I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3099
To establish the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in the State
of Oklahoma.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 14, 1996
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma (for himself and Mr. BREWSTER) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To establish the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
in the State of Oklahoma.
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 ‘‘Washita Battlefield
National Historic Site Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the Battle of the Washita, November 27,
1868, was one of the largest engagements between
Plains tribes and the United States Army on the
Southern Great Plains. The site is a registered Na-
tional Historic Landmark;
(2) Lt. Colonel George A. Custer, leading the
7th United States Calvary, attacked the sleeping
Cheyenne village of peace chief Black Kettle. Cus-
ter’s attack resulted in more than 150 Indian cas-
ualties, many of them women and children;
(3) the Battle of the Washita symbolizes the
struggle of the Southern Great Plains tribes to
maintain their traditional lifeways and not to submit
to reservation confinement; and
(4) the Washita battle site possesses a high de-
gree of integrity and the cultural landscape is essen-
tially intact. The Cheyenne village site has not been
altered substantially except by periodic flooding of
the Washita River.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to—
(1) recognize the importance of the Battle of
the Washita as a nationally significant element of
frontier military history and as a symbol of the
struggles of the Southern Great Plains tribes to
maintain control of their traditional use areas; and
(2) establish the site of the Battle of the
Washita as a national historic site and provide op-
portunities for American Indian groups including the
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe to be involved in the for-
mulation of plans and educational programs for the
national historic site.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide for the preser-
vation and interpretation of the Battle of the Washita,
there is hereby established the Washita Battlefield Na-
tional Historic Site in the State of Oklahoma (hereafter
in this Act referred to as the ‘‘national historic site’’).
(b) BOUNDARY.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The national historic site
shall consist of—
(A) approximately 326 acres, as generally
depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Washita Battle-
field 
National 
Historic 
Site’’, 
numbered
20,000A and dated 12/95; and
(B) the private lands subject to conserva-
tion easements referred to in section 5(b).
(2) MAP.—The map referred to in paragraph
(1) shall be on file in the offices of the Director of
the National Park Service, Department of the Inte-
rior, and other appropriate offices of the National
Park Service. The Secretary of the Interior (here-
after in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’)
may, from time to time, make minor revisions in the
boundary of the national historic site in accordance
with section 7(c) of the Land and Water Conserva-
tion Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–4 and following).
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the National Park Service, shall manage the
national historic site in accordance with this Act and the
provisions of law generally applicable to units of the Na-
tional Park System, including ‘‘An Act to establish a Na-
tional Park Service, and for other purposes’’, approved
August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2–4), and
the Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666; 16 U.S.C. 461–
467).
(b) MANAGEMENT PURPOSES.—The Secretary shall
manage the national historic site for the following pur-
poses, among others:
(1) To protect and preserve the national his-
toric site, including the topographic features impor-
tant to the battle site, artifacts and other physical
remains of the battle, and the visual scene as closely
as possible as it was at the time of the battle.
(2) To interpret the cultural and natural re-
sources of the historic site, providing for public un-
derstanding and appreciation of the area in such
manner as to perpetuate these qualities and values
for future generations.
(c) CONSULTATION AND TRAINING.—The Secretary,
acting through the Director of the National Park Service,
shall consult regularly with the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe
on the formulation of the management plan provisions re-
ferred to in section 6(5) and on preparation of educational
programs provided to the public. The Secretary is author-
ized to enter into cooperative agreements with the Chey-
enne-Arapaho Tribe, its subordinate boards, committees,
enterprises, and traditional leaders to further the purposes
of this Act.
SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY.
(a) PARK BOUNDARIES.—Within the boundaries of
the national historic site, the Secretary is authorized to
acquire lands and interest in lands by donation, purchase
with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, except
that—
(1) no lands or interest in lands within the his-
toric site may be acquired without the consent of the
owner thereof, and
(2) lands and interests in lands owned by the
State of Oklahoma or any political subdivision there-
of may be acquired only by donation.