[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 106 (Thursday, August 4, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY BANDS OF ODAWA INDIANS AND THE LITTLE BAND OF 
                           OTTAWA INDIANS ACT

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 3, 1994

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (S. 1357) to 
     reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationships of the Little 
     Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Little River Band 
     of Ottawa Indians as distinct federally recognized Indian 
     tribes, and for other purposes.

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, let me once again correct the record because I think it 
is important that we know what we are doing here.
  A hundred and thirty tribes have asked the BIA for the 
acknowledgement process, one that does not work for recognition. The do 
include tribes with very little money and resources.
  Let me say that one tribe has even sent a book, the Odawas that we 
are considering right now, they compiled a book on their historical 
claims and sent it to this committee.
  We have the authority in the Indian Affairs Subcommittee to deal with 
these issues. Most of the members of this subcommittee have substantial 
native American populations in there districts.
  Out of those 130 requests for acknowledgement, only 25, 25 over 16 
years have been resolved buy the BIA, nine have been recognized. The 
rest, some 100 other tribes they have not even looked at the file, or 
maybe it is buried under dusty files.
  It this the right way to treat out Indian people? We are talking 
about a tribe that is the political successor to the signatories of the 
1836 Treaty of Washington, and the 1855 Treaty of Detroit. Mr. Speaker, 
these tribes do deserve, both Mr. Kildee's and Mr. Upton's, to be 
recognized.

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