I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 949 
To extend Federal recognition to the Duwamish Tribe, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2007 
Mr. MCDERMOTT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To extend Federal recognition to the Duwamish Tribe, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Duwamish Tribal Recognition Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 1855, the Duwamish Tribe signed the 
Treaty of Point Elliott, which guaranteed fishing 
rights and reservations to all tribes represented by 
the Native signatories. 
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(2) The Duwamish signatory was their Chief, 
Chief Si’ahl, for whom the City of Seattle is named. 
(3) In 1859, the Treaty of Point Elliott was 
ratified by Congress. However, the promises made 
by the United States in the treaty were never ful-
filled as to the Duwamish Tribe or its members. 
(4) In 1925, the Duwamish Tribe officially 
adopted its constitution and bylaws. 
(5) The Duwamish Tribe filed suit before the 
Indian Claims Commission for the value of its lands 
taken without compensation and a $62,000 judg-
ment ultimately was awarded to the Duwamish. The 
settlement was eventually distributed per capita at 
$64 per person to the Duwamish people. 
(6) In 1976, the Duwamish Tribe first sub-
mitted a petition for Federal recognition to the Sec-
retary of the Interior. That petition subsequently 
was returned to the tribe for revision due to changes 
in regulations governing the administrative federal 
acknowledgment process. 
(7) In 1988, the Duwamish Tribe submitted its 
completed petition for Federal recognition. 
(8) In 1996, after years of delay, the Duwamish 
Tribe received a negative preliminary determination. 
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In response, the tribe addressed the identified prob-
lems in its final submission of October 21, 1998. 
(9) On January 19, 2001, the Duwamish Tribe 
received a favorable determination for federal rec-
ognition from the Assistant Secretary of the Interior 
for Indian Affairs. 
(10) On September 26, 2001, the new Assistant 
Secretary for Indian Affairs unilaterally reversed the 
January 19, 2001, decision and rejected the 
Duwamish petition for recognition. 
(11) On January 4, 2002, the Interior Board of 
Indian Appeals referred several questions raised by 
the circumstances of the administrative reversal to 
the Secretary of the Interior along with directions to 
decide whether to request further reconsideration by 
the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs in light of 
those questions. 
(12) On May 8, 2002, the Secretary of the In-
terior refused to refer the Duwamish petition back 
to the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs for fur-
ther consideration. 
(13) Nearly 150 years after the Duwamish 
Tribe signed the Point Elliott Treaty, the Duwamish 
people still seek the recognition which was estab-
lished by the treaty. 
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