Santo Domingo Pueblo Claims Settlement Act of 2000
PL 106-425 (S.2917), enacted 11/01/2000

114 STAT. 1890 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
Nov. 1, 2000 
[S. 2917] 
Public Law 106-425 
106th Congress 
An Act 
To settle the land claims of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
Santo Domingo 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Pueblo Claims 
Settlement Act of 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
2000. 
Native 
This Act may be cited as the "Santo Domingo Pueblo Claims 
Americans. 
Settlement Act of 2000". 
New Mexico. 
25 u s e 1777 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
note. 
25 use 1777. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) For many years the Pueblo of Santo Domingo has been 
asserting claims to lands within its aboriginal use area in 
north central New Mexico. These claims have been the subject 
of many lawsuits, and a number of these claims remain unre-
solved. 
(2) In December 1927, the Pueblo Lands Board, acting 
pursuant to the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924 (43 Stat. 636) con-
firmed a survey of the boundaries of the Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo Grant. However, at the same time the Board pur-
ported to extinguish Indian title to approximately 27,000 acres 
of lands within those grant boundaries which lay within 3 
other overlapping Spanish land grants. The United States Court 
of Appeals in United States v. Thompson (941 F.2d 1074 (10th 
Cir. 1991), cert, denied 503 U.S. 984 (1992)), held that the 
Board "ignored an express congressional directive" in section 
14 of the Pueblo Lands Act, which "contemplated that the 
Pueblo would retain title to and possession of all overlap land". 
(3) The Pueblo of Santo Domingo has asserted a claim 
to another 25,000 acres of land based on the Pueblo's purchase 
in 1748 of the Diego Gallegos Grant. The Pueblo possesses 
the original deed reflecting the purchase under Spanish law 
but, after the United States assumed sovereignty over New 
Mexico, no action was taken to confirm the Pueblo's title to 
these lands. Later, many of these lands were treated as public 
domain, and are held today by Federal agencies, the State 
Land Commission, other Indian tribes, and private parties. 
The Pueblo's lawsuit asserting this claim, Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo v. Rael (Civil No. 83-1888 (D.N.M.)), is still pending. 
(4) The Pueblo of Santo Domingo's claims against the 
United States in docket No. 355 under the Act of August 
13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049; commonly referred to as the Indian 
Claims Commission Act) have been pending since 1951. These 
claims include allegations of the Federal misappropriation and 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
114 STAT. 1891 
mismanagement of the Pueblo's aboriginal and Spanish grant 
lands. 
(5) Litigation to resolve the land and trespass claims of 
the Pueblo of Santo Domingo would take many years, and 
the outcome of such litigation is unclear. The pendency of 
these claims has clouded private land titles and has created 
difficulties in the management of public lands within the claim 
area. 
(6) The United States and the Pueblo of Santo Domingo 
have negotiated a settlement to resolve all existing land claims, 
including the claims described in paragraphs (2) through (4). 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act— 
(1) to remove the cloud on titles to land in the State 
of New Mexico resulting from the claims of the Pueblo of 
Santo Domingo, and to settle all of the Pueblo's claims against 
the United States and third parties, and the land, boundary, 
and trespass claims of the Pueblo in a fair, equitable, and 
final manner; 
(2) to provide for the restoration of certain lands to the 
Pueblo of Santo Domingo and to confirm the Pueblo's bound-
aries; 
(3) to clarify governmental jurisdiction over the lands 
within the Pueblo's land claim area; and 
(4) to ratify a Settlement Agreement between the United 
States and the Pueblo which includes— 
(A) the Pueblo's agreement to relinquish and com-
promise its land and trespass claims; 
(B) the provision of $8,000,000 to compensate the 
Pueblo for the claims it has pursued pursuant to the Act 
of August 13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049; commonly referred to 
as the Indian Claims Commission Act); 
(C) the transfer of approximately 4,577 acres of public 
land to the Pueblo; 
(D) the sale of approximately 7,355 acres of national 
forest lands to the Pueblo; and 
(E) 
the 
authorization 
of 
the 
appropriation 
of 
$15,000,000 over 3 consecutive years which would be depos-
ited in a Santo Domingo Lands Claims Settlement Fund 
for expenditure by the Pueblo for land acquisition and 
other enumerated tribal purposes. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act shall be con-
strued to effectuate an extinguishment of, or to otherwise impair, 
the Pueblo's title to or interest in lands or water rights as described 
in section 5(a)(2). 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
25 USC 1777a. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED LANDS.—The term "federally 
administered lands" means lands, waters, or interests therein, 
administered by Federal agencies, except for the lands, waters, 
or interests therein that are owned by, or for the benefit of, 
Indian tribes or individual Indians. 
