for making sure that these people were 

heard and this hearing was held. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. I 

have nothing else to add. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Barrasso, for 

your remarks. I really appreciate that. 

I would like to hold my question, and I am going to ask Senator 

Franken to proceed with his questions of the Minnesota Tribes. 

Senator Franken? 

Senator FRANKEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

This isn’t an easy hearing for me. This has been a dispute a long 

time with the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. And earlier today we 

took a picture. We have all the chairmen and chairwomen of all the 

bands here, Chairman Deschampe from Grand Portage, who is also 

the president of the MCT, and we have Kevin Leecy, who is here 

from Bois Forte, Marge Anderson from Mille Lacs, Karen Diver 

from Fond du Lac, who had to leave, Chairman Visinor, Erma 

Visinor from White Earth, and Chairman LaRose. And it was nice 

to have the picture, it really was. This has been a long-time dispute. And boy, I wish this had been unanimous. It would have 

made it a lot easier. 

Chairman LaRose and I met today, in the morning. And we 

talked about other conversations we have had about speaking from 

the heart. So I am speaking from the heart now, where this is not 

easy for me. Because of the lateness, Michael Black, the Director 

of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, was going to testify about this. But 

I can read from his written testimony. And I think he framed this 

pretty much exactly as I see it. He said, ‘‘The Department appreciates the concern of Leech Lake, with whom it has a government 

to Government relationship, and would prefer a unanimous agreement among the six bands of the Minesota Chippewa Tribe regarding the best method to distribute the settlement funds. Nevertheless, the recognized governing body of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe has voted ten to two in favor of the distribution formula set 

44

forth in S. 1739. Out of respect for the decision of the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe, and in light of the need to distribute the settlement funds in an equitable and expeditious manner, the Department supports S. 1739.’’

There are little excerpts of this I can read, all six bands equally 

shared the expenses and risk of prosecuting the cases and dockets, 

numbers 19 and 188. The TEC’s 1998 vote to settle the cases for 

$20 million was not unanimous, as three members voted against 

the proposed settlement. The TEC’s settlement vote, however, was 

respected by all the bands and the Federal court, which stated: 

‘‘The Tribal Executive Committee has the constitutional authority 

to enter into the proposed settlement on behalf of the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe.’’ It says, once again, the Department would prefer 

that any distribution plan have the unanimous support of all the 

Minnesota Chippewa Tribes’ constituent bands, and so do I. 

Nevertheless, the 1999 settlement itself was not reached with the 

unanimous consent of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes’ constituent 

bands, and the Department views S. 1739 as the most equitable 

and expeditious means to distribute the funds agreed upon in that 

settlement and to provide a small measure of justice to the citizens 

of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. And perhaps that is why this is 

so difficult, Mr. Chairman, because of those words, small measure 

of justice. 

The source of all this is, in my mind, the historic mistreatment 

of Indian Tribes by the Federal Government. Would you agree with 

that, Chairman LaRose? 

Mr. LAROSE. I would agree that we are the biggest victims of this 

case. We suffered the majority of the damages. 

Mr. FRANKEN. I understand. Chairman Deschampe, if Congress 

enacts the bill, S. 1739, and may I ask for a little extra time, Mr. 

Chairman? We have waited several hours for this, and this is of 

tremendous importance. 

Mr. Chairman, if Congress enacts this bill, each Tribal member 

will receive $300. Can you describe the economic condition of most 

of these recipients? Will that amount of money make a difference 

in their lives? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes, Senator, I think it will make a huge difference, especially now. I don’t know how long it would take to get 

the money here. But the reservations all have high unemployment 

rates. This money would go to help families pay heating bills, buy 

groceries. It is not a lot of money in most people’s mind. But it is 

something. And it would go a long way towards helping make, for 

a little bit, make life better for some of these people. 

Senator FRANKEN. The bill would also distribute approximately 

$2.5 million to each of the six bands. What would the bands be able 

to accomplish with these funds? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. I don’t know. That is up to each individual band 

to make that decision. But I think we were talking earlier, we have 

been through seven elections since this was approved. So it would 

be really hard to make any kind of plans, when nobody really has, 

through the process, had any faith that the money was even going 

to be there. So that makes it real difficult to plan. 

45

But I do know the White Earth’s plan was to work on three community centers. And that didn’t happen. I don’t think that plan is 

still on the books. But everybody has needs. 

Senator FRANKEN. And let me ask you one last question. Chairman Deschampe, under the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe constitution, the Tribal Executive Committee makes decisions for the Tribe 

by majority vote, is that right? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes, it is. 

Senator FRANKEN. And does this way of resolving differences 

work well for the Tribe? Has it? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes, it does. Sometimes we don’t get what we 

want, every, each individual band. But our constitution requires us 

to settle issues based on a majority vote. My reservation is a good 

example of this. We voted against the settlement originally. But we 

went on to say, okay, the majority vote wanted to settle this case, 

so that is the way it is. 

Senator FRANKEN. The original in 1998? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes. 

Senator FRANKEN. It was three against, and my understanding 

was that White Earth and Grand Portage voted to comprise those 

three, is that correct? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes. I was chairing the meeting, so our other 

rep was the one vote that made the odd vote. And yes, we voted 

against the settlement. But majority rules. 

Senator FRANKEN. And the majority was respected? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes, we respected the majority’s rule. 

Senator FRANKEN. And Leech Lake voted in favor? 

Mr. DESCHAMPE. Yes. 

Senator FRANKEN. Okay. 

Chairman LaRose, we have discussed this today and we have 

discussed this before, and this is a complex issue. You know that 

we have looked at, through the legal documents and that my staff 

and I have come to the same conclusion as the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs. Nevertheless, I just want to tell you that I totally respect 

your point of view and that again, this is not an easy hearing for 

me. I just feel the best thing right now is for members living now 

to get them the funds. I just want to throw it to you to ask you 

to say whatever you want to say. 

Mr. LAROSE. I want to thank you for that, Senator Franken. Our 

people have been waiting at least a century for our land back. We 

lost the majority of our land in this Nelson Act, 68.9 percent of the 

damages happened and occurred on Leech Lake. We are the biggest 

victims and we have to live with the damages. That is what this 

hearing should be all about, is the damages in itself. 

