I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6859 

To extend the Federal recognition to the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2023 

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To extend the Federal recognition to the Gabrielino/Tongva 

Nation, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gabrielino/Tongva Na5 tion Recognition Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) MEMBER.—The term ‘‘member’’ means an 

9 individual who is a citizen of the Tribe pursuant to 

10 the Tribe’s Constitution, enacted February 17, 


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1 2007, and who is enrolled in the Tribe pursuant to 

2 section 7 of this Act. 

3 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

4 the Secretary of the Interior. 

5 (3) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 

6 Gabrielino/Tongva Nation, also known as Gabrielino7 Tongva Indian Tribe and the Gabrielino-Tongva 

8 Tribe. 

9 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

10 Congress finds the following: 

11 (1) The traditional homelands of the 

12 Gabrielino/Tongva Nation are the Los Angeles Basin 

13 and the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicholas, 

14 San Clemente, and Santa Barbara, from Topanga 

15 Canyon to Laguna Beach, from the San Gabriel 

16 Mountains to the sea. Over 2,000 archaeological 

17 sites in the in the Los Angeles County Basin attest 

18 to the longevity of Gabrielino/Tongva presence in 

19 their homelands. 

20 (2) In 1891, in response to the impoverished 

21 conditions experienced by Indian Tribes sent to the 

22 California missions, Congress passed the Act of Jan23 uary 12, 1891 (26 Stat. 711) commonly known as 

24 the Mission Indian Relief Act, which created a spe25 cial Indian agency with trust responsibilities over 


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1 ‘‘Mission Indians’’ in California, including the 

2 Gabrielino/Tongva. 

3 (3) In 1928, members of the Gabrielino/Tongva 

4 community, many of whom were then living in their 

5 traditional homelands in the Los Angeles Basin, en6 rolled during the California Indian census taken pur7 suant to the Act of May 18, 1928 (45 Stat. 602), 

8 which identified them as ‘‘Mission San Gabriel’’ or 

9 ‘‘Gabrielino’’ Indians and under the Federal jurisdic10 tion of the Mission Indian Agency in Riverside, Cali11 fornia. 

12 (4) In 1952, a congressional report named the 

13 Gabrielino/Tongva, known at that time as 

14 ‘‘Gabrielen ̃o or San Gabriel Indians,’’ as one of the 

15 Indian Tribes or bands identified in dealings with 

16 the Bureau of Indian Affairs (82d Cong., 2d sess., 

17 House, Report No. 2503). 

18 (5) In 1972, Gabrielino/Tongva people received 

19 settlement funds from the judgment of the Indian 

20 Claims Commission in Docket 80 and 80–D under 

21 the Act of September 21, 1968 (Public Law 90–507; 

22 82 Stat. 860). 

23 (6) In 1994, the State of California recognized 

24 the Tongva in Assembly Joint Resolution 96, 

25 chaptered by the California Secretary of State as 


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1 Resolution chapter 146, Statutes of 1994. The Joint 

2 Resolution states that the State of California ‘‘rec3 ognizes the Gabrielinos as the aboriginal tribe of the 

4 Los Angeles Basin and takes great pride in recog5 nizing the Indian inhabitance of the Los Angeles 

6 Basin and the continued existence of the Indian 

7 community’’. 

8 (7) In 1999, the Coastal Gabrielino-Diegueno 

9 Band of Mission Indians, the legal predecessor to 

10 the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation, filed evidence of its 

11 members’ Gabrielino ancestry with the Bureau of In12 dian Affairs, using certificates of degree of Indian 

13 blood prepared by the Act of September 21, 1968. 

14 (8) In 2001, the Coastal Gabrielino-Diegueno 

15 Band of Mission Indians reorganized, ultimately 

16 changing its name to the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation, 

17 and opening enrollment to individuals with 

18 Gabrielino ancestry certified by the Bureau of In19 dian Affairs. 

20 (9) In 2013, the Los Angeles City Council, in 

21 Resolution 13-1285, declared its support of the 

22 Gabrielino/Tongva Nation in its efforts to restore a 

23 government-to-government relationship with the 

24 United States. 


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1 (10) In 2019, the Superior Court for the Coun2 ty of Los Angeles found that the Gabrielino/Tongva 

3 Nation was the legal successor in interest to the 

4 Coastal Gabrielino-Diegueno Band of Mission Indi5 ans. 

6 (11) The Gabrielino/Tongva Nation presently 

7 has a membership of more than 700 Tribal citizens, 

8 all of whom descend from a bona fide Gabrielino/ 

9 Tongva ancestor enumerated on a California Indian 

10 Roll prepared by Bureau of Indian Affairs pursuant 

11 to the Act of May 18, 1928, Act of May 24, 1950 

12 (64 Stat. 189), and Act of September 21, 1968, and 

13 whose ancestors have received Indian services, in14 cluding education or health care, based upon their 

15 status as Indians. 

