Choctaw-Chickasaw-Cherokee Boundary Dispute Act
PL 93-195 (H.R.5089), enacted 12/20/1973

87 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 93-195-DEC. 20, 1973 
769 
SEC. 110. None of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be used to iij^ft^t^ons°"^'"^ 
(1) acquire land, (2) provide for site preparation, or (3) install util-
ities for any family housing, except housing for which funds have been 
made available in annual military construction appropriation Acts. 
This Act may be cited as the "Military Construction Appropriation 
short title. 
Act, 1974". 
Approved December 20, 1973. 
Public Law 93-195 
A N A C T 
December 20, 1973 
To determine the rights and interests of the Choctaw Nation, the Chickasaw 
[H. R. 5089] 
Nation, and the Cherokee Nation in and to the bed of the Arkansas River below 
the Canadian Fork and to the eastern boundary of Oklahoma. 
Choctaw-
Chickasaw-
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That this Act may 
be cited as the "Choctaw-Chickasaw-Cherokee Boundary Dispute Act". Cherokee Bound-
SEC. 2. The consent of the United States is hereby given to the Choc- ^'^ Dispute Act. 
taw Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, and the Cherokee Nation to bring 
suit against each other to quiet the title in and to the bed of the Arkan-
sas River below the Canadian Fork and to the eastern boundary of 
Oklahoma. 
SEC. 3. Any action commenced pursuant to section 2 of this Act shall 
Ju^^diction. 
be heard and determined by a Federal court of three judges selected 
in the manner provided by law, sitting in the United States District 
Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in accordance with the 
provisions of section 4 of this Act. Any party may appeal directly 
to the Supreme Court of the United States from the final determina-
tion by such three-judge district court. 
SEC. 4. It is hereby declared to be the intent and the objective of the ^ re"men^"' 
Congress that the relative rights and interests of said tribes making 
claims against each other in and to the surface and the subsurface of 
the lands identified in section 2 of this Act shall be judicially deter-
mined in accordance with principles of law and equity, including a 
consistent award or awards or release or releases to the Choctaw 
Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, and the Cherokee Nation of such bonus 
sums, rentals, and royalties, or other moneys paid or received on 
account of leasing of any portion of such lands. In furtherance of the 
accomplishment of this intent and the attainment of this objective, the 
parties are hereby authorized to enter into a settlement agreement in 
which provision may be made for a recognition in perpetuity of their 
relative rights to use and to enjoy the surface and the subsurface of the 
lands identified in section 2 of this Act, including the division of any 
and all of such bonus sums, rentals, and royalties, or other moneys paid 
or received on account of the leasing of any portion of said lands for 
any purpose or purposes. Such settlement agreement may be embodied 
in and be made a part of anj^ decree of the court, which thereupon 
shall be final and conclusive with respect to the rights and interests of 
the parties. 
SEC. 5. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to be a congressional 
determination of the merits of the conflicting tribal claims with respect 
to the lands that are the subject of this Act. 
Approved December 20, 1973. 
22-150 O - 75 - 51