(2) FUND.—The term "Fund" means the Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo Land Claims Settlement Fund established under sec-
tion 5(b)(1). 
(3) PUEBLO.—The term "Pueblo" means the Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo. 
114 STAT. 1892 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
(4) SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO GRANT.^The term "Santo 
Domingo Pueblo Grant" means all of the lands within the 
1907 Hall-Joy Survey, as confirmed by the Pueblo Lands Board 
in 1927. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary 
of the Interior unless expressly stated otherwise. 
(6) SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.—^The term "Settlement Agree-
ment" means the Settlement Agreement dated May 26, 2000, 
between the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Jus-
tice and the Pueblo of Santo Domingo to Resolve All of the 
Pueblo's Land Title and Trespass Claims. 
25 use 1777b. 
SEC. 4. RATIFICATION OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. 
The Settlement Agreement is hereby approved and ratified. 
25 use 1777c. 
SEC. 5. RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES AND CLAIMS. 
(a) RELINQUISHMENT, EXTINGUISHMENT, AND COMPROMISE OF 
SANTO DOMINGO CLAIMS.— 
(1) EXTINGUISHMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), in consider-
ation of the benefits provided under this Act, and in accord-
ance with the Settlement Agreement pursuant to which 
the Pueblo has agreed to relinquish and compromise certain 
claims, the Pueblo's land and trespass claims described 
in subparagraph (B) are hereby extinguished, effective as 
of the date specified in paragraph (5). 
(B) CLAIMS.—^The claims described in this subpara-
graph are the following: 
(i) With respect to the Pueblo's claims against 
the United States, its agencies, officers, and instrumen-
talities, all claims to land, whether based on aboriginal 
or recognized title, and all claims for damages or other 
judicial relief or for administrative remedies pertaining 
in any way to the Pueblo's land, such as boundary, 
trespass, and mismanagement claims, including any 
claim related to— 
(I) any federally administered lands, including 
National Forest System lands designated in the 
Settlement 
Agreement 
for 
possible 
sale 
or 
exchange to the Pueblo; 
(II) any lands owned or held for the benefit 
of any Indian tribe other than the Pueblo; and 
(III) all claims which were, or could have been 
brought against the United States in docket No. 
355, pending in the United States Court of Federal 
Claims. 
(ii) With respect to the Pueblo's claims against 
persons, the State of New Mexico and its subdivisions, 
and Indian tribes other than the Pueblo, all claims 
to land, whether based on aboriginal or recognized 
title, and all claims for damages or other judicial relief 
or for administrative remedies pertaining in any way 
to the Pueblo's land, such as boundary and trespass 
claims. 
(iii) All claims hsted on pages 13894^13895 of 
volume 48 of the Federal Register, published on March 
31, 1983, except for claims numbered 002 and 004. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
114 STAT. 1893 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act (including 
paragraph (1)) shall be construed— 
(A) to in any way effectuate an extinguishment of 
or otherwise impair— 
(i) the Pueblo's title to lands acquired by or for 
the benefit of the Pueblo since December 28, 1927, 
or in a tract of land of approximately 150.14 acres 
known as the "sliver area" and described on a plat 
which is appendix H to the Settlement Agreement; 
(ii) the Pueblo's title to land within the Santo 
Domingo Pueblo Grant which the Pueblo Lands Board 
found not to have been extinguished; or 
(iii) the Pueblo's water rights appurtenant to the 
lands described in clauses (i) and (ii); and 
(B) to expand, reduce, or otherwise impair any rights 
which the Pueblo or its members may have under existing 
Federal statutes concerning religious and cultural access 
to and uses of the public lands. 
(3) CONFIRMATION OF DETERMINATION.—The Pueblo Lands 
Board's determination on page 1 of its Report of December 
28, 1927, that Santo Domingo Pueblo title, derived from the 
Santo Domingo Pueblo Grant to the lands overlapped by the 
La Majada, Sitio de Juana Lopez and Mesita de Juana Lopez 
Grants has been extinguished is hereby confirmed as of the 
date of that Report. 