And I am going to speak from the heart, how I was taught. Our 

ancestors taught us some wonderful values in life and they passed 

the values down to our Anishinabe Indian people. And those values 

are for us to be there for one another, for us to share and care for 

one another. 

And I am going to give you one example here, of Leech Lake Reservation and the Grand Portage Reservation. Grand Portage had .9 

percent damage. Grand Portage has 1,400 band members enrolled. 

Grand Portage owns, or has 98 percent of their land in trust. And 

now I am going to give you Leech Lake’s side: 68.9 percent of the 

46

damage happened and occurred on Leech Lake reservation. We 

have 9,500 band members and we only own 4 percent of our land. 

We are in dire need of our land, and that is where we are hurting. 

So I just wanted to bring that across to everyone in here, that 

we are the real victims in this whole settlement case. We always 

felt we should be fully compensated for the damages that occurred 

from this Nelson Act. Thank you. 

Senator FRANKEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I want to thank all the Chairs of all the bands for being here 

today. I do want to get the settlement to the members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, to the Ojibwe. And again, I thank you, 

Chairman LaRose, I thank you, Chairman Deschampe. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Franken. 

Let me just ask one question of Chairwoman Kennedy, Chairwoman Pigsley, and Chairman Garcia. The Department testified of 

the need for a Carcieri fix to alleviate backlogs of land into trust 

applications at the Department of Interior. My question to you is, 

do you support a Carcieri fix? Chairwoman Kennedy? 

Ms. KENNEDY. I believe that the issues do need to be resolved. 

I do support that Tribes have been waiting for years, many for 

years. We have also pending applications that have not been resolved yet, and I do believe that yes, we need to have an answer. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Chairman Pigsley? 

Ms. PIGSLEY. Yes, we support a Carcieri fix. We have sent supporting resolutions when a fix was, it looked like a fix might happen, and a fix be added to another bill. We supported that. And we 

truly support it and we believe it needs to happen. 

The CHAIRMAN. Chairman Garcia? 

Mr. GARCIA. Chairman Akaka, we support a Carcieri fix. We believe that all Tribes are Carcieri-afflicted, if not directly, indirectly 

by means of the additional uncertainty in financial transactions. 

We believe it has an adverse economic effect on all Tribes. So I believe that the Carcieri issue is much broader than it may be, that 

more Tribes are affected by it than many may think. 

The CHAIRMAN. I want to thank you very much. I am going to 

submit my other questions for the record, and I know it is getting 

late. So I want to express my warm mahalo, thank you, to all our 

witnesses at today’s hearing. I truly appreciate how important 

these bills are to you and look forward to continuing to work with 

you as we move these bills through the Committee. 

Because of the delay in starting the hearing, as I said, I won’t 

be asking any further questions. I will submit them for the record, 

and to you for your writing on it. Are there any further comments? 

Senator FRANKEN. Again, I would like to thank everybody for 

coming. 

The CHAIRMAN. Again, I thank you all so much, but I wanted to 

finish this hearing, especially to take on your testimonies, so that 

as we consider these bills, we know we have heard from you and 

know what positions you have. I can see there are some difficulties. 

And yet, we use the democratic process, and we call the votes as 

they come. So that will happen through the Committee, too, but at 

least we will have your thinking on these questions. 

47

So with that, Senator Franken and our witnesses, this hearing 

is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 6:50 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 

(49)

APPENDIX

PREPARED STATEMENT OF MIKE S. BLACK, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

S. 356

Chairman Akaka, Vice-Chairman Barrasso, and Members of the Committee, my 

name is Mike Black, and I am the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Thank 

you for the opportunity to present the Administration’s views on S. 356, to amend 

the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to make technical corrections, and for other purposes. The Department of the Interior (Department) supports S. 356. 

Taking land into trust is one of the most important functions that the Department 

undertakes on behalf of Indian tribes. Homelands are essential to the health, safety, 

and welfare of the tribal governments. Thus, the Department has made the restoration of tribal homelands a priority. 

S. 356 amends an Act to establish a reservation for the Confederated Tribes of 

the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Pub. L. No. 100–425 (Sept. 9, 1988), to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to place in trust approximately 288 acres of real 

property located within the boundaries of the original 1857 reservation of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon if the real property is 

conveyed or otherwise transferred to the United States by or on behalf of the Tribe. 

Furthermore, the bill provides that the Secretary is to treat all applications to take 

land into trust within the boundaries of the original 1857 reservation as an on-reservation trust acquisition, and that all real property taken into trust within those 

boundaries after September 9, 1988, are to be considered part of the Tribe’s reservation. 

Again, the Department supports S. 356. Thank you for the opportunity to present 

testimony on S. 356. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. 

S. 908

Chairman Akaka, Vice-Chairman Barrasso, and Members of the Committee, my 

name is Mike Black, and I am the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Thank 

you for the opportunity to present the Department of the Interior’s (Department) 

views on S. 908, a bill to provide for the addition of certain real property to the reservation of the Siletz Tribe. 

Taking land into trust is one of the most important functions that the Department 

undertakes on behalf of Indian tribes. Homelands are essential to the health, safety, 

and welfare of the tribal governments. Thus, this Administration has made the restoration of tribal homelands a priority. This Administration is committed to the restoration of tribal homelands, through the Department’s acquisition of lands in trust 

for tribes, where appropriate. While the Department is working hard to live up to 

this commitment, we cannot support S. 908 as currently drafted. 

S. 908 would amend the Siletz Tribe Indian Restoration Act, 25 U.S.C. § 711e, to 

authorize the Secretary of the Interior to place land into trust for the Siletz Tribe. 

The lands lie within the original 1855 Siletz Coast Reservation and are located in 

the counties of Benton, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Yamhill, which are 

all located within the State of Oregon. S. 908 would require that such land would 

be considered and evaluated as an on-reservation acquisition under 25 C.F.R. 

