An Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to purchase and hold certain lands in trust for the Zuni Indian Tribe of New Mexico, and to confer jurisdiction on the Court of Claims with respect to land claims of such tribe.
PL 95-280 (S.482), enacted 05/15/1978

92 STAT. 244 
PUBLIC LAW 95-280—MAY 15, 1978 
Public Law 95-280 
95th Congress 
May 15, 1978 
[S. 482] 
Zuni Indian 
Tribe, 
New Mex. 
Lands in trust. 
Land titles. 
Jurisdiction. 
An Act 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to purchase and hold certain lands in 
trust for the Zuni Indian Tribe of New Mexico, and to confer jurisdiction on 
the Court of Claims with respect to land claims of such tribe. 
Be it enacted hy the Senute and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) the Secre-
tary of the Interior (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Secre-
tary") shall acquire, through purchase or exchange, the lands described 
in subsection (b). 
(b) The lands to be acquired under subsection (a) are lands in the 
State of New Mexico upon which the Zuni Salt Lake is located and 
which are more particularly described as follows: Lots 3 and 4, east 
half southwest quarter, west half southeast quarter, section 30, town-
ship 3 north, range 18 west, lots 1 and 2, east half northwest quarter, 
west half northeast quarter, section 31, township 3 north, range 18 
west, southeast quarter southeast quarter, section 25, and east half 
northeast quarter, section 36, township 3 north, range 19 west, all of 
the New Mexico principal meridian. New Mexico, containing approxi-
mately 618.41 acres, more or less. 
(c) Title to the lands to be acquired under subsection (a) shall be 
taken and held in trust in the name of the United States for the benefit 
of the Zuni Indian Tribe of New Mexico (hereinafter in this Act 
referred to as the "tribe"), and such lands shall be exempt from State 
and local taxation. 
SEC. 2. (a) Notwithstanding sections 2401 and 2501 of title 28, 
United States Code, and section 12 of the Act of August 13,1946 (60 
Stat. 1052; 25 U.S.C. 70k), jurisdiction is hereby conferred upon the 
United States Court of Claims to hear, determine, and render judg-
ment on any claims of the Zuni Indian Tribe of New Mexico against 
the United States with respect to any lands or interests therein in the 
State of New Mexico or the State of Arizona held by aboriginal title 
or otherwise which were acquired from the tribe without payment of 
adequate compensation by the United States: Provided^ That jurisdic-
tion is conferred only with respect to claims accruing on or before 
August 13, 1946, and all such claims must be filed within three years 
after approval of this Act. Such jurisdiction is conferred notwith-
standing any failure of the tribe to exhaust any available administra-
tive remedies. 
(b) (1) Any award made to any Indian tribe other than the Zuni 
Indian Tribe of New Mexico before, on, or after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, under any judgment of the Indian Claims Commis-
sion or any other authority, with respect to any lands that are the 
subject of a claim submitted by the tribe under subsection (a) shall not 
be considered as a defense, estoppel, or setoff to such claim, and shall 
not otherwise affect the entitlement to, or amount of, any relief with 
respect to such claim. 
PUBLIC LAW 95^-280—MAY 15, 1978 
92 STAT. 245 
(2) Any award made to the tribe pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall not be considered as a defense, estoppel, or setoff to the claims 
pending before the Indian Claims Commission on the date of the 
enactment of this Act in docket 196 (filed August 3,1951) and docket 
229 (filed August 8, 1951), and shall not otherwise affect the entitle-
ment to, or amount of, any relief with respect to such claims. 
Approved May 15, 1978. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 95-953 accompanying H.R. 3787 (Comm. on Interior and Insular 
Affairs). 
SENATE REPORT No. 95-111 (Comm. on Indian Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 123 (1977): May 3, considered and passed Senate. 
Vol. 124(1978): Apr. 18, considered and passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 
3787. 
May 2, Senate concurred in House amendment.