109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 481
AN ACT 
To further the purposes of the Sand Creek Mas-
sacre National Historic Site Establishment Act 
of 2000.
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 481
AN ACT 
To further the purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre 
National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sand Creek Massacre 
National Historic Site Trust Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FACILITY.—The term ‘‘facility’’ means any 
structure, utility, road, or sign constructed on the 
trust property on or after the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
(2) IMPROVEMENT.—The term ‘‘improvement’’ 
means—
(A) a 1,625 square foot 1-story ranch 
house, built in 1952, located in the SW quarter 
of sec. 30, T. 17 S., R. 45 W., sixth principal 
meridian; 
(B) a 3,600 square foot metal-constructed 
shop building, built in 1975, located in the SW 
quarter of sec. 30, T. 17 S., R. 45 W., sixth 
principal meridian; 
(C) a livestock corral and shelter; and 
(D) a water system and wastewater system 
with all associated utility connections. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior.
(4) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, a feder-
ally recognized Indian tribe. 
(5) TRUST PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘trust prop-
erty’’ means the real property, including rights to all 
minerals, and excluding the improvements, formerly 
known as the ‘‘Dawson Ranch’’, consisting of ap-
proximately 1,465 total acres presently under the ju-
risdiction of the Tribe, situated within Kiowa Coun-
ty, Colorado, and more particularly described as fol-
lows: 
(A) The portion of sec. 24, T. 17 S., R. 46 
W., sixth principal meridian, that is the East-
ern half of the NW quarter, the SW quarter of 
the NE quarter, the NW quarter of the SE 
quarter, sixth principal meridian. 
(B) All of sec. 25, T. 17 S., R. 46 W., 
sixth principal meridian. 
(C) All of sec. 30, T. 17 S., R. 45 W., 
sixth principal meridian. 
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF LAND TO BE HELD IN TRUST FOR 
THE CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBES OF 
OKLAHOMA. 
(a) LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR THE CHEYENNE AND 
ARAPAHO TRIBES OF OKLAHOMA.—On conveyance of title
to the trust property by the Tribe to the United States, 
without any further action by the Secretary, the trust 
property shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Tribe. 
(b) TRUST.—All right, title, and interest of the 
United States in and to the trust property, except any fa-
cilities constructed under section 4(b), are declared to be 
held by the United States in trust for the Tribe. 
SEC. 4. IMPROVEMENTS AND FACILITIES. 
(a) IMPROVEMENTS.—The Secretary may acquire by 
donation the improvements in fee. 
(b) FACILITIES.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may con-
struct a facility on the trust property only after con-
sulting with, soliciting advice from, and obtaining 
the agreement of, the Tribe, the Northern Cheyenne 
Tribe, and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. 
(2) OWNERSHIP.—Facilities constructed with 
Federal funds or funds donated to the United States 
shall be owned in fee by the United States. 
(c) FEDERAL FUNDS.—For the purposes of the con-
struction, maintenance, or demolition of improvements or 
facilities, Federal funds shall be expended only on im-
provements or facilities that are owned in fee by the 
United States.
SEC. 5. SURVEY OF BOUNDARY LINE; PUBLICATION OF DE-
SCRIPTION. 
(a) SURVEY OF BOUNDARY LINE.—To accurately es-
tablish the boundary of the trust property, not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall cause a survey to be conducted by the Office 
of Cadastral Survey of the Bureau of Land Management 
of the boundary lines described in section 2(5). 
(b) PUBLICATION OF LAND DESCRIPTION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—On completion of the survey 
under subsection (a), and acceptance of the survey 
by the representatives of the Tribe, the Secretary 
shall cause the full metes and bounds description of 
the lines, with a full and accurate description of the 
trust property, to be published in the Federal Reg-
ister. 
(2) EFFECT.—The description shall, on publica-
tion, constitute the official description of the trust 
property. 
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF TRUST PROPERTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The trust property shall be ad-
ministered in perpetuity by the Secretary as part of the 
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, only for his-
torical, traditional, cultural, and other uses in accordance 
with the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Es-
tablishment Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 461 note; Public Law 
106–465). 
(b) ACCESS FOR ADMINISTRATION.—For purposes of 
administration, the Secretary shall have access to the trust 
property, improvements, and facilities as necessary for 
management of the Sand Creek Massacre National His-
toric Site in accordance with the Sand Creek Massacre 
National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 461 note; Public Law 106–465). 
(c) DUTY OF THE SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall 
take such action as is necessary to ensure that the trust 
property is used only in accordance with this section. 
(d) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this Act super-
sedes the laws and policies governing units of the National 
Park System. 
SEC. 7. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY. 
Section 6(a)(2) of the Sand Creek Massacre National 
Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 461 
note; Public Law 106–465) is amended by inserting ‘‘or 
exchange’’ after ‘‘only by donation’’.
Passed the House of Representatives June 27, 2005. 
Attest:
Clerk.