§ 151.10 and become part of the Tribe’s reservation if the county in which the land 

is located submits a written approval to the Secretary of the Interior. If a county 

does not approve of land being considered an on-reservation acquisition under 25 

C.F.R. § 151.10, the bill provides that any real property taken into trust ‘‘shall be 

considered and evaluated under the appropriate provisions of part 151 of title 25, 

Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), as determined by the Secretary.’’

50

The Department believes its regulations, at 25 C.F.R. § § 151.10 and 151.11, already provide sufficient opportunities for state and local units of government to provide views on applications for land to be acquired in trust. 

Under those regulations, State and local governments are given a 30 day period 

to submit written comments concerning jurisdictional problems and potential regulatory conflicts as well as tax impacts that may result from the land acquisition. 

In addition, state and local governments, as well as the general public, may submit 

comments related to environmental impacts in the review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These comments may encompass a variety 

of issues such as social and economic impacts, law enforcement concerns, social services, and environmental concerns. Under NEPA, many local governments serve as 

‘‘cooperating agencies,’’ and thus participate very closely in the Department’s NEPA 

review process. 

Finally, if the Department decides to acquire land in trust, it must publish at 

least 30-days notice of this decision pursuant to 25 C.F.R. § 151.12(b) prior to acquiring trust title to the land. The 30-day notice period provides an opportunity for interested parties, including state and local units of government, to initiate a legal 

challenge to the proposed trust acquisition. 

The Department does not believe it is necessary to legislatively insert county approval of a particular tribe’s fee-to-trust applications into our regulations governing 

this process. While the Department gives serious consideration to the views of local 

units of government in processing applications for the acquisition of land into trust, 

we must also be mindful of the unique and important role the Department plays 

in managing the relationship between the United States and tribal nations. The decision to acquire land in trust for a tribal nation must ultimately rest with the Secretary in managing that relationship. 

In April of this year, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) 

stated that the uncertainty in acquiring land in trust for tribes, as a result of the 

Carcieri decision, is a barrier to economic development in Indian Country. The GAO 

predicted that, until the uncertainty created by the Carcieri decision is resolved, Indian tribes would be asking Congress for tribe-specific legislation to take land in 

trust, rather than submitting fee-to-trust applications to the Department. 

As evidenced by S. 908, this prediction is coming to fruition, and Indian tribes 

are asking their Members of Congress for tribe-specific legislation to take land in 

trust. This will lead to a patchwork of laws governing the land into trust process, 

rather than the uniform process that Congress envisioned in enacting the Indian 

Reorganization Act in 1934. Such a patchwork would be difficult for the Department 

to administer. 

The Department opposes S. 908 as introduced, but could support the bill if the 

provisions regarding county approval are removed from the bill. Thank you for the 

opportunity to present the Department’s views on this legislation. I will be happy 

to answer any questions you may have. 

S. 1739

Good afternoon, Chairman Akaka, Vice-Chairman Barrasso, and Members of the 

Committee. I am pleased to be here today to testify on S. 1739, Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe Judgment Fund Distribution Act. The bill is intended to provide for the distribution of funds owed to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe by order of the United 

States Court of Federal Claims in Docket Nos. 19 and 188. The Department appreciates the effort by the Tribal Executive Committee of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe to resolve their differences through negotiation and to reach agreement on a 

distribution plan. However, the Department acknowledges that the distribution formula set forth in S. 1739 does not have the unanimous support of the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe six member bands as the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (Leech Lake) 

has expressed its opposition to the distribution plan. The Department supports S. 

1739 because it respects the decisions of the governing body of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. 

Background 

Congress enacted the Nelson Act, dated January 14, 1889, 25 Stat. 642, (Nelson 

Act) to establish a process ‘‘for the complete cession and relinquishment in writing 

of all of [the Chippewa Indians in the State of Minnesota’s] title and interest in and 

to all the reservations of said Indians in the State of Minnesota, except the White 

Earth and Red Lake Reservations. The Nelson Act provided that proceeds from the 

sale of lands of the Chippewa Indians in Minnesota were to be placed into a fund 

within the Treasury for a period of 50 years, with annual payments of interest made 

to individual Chippewa Indians. Section 7 of the Nelson Act provided that, after the 

expiration of 50 years, ‘‘the said permanent fund shall be divided and paid to all 

51

of the said Chippewa Indians and their issue then living, in cash, in equal shares[.]’’ 

Those funds were to be distributed in equal shares, without regard to which reservation lands they were tied. 

Following the 50-year period contemplated by the Nelson Act, there were no remaining funds to distribute in equal shares to the individual Chippewa Indians in 

Minnesota. 

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe was established in 1934, pursuant to the Indian 

Reorganization Act. The Secretary approved the Tribe’s constitution in 1936. Under 

that Constitution, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe consists of six member bands, on 

six different reservations: Bois Fort, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Mille 

Lacs and White Earth. Each Band has two representatives on the Tribal Executive 

Committee (TEC), which is the governing body for the entire Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe. 

On January 22, 1948, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, representing all Chippewa 

bands in Minnesota except the Red Lake Band, filed a claim before the Indian 

Claims Commission in Docket No. 19 for an accounting of all funds received and 

expended pursuant to the Nelson Act, On August 2, 1951, the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe, representing all Chippewa Bands in Minnesota except the Red Lake Band, 

filed a number of claims before the Indian Claims Commission in Docket No. 188 

for an accounting of the Government’s obligations to each of the member bands of 

the Tribe under various statutes and treaties that are not covered by the Nelson 

Act. The Department understands that the expenses for prosecuting the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe’s claims in Docket Nos. 19 and 188 were shared equally by the six 

Bands. 

The primary claims asserted by the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in Docket Nos. 19 

and 188 were that the proceeds from the sale of land and timber on the six reservations pursuant under the Nelson Act were misspent, and that the Tribe’s land and 

timber were sold at less than full-value. 

On July 1, 1998, the TEC enacted Resolution 01–99, which approved the settlement of the claims for a sum of $20 million. The vote was 6 in favor of adopting 

Resolution 01–99 and 3 against. The United States Court of Federal Claims accepted the TEC’s decision, and awarded $20 million to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe 

in May 1999, in Docket Nos. 19 and 188. The court specifically stated ‘‘[t]he Tribal 

Executive Committee has the constitutional authority to enter into the proposed settlement on behalf of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.’’ The funds were transferred 

to the Department on June 22, 1999 and have been held in trust since. 