(4) TRANSFERS PRIOR TO ENACTMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the Settlement 
Agreement, any transfer of land or natural resources, prior 
to the date of enactment of this Act, located anywhere 
within the United States from, by, or on behalf of the 
Pueblo, or any of the Pueblo's members, shall be deemed 
to have been made in accordance with the Act of June 
30, 1834 (4 Stat. 729; commonly referred to as the Trade 
and Intercourse Act), section 17 of the Act of June 7, 
1924 (43 Stat. 641; commonly referred to as the Pueblo 
Lands Act), and any other provision of Federal law that 
specifically applies to transfers of land or natural resources 
from, by, or on behalf of an Indian tribe, and such transfers 
shall be deemed to be ratified effective as of the date 
of the transfer. 
(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—^Nothing in subparagraph 
(A) shall be construed to affect or eliminate the personal 
claim of any individual Indian which is pursued under 
any law of general applicability that protects non-Indians 
as well as Indians. 
(5) EFFECTIVE DATE.—^The provisions of paragraphs (1), 
(3), and (4) shall take effect upon the entry of a compromise 
final judgment, in a form and manner acceptable to the 
Attorney General, in the amount of $8,000,000 in the case 
of Pueblo of Santo Domingo v. United States (Indian Claims 
Commission docket No. 355). The judgment so entered shall 
be paid from funds appropriated pursuant to section 1304 of 
title 31, United States Code. 
(b) TRUST FUNDS; AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in the 
Treasury a trust fiind to be known as the "Pueblo of Santo 
114 STAT. 1894 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
Domingo Land Claims Settlement Fund". Funds deposited in 
the Fund shall be subject to the following conditions: 
(A) The Fund shall be maintained and invested by 
the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the Act of June 
24, 1938 (25 U.S.C. 162a). 
(B) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), monies 
deposited into the Fund may be expended by the Pueblo 
to acquire lands within the exterior boundaries of the exclu-
sive aboriginal occupancy area of the Pueblo, as described 
in the Findings of Fact of the Indian Claims Commission, 
dated May 9, 1973, and for use for education, economic 
development, youth and elderly programs, or for other 
tribal purposes in accordance with plsins and budgets devel-
oped and approved by the Tribal Council of the Pueblo 
and approved by the Secretary. 
(C) If the Pueblo withdraws monies from the Fund, 
neither the Secretary nor the Secretary of the Treasury 
shall retain any oversight over or liability for the 
accounting, disbursement, or investment of such withdrawn 
monies. 
(D) No portion of the monies described in subparagraph 
(C) may be paid to Pueblo members on a per capita basis. 
(E) The acquisition of lands with monies from the 
Fund shall be on a willing-seller, willing-buyer basis, and 
no eminent domain authority may be exercised for purposes 
of acquiring lands for the benefit of the Pueblo pursuant 
to this Act. 
(F) The provisions of Public Law 93-134, governing 
the distribution of Indian claims judgment funds, and the 
plan approval requirements of section 203 of Public Law 
103-412 shall not be applicable to the Fund. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—^There are author-
ized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for deposit into the Fund, 
in accordance with the following schedule: 
(A) $5,000,000 to be deposited in the fiscal year which 
commences on October 1, 2001. 
(B) $5,000,000 to be deposited in the next fiscal year. 
(C) The balance of the funds to be deposited in the 
third consecutive fiscal year. 
(3) LIMITATION ON DISBURSAL.—Amounts authorized to be 
appropriated to the Fund under paragraph (2) shall not be 
disbursed until the following conditions are met: 
(A) The case of Pueblo of Santo Domingo v. Rael (No. 
CIV-83-1888) in the United States District Court for the 
District of New Mexico, has been dismissed with prejudice. 
(B) A compromise final judgment in the amount of 
$8,000,000 in the case of Pueblo of Santo Domingo v. United 
States (Indian Claims Commission docket No. 355) in a 
form and manner acceptable to the Attorney General, has 
been entered in the United States Court of Federal Claims 
in accordance with subsection (a)(5). 
(4) DEPOSITS.—Funds awarded to the Pueblo consistent 
with subsection (c)(2) in docket No. 355 of the Indian Claims 
Commission shall be deposited into the Fund. 