16 SEC. 4. FEDERAL RECOGNITION. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Federal recognition is extended to 

18 the Tribe. 

19 (b) EFFECT OF FEDERAL LAWS.—Except as other20 wise provided in this Act, all Federal laws (including regu21 lations) of general application to Indians and Indian 

22 Tribes, including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 

23 5101 et seq.) (commonly known as the ‘‘Indian Reorga24 nization Act’’), shall apply to the Tribe and each member. 


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1 SEC. 5. FEDERAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date of enact3 ment of this Act, the Tribe and each member shall be eligi4 ble for all services and benefits provided by the United 

5 States to Indians and federally recognized Indian Tribes, 

6 without regard to— 

7 (1) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; 

8 or 

9 (2) the location of the residence of any member 

10 on or near an Indian reservation. 

11 (b) SERVICE AREA.—For purposes of the delivery of 

12 services and benefits to members, and in regard to land 

13 and the transfer of land as set forth in section 8 of this 

14 Act, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered to 

15 be the area comprised of Los Angeles County, in the State 

16 of California. Such services and benefits shall be provided 

17 notwithstanding the establishment of a reservation or ac18 quisition of additional land after the date of enactment 

19 of this Act. 

20 SEC. 6. REAFFIRMATION OF RIGHTS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act diminishes 

22 any right or privilege of the Tribe or any member that 

23 existed before the date of enactment of this Act. 

24 (b) CLAIMS OF TRIBE.—Except as otherwise pro25 vided in this Act, nothing in this Act alters or affects any 

26 legal or equitable claim of the Tribe to enforce any right 


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1 or privilege reserved by, or granted to, the Tribe that was 

2 wrongfully denied to, or taken from, the Tribe before the 

3 date of enactment of this Act. 

4 SEC. 7. MEMBERSHIP ROLL. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Tribe shall submit to the Sec6 retary within thirty days after the date of enactment of 

7 this Act, a membership roll consisting of the name of each 

8 individual enrolled as a member of the Tribe. 

9 (b) DETERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—The quali10 fications for inclusion on the membership roll of the Tribe 

11 shall be determined in accordance with the Tribe’s Con12 stitution, enacted February 17, 2007, any amendments or 

13 changes to the Constitution, or Tribal laws pertaining to 

14 membership. Upon receipt of the roll, the Secretary shall 

15 immediately publish notice of such in the Federal Reg16 ister. 

17 (c) MAINTENANCE OF ROLL.—The Tribe shall have 

18 the sole authority and responsibility to maintain the mem19 bership roll of the Tribe. 

20 SEC. 8. TRANSFER OF LAND. 

21 (a) INITIAL RESEVATION.—Within ninety days from 

22 the date of enactment of this Act, and notwithstanding 

23 any other provision of law, the Secretary shall acquire and 

24 take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe title to land 


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1 identified by the Tribe that is located within the service 

2 area of the Tribe, not to exceed 300 acres. 

3 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—Lands taken into trust will be 

4 deemed part of the restoration of lands for an Indian 

5 Tribe that is restored to Federal recognition pursuant to 

6 section 20(b)(1)(B)(iii) of the Indian Gaming Regulatory 

7 Act (25 U.S.C. 2719(b)(1)(B)(iii)). 

8 (c) ADDITIONAL LANDS.—The Secretary may acquire 

9 additional land for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to 

10 section 5 of the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5108) 

11 (commonly known as the ‘‘Indian Reorganization Act’’). 

12 (d) TRIBAL FEE LANDS.—Notwithstanding any 

13 other provision of law, without further approval, ratifica14 tion, or authorization by the United States, the Tribe may 

15 lease, sell, convey, warrant, or otherwise transfer all or 

16 any part its interest in any real property that is (1) not 

17 located within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation, 

18 and (2) not held in trust by the United States for the 

19 benefit of the Tribe. 

Æ 


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