The Indian Tribal Judgment Funds Act (Act) of October 19, 1973, 87 Stat. 466, 

25 U.S.C. § 1401 et seq., as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit 

to the Congress a plan for the use or distribution of funds to an Indian tribe. Under 

subsections 2(c) and (d) of the Act, should the Secretary determine that circumstances do not permit for the preparation and submission of a plan as provided 

under the Act and the Secretary cannot obtain the consent from the tribal governing 

body concerning the division of the judgment funds within 180 days after the appropriation of the funds for the award, the Secretary is required to submit to the Congress proposed legislation to authorize use or distribution of such funds. 

Pursuant to the Act, the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs issued a 

Results of Research Report on the Judgment in Favor of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe, et al., v. United States, Dockets 19 and 188 (Report) on June 6, 2001. The 

Report recommended that 35 percent of the funds should be distributed to each of 

the six Minnesota Chippewa Bands (Bands) in proportion to their losses and 65 percent should be distributed to each of the Bands in proportion to their current tribal 

enrollment. 

Also pursuant to the Act, in April of 2007, the Department submitted a legislative 

proposal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President of the 

Senate. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe expressed opposition to both the 2001 and 

the 2007 distribution plans, for varying reasons. 

The Department’s 2007 proposal was introduced in the 110th Congress by Congressman Collin Peterson on May 14, 2007 as H.R. 2306. H.R. 2306 provided that 

the fund should be allocated pro rata between the six Minnesota Chippewa Bands 

(Bands) based upon the number of tribal members currently enrolled within each 

52

1 By letter dated May 22, 2008, then-Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Carl Artman, rescinded the June 6, 2001 Results of Research Report which forms the basis for H.R. 2306. By 

letter dated May 30, 2008, Legislative Counsel for the Department clarified that Mr. Artman’s 

letter ‘‘does not reflect the views of the Department of the Interior or the Administration on 

this issue.’’ 2 U.S.C. § 1405 states ‘‘[t]he plan prepared by the Secretary shall become effective, and he 

shall take immediate action to implement the plan for the use or distribution of such judgment 

funds, at the end of the sixty-day period (excluding days on which either the House of Representatives or the Senate is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three calendar days to a day certain) beginning on the day such plan is submitted to the Congress, unless during such sixty-day period a joint resolution is enacted disapproving such plans.’’ The Department could not find a joint resolution from Congress disapproving the plan. 

of the Bands. 1 The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the bill, 

but no further action was taken on H.R. 2306. 2

On October 1, 2009, the TEC passed Resolution 146–09, by a vote of 10 in favor 

and 2 against, to distribute the judgment funds. S. 1739 incorporates many of the 

provisions in the Tribal Resolution 146–09. 

S. 1739

Section 4 of S. 1739 provides that the Secretary is to reimburse the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe for attorneys’ fees, and litigation expenses. 

Section 5 of the bill provides the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe with 90 days to submit an updated membership roll for each Band of the Tribe to include the names 

of all enrolled members of that Band living on the date of enactment of the Act. 

After the attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses have been disbursed and the Secretary has received the updated membership rolls, Section 5 directs the Secretary 

to deposit a ‘‘per capita account’’ of $300 for each member enrolled within each 

Band. Any remaining funds are to be deposited in a separate account and divided 

equally among the Bands. After the Secretary deposits the available funds into the 

‘‘per capita account,’’ a Band may withdraw all or part of the monies in its account. 

All funds in that account shall be used for the purposes of distributing one $300 

payment to each enrolled member of the Band. 

Each Band may distribute an additional $300 to the parents or legal guardians 

for each dependent Band member instead of distributing $300 payments to the 

Band members themselves, or deposit into a trust account the $300 payments of 

each dependent Band member for the benefit of such dependent Band members to 

be distributed under the terms of said trust. 

Section 5(d) addresses the distribution of unclaimed payments. This section provides that one year after the distribution all unclaimed payments for the Tribe to 

be returned to the Secretary who shall divide the funds equally among the Bands. 

Lastly, Section 5(e) provides that, the Secretary shall not retain liability for the 

expenditure or investment of the monies after they are withdrawn by the Bands. 

Department’s position on S. 1739

S. 1739 raises a unique and complex question involving the United States’ respect 

for the sovereignty of tribal governments. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is a sovereign government, formed in 1936 under the Indian Reorganization Act, and the 

TEC is the governing body of the Tribe. The TEC is comprised of twelve members, 

two from each of the six constituent Bands. Each constituent Band, however, also 

functions as a distinct sovereign government. 

On October 1, 2009, the TEC passed Resolution 146–09, by a vote of 10 in favor 

and 2 against, to distribute the judgment funds in accordance to the formula set 

forth in S. 1739. The Department understands that disagreements among the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s constituent bands, and between the Department and the 

Tribe, have prevented the distribution of the settlement funds for a number of 

years. The Department also understands that the Leech Lake Band opposes the distribution formula set out in S. 1739. Leech Lake has consistently supported the view 

that the distribution should be based upon total damages suffered by each band. 

The Department appreciates the concerns of Leech Lake, with whom it has a government-to-government relationship, and would prefer a unanimous agreement 

among the six bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe regarding the best method 

to distribute the settlement funds. 

Nevertheless, the recognized governing body of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe has 

voted 10–2 in favor of the distribution formula set forth in S.1739. Out of respect 

for the decision of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and in light of the need to distribute the settlement funds in an equitable and expeditious manner, the Department supports S. 1739. 

53

The Nelson Act originally contemplated a common-fund for the benefit of individual Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, which would have been distributed to individuals on a per capita basis. S. 1739 differs from previous plans to distribute the 

settlement funds, and reflects the original intent of Congress to distribute the common proceeds to individuals on a per capita basis. 

