[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 35 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 35

To extend the Federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa 
              Indians of Montana, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 6, 2015

Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend the Federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa 
              Indians of Montana, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa 
Indians Restoration Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians is a 
        political successor to signatories of the Pembina Treaty of 
        1863, under which a large area of land in the State of North 
        Dakota was ceded to the United States;
            (2) the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa of North Dakota 
        and the Chippewa-Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation of 
        Montana, which also are political successors to the signatories 
        of the Pembina Treaty of 1863, have been recognized by the 
        Federal Government as distinct Indian tribes;
            (3) the members of the Little Shell Tribe continue to live 
        in the State of Montana, as their ancestors have for more than 
        100 years since ceding land in the State of North Dakota as 
        described in paragraph (1);
            (4) in the 1930s and 1940s, the Tribe repeatedly petitioned 
        the Federal Government for reorganization under the Act of June 
        18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.) (commonly known as the 
        ``Indian Reorganization Act'');
            (5) Federal agents who visited the Tribe and Commissioner 
        of Indian Affairs John Collier attested to the responsibility 
        of the Federal Government for the Tribe and members of the 
        Tribe, concluding that members of the Tribe are eligible for, 
        and should be provided with, trust land, making the Tribe 
        eligible for reorganization under the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 
        U.S.C. 461 et seq.) (commonly known as the ``Indian 
        Reorganization Act'');
            (6) due to a lack of Federal appropriations during the 
        Depression, the Bureau of Indian Affairs lacked adequate 
        financial resources to purchase land for the Tribe, and the 
        members of the Tribe were denied the opportunity to reorganize;
            (7) in spite of the failure of the Federal Government to 
        appropriate adequate funding to secure land for the Tribe as 
        required for reorganization under the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 
        U.S.C. 461 et seq.) (commonly known as the ``Indian 
        Reorganization Act''), the Tribe continued to exist as a 
        separate community, with leaders exhibiting clear political 
        authority;
            (8) the Tribe, together with the Turtle Mountain Band of 
        Chippewa of North Dakota and the Chippewa-Cree Tribe of the 
        Rocky Boy's Reservation of Montana, filed 2 law suits under the 
        Act of August 13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049) (commonly known as the 
        ``Indian Claims Commission Act''), to petition for additional 
        compensation for land ceded to the United States under the 
        Pembina Treaty of 1863 and the McCumber Agreement of 1892;
            (9) in 1971 and 1982, pursuant to Acts of Congress, the 
        tribes received awards for the claims described in paragraph 
        (8);
            (10) in 1978, the Tribe submitted to the Bureau of Indian 
        Affairs a petition for Federal recognition, which is still 
        pending as of the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (11) the Federal Government, the State of Montana, and the 
        other federally recognized Indian tribes of the State have had 
        continuous dealings with the recognized political leaders of 
        the Tribe since the 1930s.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Member.--The term ``member'' means an individual who is 
        enrolled in the Tribe pursuant to section 7.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Little Shell Tribe 
        of Chippewa Indians of Montana.

SEC. 4. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

    (a) In General.--Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
    (b) Effect of Federal Laws.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
Act, all Federal laws (including regulations) of general application to 
Indians and Indian tribes, including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 
U.S.C. 461 et seq.) (commonly known as the ``Indian Reorganization 
Act''), shall apply to the Tribe and members.

SEC. 5. FEDERAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Tribe and each member shall be eligible for all services and 
benefits provided by the United States to Indians and federally 
recognized Indian tribes, without regard to--
            (1) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; or
            (2) the location of the residence of any member on or near 
        an Indian reservation.
    (b) Service Area.--For purposes of the delivery of services and 
benefits to members, the service area of the Tribe shall be considered 
to be the area comprised of Blaine, Cascade, Glacier, and Hill Counties 
in the State of Montana.

SEC. 6. REAFFIRMATION OF RIGHTS.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act diminishes any right or 
privilege of the Tribe or any member that existed before the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    (b) Claims of Tribe.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, 
nothing in this Act alters or affects any legal or equitable claim of 
the Tribe to enforce any right or privilege reserved by, or granted to, 
the Tribe that was wrongfully denied to, or taken from, the Tribe 
before the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7. MEMBERSHIP ROLL.

    (a) In General.--As a condition of receiving recognition, services, 
and benefits pursuant to this Act, the Tribe shall submit to the 
Secretary, by not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, a membership roll consisting of the name of each individual 
enrolled as a member of the Tribe.
    (b) Determination of Membership.--The qualifications for inclusion 
on the membership roll of the Tribe shall be determined in accordance 
with sections 1 through 3 of article 5 of the constitution of the Tribe 
dated September 10, 1977 (including amendments to the constitution).
    (c) Maintenance of Roll.--The Tribe shall maintain the membership 
roll under this section.

SEC. 8. TRANSFER OF LAND.

    (a) Homeland.--The Secretary shall acquire, for the benefit of the 
Tribe, trust title to 200 acres of land within the service area of the 
Tribe to be used for a tribal land base.
    (b) Additional Land.--The Secretary may acquire additional land for 
the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to section 5 of the Act of June 18, 
1934 (25 U.S.C. 465) (commonly known as the ``Indian Reorganization 
Act'').
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