(c) ACTIVITIES UPON COMPROMISE.—On the date of the entry 
of the final compromise judgment in the case of Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo v. United States (Indian Claims Commission docket No. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
114 STAT. 1895 
355) in the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the dismissal 
with prejudice of the case of Pueblo of Santo Domingo v. Rael 
(No. CIV-83-1888) in the United States District Court for the 
District of New Mexico, whichever occurs later— 
(1) the public lands administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management and described in section 6 of the Settlement 
Agreement, and consisting of approximately 4,577.10 acres of 
land, shall thereafter be held by the United States in trust 
for the benefit of the Pueblo, subject to valid existing rights 
and rights of public and private access, as provided for in 
the Settlement Agreement; 
(2) the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to sell and 
convey National Forest System lands and the Pueblo shall 
have the exclusive right to acquire these lands as provided 
for in section 7 of the Settlement Agreement, and the funds 
received by the Secretary of Agriculture for such sales shall 
be deposited in the fund established under the Act of December 
4, 1967 (16 U.S.C. 484a) and shall be available to purchase 
non-Federal lands within or adjacent to the National Forests 
in the State of New Mexico; 
(3) lands conveyed by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant 
to this section shall no longer be considered part of the National 
Forest System and upon any conveyance of National Forest 
lands, the boundaries of the Santa Fe National Forest shall 
be deemed modified to exclude such lands; 
(4) until the National Forest lands are conveyed to the 
Pueblo pursuant to this section, or until the Pueblo's right 
to purchase such lands expires pursuant to section 7 of the 
Settlement Agreement, such lands are withdrawn, subject to 
valid existing rights, from any new public use or entry under 
any Federal land law, except for permits not to exceed 1 year, 
and shall not be identified for any disposition by or for any 
agency, and no mineral production or harvest of forest products 
shall be permitted, except that nothing in this subsection shall 
preclude forest management practices on such lands, including 
the harvest of timber in the event of fire, disease, or insect 
infestation; and 
(5) once the Pueblo has acquired title to the former National 
Forest System lands, these lands may be conveyed by the 
Pueblo to the Secretary of the Interior who shall accept and 
hold such lands in the name of the United States in trust 
for the benefit of the Pueblo. 
SEC. 6. AFFIRMATION 
OF 
ACCURATE 
BOUNDARIES 
OF 
SANTO 
DOMINGO PUEBLO GRANT. 
25 USC 1777d. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^The boundaries of the Santo Domingo Pueblo 
Grant, as determined by the 1907 Hall-Joy Survey, confirmed in 
the Report of the Pueblo Lands Board, dated December 28, 1927, 
are hereby declared to be the current boundaries of the Grant 
and any lands currently owned by or on behalf of the Pueblo 
within such boundaries, or any lands hereinafter acquired by the 
Pueblo within the Grant in fee simple absolute, shall be considered 
to be Indian country within the meaning of section 1151 of title 
18, United States Code. 
(b) LIMITATION.—^Any lands or interests in lands within the 
Santo Domingo Pueblo Grant, that are not owned or acquired 
114 STAT. 1896 
PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 
by the Pueblo, shall not be treated as Indian country within the 
meaning of section 1151 of title 18, United States Code. 
(c) ACQUISITION 
OF FEDERAL 
LANDS.—Any Federal lands 
acquired by the Pueblo pursuant to section 5(c)(1) shall be held 
in trust by the Secretary for the benefit of the Pueblo, and shall 
be treated as Indian country within the meaning of section 1151 
of title 18, United States Code. 
(d) LAND SUBJECT TO PROVISIONS.—Any lands acquired by the 
Pueblo pursuant to section 5(c), or with funds subject to section 
5(b), shall be subject to the provisions of section 17 of the Act 
of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 641; commonly referred to as the Pueblo 
Lands Act). 
(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act or in the 
Settlement Agreement shall be construed to— 
(1) cloud title to federally administered lands or non-Indian 
or other Indian lands, with regard to claims of title which 
are extinguished pursuant to section 5; or 
(2) affect actions taken prior to the date of enactment 
of this Act to manage federally administered lands within the 
boundaries of the Santo Domingo Pueblo Grant. 
Approved November 1, 2000. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2917: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-506 (Comm. on Indian Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000): 
Oct. 11, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 17, considered and passed House.