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe filed Docket Nos. 19 and 188 for the common benefit of all its constituent Bands and members. All six bands equally shared the expense and risk of prosecuting the cases. S. 1739 also reflects the equal risk shared 

by the constituent bands when the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe initiated its claim 

more than 60 years ago. The TEC’s 1998 vote to settle the cases for $20 million was not unanimous, as 

three members voted against the proposed settlement. But for the TEC’s vote to settle the case, Dockets Nos. 19 and 188 could still be in litigation. The TEC’s settlement vote, however, was respected by all Bands and the federal court, which stated 

‘‘[t]he Tribal Executive Committee has the constitutional authority to enter into the 

proposed settlement on behalf of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.’’

Once again, the Department would prefer that any distribution plan have the 

unanimous support of all of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s constituent bands. 

Should the Committee, and the sponsors of S. 1739, wish to consider amendments 

to the bill in an effort to gain the unanimous support of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe, the Department is willing to participate in that effort. 

Nevertheless, the 1999 settlement itself was not reached with the unanimous consent of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s constituent bands, and the Department 

views S. 1739 as the most equitable and expeditious means to distribute the funds 

agreed upon in that settlement, and to provide a small measure of justice to the 

citizens of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement and I will be happy to answer any 

questions you may have. 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF MARGE ANDERSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MILLE LACS BAND

OF OJIBWE INDIANS

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, I am Marge Anderson, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians, located in east central Minnesota. 

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony to your Committee. 

I am here today on behalf of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe regarding the distribution of a judgment awarded to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in Docket Nos. 

19 and 188 in the United States Court of Federal Claims in 1999. After over twelve 

years, it is time these monies went to the people who were harmed. The Tribe has 

voted to distribute the judgment, and I support the Tribe’s sovereign authority and 

property right to determine the distribution of the judgment awarded to the Tribe. 

The Tribe’s determination is reflected in S. 1739, a bill sponsored by our Senators, 

Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar. 

THE MILLE LACS BAND SUPPORTS S. 1739

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe 

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is one of the six constituent bands which comprise 

the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Each of the constituent bands is, in its own right, 

a distinct sovereign government. This fact is reflected in the bands’ Self-Governance 

Compacts with the United States Department of the Interior and the Department 

of Health and Human Services. 

However, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is, itself, also a sovereign entity. It was 

formed in 1936 under the Indian Reorganization Act, and its constitution was approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Under the Tribe’s revised constitution, approved by the Secretary in 1964, the governing body of the Tribe is the Tribal Executive Committee (TEC). Each constituent band has equal representation on the 

TEC, with two seats each. The constitution authorizes the TEC to act by majority 

vote. 

The Judgment Fund 

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe was the only plaintiff in Docket Nos. 19 and 188 

before the Indian Claims Commission. After the Indian Claims Commission ceased 

to exist, the Tribe’s claims in these dockets were transferred to the United States 

Court of Federal Claims, where the Tribe remained the only plaintiff in the case. 

The Tribe ultimately resolved its claims by entering into a settlement agreement 

with the United States. The Tribe and the United States were the only parties to 

the settlement agreement. 

54

It is important to note that the many decisions to undertake, finance and prosecute the litigation, and to negotiate, reach and approve the settlement agreement, 

were all made by the TEC on behalf of the Tribe. It is also important to note that 

the Court specifically recognized and affirmed the TEC’s constitutional authority to 

act on behalf of the Tribe before approving the settlement agreement. 

This is confirmed by the key steps leading to entry of the final judgment in the 

case. First, on July 1, 1998, the TEC enacted Resolution 01–99, which approved the 

negotiated settlement of the Tribe’s claims. The vote was 6 to 3, with 10 members 

present. 

Second, on May 21, 1999, the Tribe and the United States filed a Joint Motion 

and Stipulation for Entry of Final Judgment in the Court of Federal Claims. The 

stipulation called for the Court to enter judgment in the amount of $20,000,000 ‘‘in 

favor of plaintiff Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.’’ The parties submitted the TEC resolution, which reflected the 6 to 3 vote, to the Court in support of their motion. 

Third, the Court found that ‘‘[t]he Tribal Executive Committee has the constitutional authority to enter into the proposed settlement on behalf of the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe,’’ and that the TEC resolution approving the settlement (along with 

the signature of the Tribe’s attorney on the stipulation) was ‘‘appropriate and sufficient evidence of acceptance by the Tribe of the settlement.’’

Fourth, on May 26, 1999, the Court approved the settlement and directed the 

Clerk to enter judgment ‘‘pursuant to the [parties’] stipulation.’’ Judgment was entered for ‘‘plaintiff,’’ the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Finally, in accordance with the Court’s judgment, $20,000,000 was deposited into 

a trust fund account, creating the judgment fund. Under federal law, the sole beneficiary of the judgment fund is the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. 

The Tribe’s Decision 

Under the Tribe’s constitution, the TEC is authorized to make decisions to administer, expend and apportion funds within the control of the Tribe. The members of 

the TEC—that is, the leaders of the six sovereign tribes that comprise the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe—have devoted thousands of hours and countless tribal resources to come up with a plan for the distribution of the Tribe’s judgment fund. 

We know the facts, the history, the legal theories and the injustices and the harms 

done to our people that are the basis of our claims. We lived through the litigation, 

undertook the negotiations, and finally embraced a settlement. We are, like you, 

elected by our people. And daily we are asked to make decisions, face very real, and 

sometimes life or death, problems and needs that stagger human imagination and 

certainly tribal resources. This is not a decision we took lightly or made in haste. 

On October 1, 2009, the TEC enacted Resolution No. 146–09, which approved a 

plan to distribute the Tribe’s judgment funds and requested Congress to authorize 

the distribution in the manner described. The resolution was approved by five of the 

six bands, and reflects the carefully considered and legally binding decision of the 

Tribe. S. 1739 would authorize the distribution of the Tribe’s judgment fund in accordance with the Tribe’s decision. 

Need for Legislation 

The Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 1973 requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a proposed judgment distribution plan to Congress no later than one 

year after the date that funds are appropriated to satisfy an Indian Claims Commission judgment. The Secretary may obtain an automatic six-month extension to this 

deadline. If a proposed distribution plan is not submitted within the deadline, the 

funds may only be distributed through the enactment of legislation. 

The Secretary did not submit a proposed judgment distribution plan to Congress 

by the statutory deadline. Because the Secretary failed to do so, Congress must now 

enact a statute providing for the distribution of the judgment fund. 

Reasons for Supporting S. 1739

We have three principal reasons for supporting S. 1739:

1. Sovereignty and Property Rights. Senator Franken’s bill respects the sovereignty and property rights of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

In 1998, when the Tribe was considering whether to approve the settlement, 

some bands voted against it. However, under the constitution of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the Tribal Executive Committee acts by majority vote 

and the settlement was approved by majority vote of the TEC. Appropriately, 

the vote was then accepted by the Department of Justice, the Department of 

the Interior and the Court of Federal Claims. Congress should give the same 

respect to the Tribe’s decision regarding the distribution of the judgment as 

the Government gave to the Tribe’s decision to settle the case. 

55

If the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is truly a government, and it is, its votes 

cannot be overruled on matters under its jurisdiction, including the distribution of a fund awarded to the Tribe. The defendant in a lawsuit cannot agree 

to settle a case by paying a sum of money to the plaintiff and then, when the 

plaintiff determines how the money is to be distributed, disregard that decision and pay the money to someone else. This would be a taking. Further, 

it would seemingly void the settlement and open the government to further, 

compounded litigation. 

In short, the Mille Lacs Band is simply requesting that the Federal Government respect the decision of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe regarding the distribution of a judgment awarded to the Tribe. If the government does not recognize the sovereign authority and property rights here, it is a problem not 

just for the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and its six constituent bands, but for 

all tribes across this country.

2. History. In the early 1980s, my predecessor, the Chief Executive of the Mille 

Lacs Band, Arthur Gahbow, testified in front of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee on the distribution of another judgment obtained by the 

Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in another Indian Claims Commission case. He 

was told by the late Congressman Bruce Vento that he needed to go back to 

Minnesota, and that the decision was up to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 

not the Mille Lacs Band.

There are matters we undertake as a Band, such as the Mille Lacs Band SelfGovernance Compact with the Department of the Interior, and there are matters we undertake as a Tribe, such as the litigation at issue here. The claims 

were brought by the Tribe, prosecuted by the Tribe and settled by the Tribe, 

and the judgment was awarded to the Tribe. As Congressman Vento said in 

the 1980s, the distribution of the award is up to the Tribe. 

This august Committee and its leaders have traditionally respected the sovereignty of Indian nations. In fact, it has often single-handedly spoken truth 

to power in this city on the issue of tribal sovereignty. Often this Committee 

has had to explain tribal sovereignty, help employ it, and sometimes celebrate 

it. We ask you to do so again, here, now.

3. Resolution. This is a moment in history when we can resolve a longstanding 

conflict. If we do not do this today, this decision will linger for a generation, 

or even longer. That would not be responsible governance. We have spent 

countless hours and diverted precious resources to finalizing a strong distribution plan, embraced by five of the six bands and supported by a huge majority 

of members. We have the common goal of wanting to do good things on our 

reservations, and this money from past harms can help. Today, we can and 

should move forward.

Conclusion 

The bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe work together on virtually all 

issues—law enforcement, child welfare, economic development, and more. We have 

a long, distinguished and unified history together. Ours is a story of survival. It is 

also a story of occasional differences. Here we resolved our differences with close 

to unanimity. We debated and discussed this matter at length. We discussed proposal after proposal. Ultimately, we voted. Five of six bands are in agreement. The 

Minnesota Chippewa Tribe has spoken as a sovereign, self-governing tribal nation. 

Our Tribe’s funds, our peoples’ funds, are languishing in a trust account in the 

Department of the Interior—the very agency responsible for the mismanagement 

that gave rise to our claims in the first place—and we now need the assent of the 

Congress to access and use our own funds. It is an irony and little legacy of paternalism that should give way to sovereignty, self governance, self determination and 

respect. 

This august body has come to truly respect concepts like sovereignty, self determination and self governance; indeed, it has given them life and meaning in modern 

times. Now, here, after too much harm, too many tears, and too much time, wasted 

work and lost resources, please end this. After a century and half of losses, after 

six decades of litigation, and after a dozen years of our money in a dusty account 

at Interior, it is time. Now, here, accept the sovereign decision of our Tribe and give 

our people... our money.

On behalf of the Mille Lacs Band, we thank our Senators and our two Congressmen for respecting tribal sovereignty. We thank this Committee and you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Vice Chairman, for your long-standing respect for sovereignty. I respectfully request that the Committee do the right thing. 

The right thing to do is to respect the sovereignty of the Tribe and pass S. 1739. 

56

Mii gwetch. 

JOINT PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. KEVIN W. LEECY (CHAIRMAN) AND DAVID C. 

MORRISON, SR. (SECRETARY-TREASURER), BOIS FORTE BAND OF CHIPPEWA

Chairman Akaka and Members of the Committee: 

We are, respectively, the Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of the Bois Forte 

Band of Chippewa—one of the six constituent Bands of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe (MCT). Pursuant to the Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the MCT, we sit 

on the Tribal Executive Committee (TEC). In addition, Mr. Morrison is the Treasurer of the MCT and has served in that position since 1992. 

On behalf of the Bois Forte Band, we submit this statement in support of S. 1739. 

Our support is based on the fact that the distribution of the Nelson Act proceeds 

reflected in S. 1739 is consistent with the law of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and 

we have both taken an oath to uphold that law. 

For us, the distribution of the funds awarded to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe 

must be guided by the Constitution of the Tribe. The claims that led to the award 

were first brought in the name of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe under the Constitution approved by the Secretary of the Interior on July 24, 1936. From the time 

of filing until the claims were settled in 1999, decisions about the filing and prosecution of the claims and, ultimately, settlement of the claims, were decisions made by 

the TEC. 

Each of the Bands has two representatives on the Tribal Executive Committee 

and under our Constitution, it is that body which has the power ‘‘to apportion all 

funds within its control.’’ Although each Band has the power to deal with funds over 

which it has exclusive ownership or control, there is no doubt that the Tribal Executive Committee has the sole power to make decisions about funds owned by the 

Tribe as a whole. The funds at issue here are just that: owned by the Tribe as a 

whole. 

Throughout the Tribe’s history the Tribal Executive Committee has made decisions about how to apportion funds belonging to the Tribe as a whole. Following the 

Nelson Act land sales, in the late 1930’s vacant and unsold lands on the six Reservations were restored to the ownership of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Proceeds from those lands (primarily lease revenues and timber stumpage) on all of the 

Reservations were treated as Tribal funds and the Tribal Executive Committee used 

them to fund Tribal programs. In about 1980, the Tribal Executive Committee decided—by a majority vote—to allow the Reservations to retain the proceeds from 

leasing Tribal lands on their Reservation. Because of that vote by the Tribal Executive Committee, Leech Lake has been the beneficiary of more that $1 million annually for the last 30 years. Until 1995, the Tribe continued to use timber stumpage 

from its lands on all Reservations (primarily at Bois Forte) to fund its administrative programs. In 1995, the Tribal Executive Committee—again by majority vote—

decided to apportion timber stumpage proceeds to the Reservation on which the timber was located. The point is: the Tribal Executive Committee decided how to allocate Tribal funds. 

When the Department of Justice was engaged in settlement discussions with the 

Tribe’s attorneys in 1998, it wanted to be sure that a settlement with the Tribal 

Executive Committee would be constitutionally sufficient to bind the Minnesota 

Chippewa Tribe and its constituent Bands. There was never any doubt on the tribal 

side, but apparently the Department of Justice wanted reassurance and so it asked 

the Department of the Interior to address the issue. On January 7, 1999, the Department’s Associate Solicitor for Indian Affairs responded and concluded that ‘‘the 

TEC has the constitutional authority to make a settlement agreement with the 

United States and to approve the settlement of these claims which relate to the disposition of tribal lands, interests in land or other tribal assets.’’ If a decision of the 

TEC was sufficient to settle the claim, its decision on apportionment should also be 

binding. Under our Constitution, decisions made by a majority vote are the law. The 

Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is governed by the rule of law and that is why I support 

this legislation (S. 1739) that gives effect to the Tribe’s law. 

As Treasurer of the MCT, Mr. Morrison has seen the financial problems that face 

the Tribe today as a result of its inability to access the funds awarded in 1999. The 

MCT now has an operating deficit that requires it to access a line of credit, but that 

would not be necessary if the Tribe is able to be reimbursed its expenses from the 

claims award. S. 1739 would allow the Tribe to return to financial stability. 

Bois Forte is aware of the fact that the Leech Lake Band opposes the distribution 

formula embodied in S. 1739 and persist in its position that because (as they assert) 

Leech Lake has incurred the most damages and should receive a share commensuVerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:48 Nov 28, 2012 Jkt 075372 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\DOCS\75372.TXT JACK
57

rate with those damages. However, neither the actual damages suffered nor the 

amounts misspent were specified in the Nelson Act settlement. For example, Bois 

Forte and the other Bands located far from the Consolidated Chippewa Agency 

could argue that they received a pittance of Nelson Act proceeds while Leech Lake 

received the lion’s share simply because of proximity to the Agency. We have not 

argued about disproportionate benefit because the hard evidence was never developed in the Court. Similarly, we cannot agree with Leech Lake’s claim of disproportionate harm for the same reason—the facts were never decided by the Court. 

The Bois Forte Band supports S. 1739 and urges the Committee to adopt it. 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ERMA J. VIZENOR, CHAIRWOMAN, WHITE EARTH

TRIBAL NATION

Thank you Mr. Chairman and Members of this important Committee. I am Erma 

Vizenor, the Chairwoman of the White Earth Tribal Nation. I submit this written 

testimony in strong support of S. 1739. 

We certainly appreciate your scheduling a hearing on this very important legislation for our people. In addition, I want to thank you and Members of the Committee 

for your efforts to support improvements to the life of all people in Indian Country. 

We appreciate your hard work and the improvements in many conditions we have 

seen due to your decisions. We saw firsthand the wide variety of efforts needed for 

this work when the Committee honored us by holding a Field Hearing at the White 

Earth Tribal Nation in the fall of 2010. We were very appreciative of being included 

in this important work. 

I want to take a moment now to thank the tireless efforts of Senator Al Franken 

and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for moving this important legislation forward. In addition, I want to thank Cong. Collin Peterson and Cong. Chip Cravaack 

for sponsoring a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. These four 

elected officials represent every Member of Congress and Senator who represent all 

six bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. I think this is very important to note 

since they have listened to all sides of this issue for many years, but decided it was 

important now to support the decision of the governing body of the MCT and sponsor the legislation that would reflect the majority vote for allocating these funds at 

this time. 

This is a critical piece of legislation to the people of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe. We believe it is the beginning of a chance to heal many wounds that have 

been present from the issue of timber sales made from Indian reservations throughout Minnesota, particularly at the White Earth Tribal Nation. Did each of us in the 

settlement get everything we wanted in this compromise?—certainly not. The White 

Earth Tribal Nation has taken the greatest loss of funds considering that the White 

Earth Band comprises 50 percent of members of the MCT, and the Results of Research Report sponsored by the Department of Interior determined the best allocation was on a per capita basis by enrollee. We have negotiated and negotiated—we 

believe we have put forward as many as four or five different alternatives to divide 

these funds. But we also have listened to our fellow MCT Members, made compromises, and believe this allocation of funds is the fairest for all bands of the MCT 

and acceptable to the White Earth Tribal Nation. 

We are now thirteen years past the date of the settlement of this litigation. The 

$20 million has not been helping the people of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe as 

was intended by the litigation, but has instead been earning 1 percent interest as 

we have continued to discuss the proper allocation of these funds. While there has 

been disagreement about the allocation of these funds, our people have gone hungry, 

lived in cold homes in the winter, and lost opportunities for education, jobs, and 

other opportunities that might have been available if these funds would have been 

a part of our budget. We do not want this to continue. We all have made significant 

compromises to arrive at this point. 

Mr. Chairman, I understand one of the six bands of the Minnesota Chippewa 

Tribe still does not support this bill. However, five bands do support this legislation, 

and I believe that represents a very strong reason to move forward with the bill 

very quickly. The present judgment fund was deposited in 1999. There is no reason 

to delay the distribution any longer. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

*Attachment retained in Committee files*

58

PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHARLES WILKINSON, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR/MOSES

LASKY PROFESSOR OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

I express my appreciation to Chairman Akaka, Vice Chairman Barrasso, and 

members of the Committee for receiving this statement. 

I have been actively involved in Indian matters as a practicing lawyer and scholar 

since 1971. In the 1970s and early 1980s, while I was on the faculty of the University of Oregon Law School, I represented the Siletz Tribe in the passage of the Siletz 

Restoration Act of 1977 and the Siletz Reservation Act of 1980. My many articles 

and fourteen books include Federal Indian Law: Cases and Materials (with Getches, 

Williams, and Fletcher) (West; 6th ed., 2011); Felix S, Cohen’s Handbook of Federal 

Indian Law (Managing Editor) (Michie Bobbs-Merrill; 1982); American Indians, 

Time, and the Law: Native Societies in a Modern Constitutional Democracy (Yale; 

1987); Messages From Frank’s Landing: Salmon, Treaties, and the Indian Way (University of Washington Press; 2000); and Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian 

Nations (W.W. Norton (2005). My most recent book is a comprehensive history of 

the Siletz Tribe, The People Are Dancing Again: A History of the Siletz Tribe of 

Western Oregon (University of Washington Press; 2010), in which I explored in 

depth the basic issues involved in Senate Bill 908. 

It is my understanding that a question has arisen as to whether the Grand Ronde 

Tribe, and perhaps other tribes, have a legal interest in the Siletz Reservation. I 

will address that issue here. 

The events of the mid-19th century in Western Oregon were tumultuous and enormously complicated, but the legal results that emerged from that era are straightforward insofar as Senate Bill 908 is concerned. The Federal Government moved 

more than 30 tribes and bands to the Siletz Reservation, established by Executive 

Order on November 9, 1855; President Pierce took this action under authority granted to him by the Table Rock Treaty of September 10, 1853 and other Western Oregon treaties. Later, by Executive Order of June 30, 1857, President Buchanan proclaimed the Grand Ronde Reservation; he did this pursuant to authority granted to 

him by the Treaty with the Willamette Valley Tribes of January 22, 1855, and other 

Western Oregon treaties. The Federal Government moved Western Oregon Indians 

to that reservation also. All of this was haphazardly done. For many of the tribes 

and bands, some of their people went to the Siletz Reservation and some went to 

the Grand Ronde Reservation. In some cases, members of individual families ended 

up on one reservation with other family members on the other reservation. 

Over the years, the Federal Government felt an increasing need to facilitate ease 

of administration and create legal order out of the complex and often chaotic settlement of the two reservations. The Siletz Tribe and Grand Ronde Tribe each became 

known as a confederation of the tribes on its reservation, with the people on each 

reservation being members of the respective confederated tribes. Each confederated 

tribe was acknowledged to be a separate federally recognized tribe. Later, the BIA 

developed tribal rolls for each of the tribes. In the Western Oregon Termination Act, 

each tribe had its own separate roll. Then, a generation later, each tribe was restored by separate legislation with separate tribal rolls. Today the United States 

continues to recognize the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde as two separate tribes with separate rolls. 

This process of forcibly moving tribes from their homelands, placing several tribes 

on one reservation, and amalgamating individuals in one confederated tribe, in addition to being cruel, was ethnologically and politically arbitrary in terms of deviating 

from traditional tribal identities. Yet there is no question about Congress’ broad constitutional authority to take such action. Similar historical progressions have led to 

other confederated tribes across the nation, especially in the Northwest. 

If passed, Senate Bill 908 would declare that future fee-to-trust applications by 

the Siletz Tribe for property within the boundaries of the original 1855 Siletz Reservation would be treated as on-reservation acquisitions. No other tribe has a legal 

interest in this kind of proposal, just as the Siletz Tribe would have no interest in 

a similar proposal made by another tribe. 

In my judgment, this bill is a most worthy initiative. The land within the magnificent 1855 Siletz Reservation was taken from the tribe illegally or under intense coercion. Recognizing the 1855 boundaries in this fashion provides some measure of 

long-due justice.

59

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. DONALD L. FRY, CHAIRMAN, CONFEDERATED TRIBES

OF THE LOWER ROGUE

Chairman Akaka, Co-Chairman Barrasso, Members of the Committee; 

I am Donald L. Fry. I am an enrolled member and Chairman of the Confederated 

Tribes of the Lower Rogue. I am honored to represent the Chetco and Tututni peoples. 

We have concerns with S. 908 and how it will impact our restoration efforts. 

The members of the Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue are the descendants 

of the Chetco and Tututni Indians who resided in southwestern Oregon since time 

immemorial. After disease and violent clashes with invading settlers decimated SW 

Oregon’s tribes, the surviving Indians were forcibly removed north to the ‘‘Coast 

Reservation’’ in the mid-1850s. Some Chetco and Tututni hid to avoid to the bounty 

hunters who tracked us, or escaped the reservation and came back when it was safe 

to do so. These resilient Indians—the ancestors of our Tribe’s current members—

remained in our traditional homelands. 

The Federal Government has acknowledged our tribal existence since at least the 

1850s, as evidenced by treaties signed with our ancestors in 1851 and 1855. 

In 1954, the Federal Government terminated its relationship with the Chetco and 

Tututni, along with almost sixty other Western Oregon tribes and bands. By the 

1970s, tribal termination had been discredited and was no longer federal policy, and 

between 1977 and 1989, Congress restored federal recognition to six terminated Oregon tribes: Confederated Tribes of Siletz; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde 

Community of Oregon; Klamath Tribes; Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; and Coquille 

Tribe. 

We have been pursuing our goal of restoring federal recognition of our Tribe for 

over sixteen years. While we struggle to obtain the political support needed to introduce a restoration bill, the Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue are organized 

as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and work tirelessly to preserve our history and 

culture. 

For these reasons, we urge the Committee not to proceed with further consideration of S. 908 until the issues affecting our concerns for clarifying our Tribe’s Federal status can be identified and resolved.

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