[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 137 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9471-H9472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CALIFORNIA INDIAN LAND TRANSFER ACT

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2742) to provide for the transfer of public lands 
to certain California Indian Tribes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2742

       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 ``California Indian Land 
     Transfer Act''.

     SEC. 2. LANDS HELD IN TRUST FOR VARIOUS TRIBES OF CALIFORNIA 
                   INDIANS.

       (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     lands, including improvements and appurtenances, described in 
     a paragraph of subsection (b) in connection with the 
     respective tribe, band, or group of Indians named in such 
     paragraph are hereby declared to be held in trust by the 
     United States for the benefit of such tribe, band, or group. 
     Real property taken into trust pursuant to this subsection 
     shall not be considered to have been taken into trust for 
     gaming (as that term is used in the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
     Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.)).
       (b) Lands Described.--The lands described in this 
     subsection, comprising approximately 3525.8 acres, and the 
     respective tribe, band, or group, are as follows:
       (1) Pit river tribe.--Lands to be held in trust for the Pit 
     River Tribe are comprised of approximately 561.69 acres 
     described as follows:
       Mount Diablo Base and Meridian

                    Township 42 North, Range 13 East

       Section 3:
       S\1/2\ NW\1/4\, NW\1/4\ NW\1/4\, 120 acres.

                    Township 43 North, Range 13 East

       Section 1:
       N\1/2\ NE\1/4\, 80 acres,
       Section 22:
       SE\1/4\ SE\1/4\, 40 acres,
       Section 25:
       SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\, 40 acres,
       Section 26:
       SW\1/4\ SE\1/4\, 40 acres,
       Section 27:
       SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\, 40 acres,

[[Page H9472]]

       Section 28:
       NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\, 40 acres,
       Section 32:
       SE\1/4\ SE\1/4\, 40 acres,
       Section 34:
       SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\, 40 acres,

                   Township 44 North, Range 14 East,

       Section 31:
       S\1/2\ SW\1/4\, 80 acres.
       (2) Fort independence community of paiute indians.--Lands 
     to be held in trust for the Fort Independence Community of 
     Paiute Indians are comprised of approximately 200.06 acres 
     described as follows:
       Mount Diablo Base and Meridian

                    Township 13 South, Range 34 East

       Section 1:
       W\1/2\ of Lot 5 in the NE\1/4\, Lot 3, E\1/2\ of Lot 4, and 
     E\1/2\ of Lot 5 in the NW\1/4\.
       (3) Barona group of capitan grande band of mission 
     indians.--Lands to be held in trust for the Barona Group of 
     Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians are comprised of 
     approximately 5.03 acres described as follows:
       San Bernardino Base and Meridian

                    Township 14 South, Range 2 East

       Section 7, Lot 15.
       (4) Cuyapaipe band of mission indians.--Lands to be held in 
     trust for the Cuyapaipe Band of Mission Indians are comprised 
     of approximately 1,360 acres described as follows:
       San Bernardino Base and Meridian

                    Township 15 South, Range 6 East

       Section 21:
       All of this section.
       Section 31:
       NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\.
       Section 32:
       W\1/2\SW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\.
       Section 33:
       SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\.
       (5) Manzanita band of mission indians.--Lands to be held in 
     trust for the Manzanita Band of Mission Indians are comprised 
     of approximately 1,000.78 acres described as follows:
       San Bernardino Base and Meridian

                    Township 16 South, Range 6 East

       Section 21:
       Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, S\1/2\.
       Section 25:
       Lots 2 and 5.
       Section 28:
       Lots, 1, 2, 3, and 4, N\1/2\SE\1/4\.
       (6) Morongo band of mission indians.--Lands to be held in 
     trust for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians are comprised 
     of approximately 40 acres described as follows:
       San Bernardino Base and Meridian

                     Township 3 South, Range 2 East

       Section 20:
       NW\1/4\ of NE\1/4\.
       (7) Pala band of mission indians.--Lands to be held in 
     trust for the Pala Band of Mission Indians are comprised of 
     approximately 59.20 acres described as follows:
       San Bernardino Base and Meridian

                     Township 9 South, Range 2 West

       Section 13, Lot 1, and Section 14, Lots 1, 2, 3.
       (8) Fort bidwell community of paiute indians.--Lands to be 
     held in trust for the Fort Bidwell Community of Paiute 
     Indians are comprised of approximately 299.04 described as 
     follows:
       Mount Diablo Base and Meridian

                    Township 46 North, Range 16 East

       Section 8:
       SW\1/4\SW\1/4\.
       Section 19:
       Lots 5, 6, 7.
       S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\.
       Section 20:
       Lot 1.

     SEC. 3. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

       (a) Proceeds From Rents and Royalties Transferred to 
     Indians.--Amounts which accrue to the United States after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act from sales, bonuses, 
     royalties, and rentals relating to any land described in 
     section 2 shall be available for use or obligation, in such 
     manner and for such purposes as the Secretary may approve, by 
     the tribe, band, or group of Indians for whose benefit such 
     land is taken into trust.
       (b) Notice of Cancellation of Grazing Preferences.--Grazing 
     preferences on lands described in section 2 shall terminate 2 
     years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (c) Laws Governing Lands To Be Held In Trust.--Any lands 
     which are to be held in trust for the benefit of any tribe, 
     band, or group of Indians pursuant to this Act shall be added 
     to the existing reservation of the tribe, band, or group, and 
     the official boundaries of the reservation shall be modified 
     accordingly. These lands shall be subject to the laws of the 
     United States relating to Indian land in the same manner and 
     to the same extent as other lands held in trust for such 
     tribe, band, or group on the day before the date of enactment 
     of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young).
  (Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2742, the proposed California Indian Land Transfer 
Act, would transfer eight parcels of excess Bureau of Land Management 
land to eight Indian tribes in the State of California. I recommend the 
adoption of H.R. 2742.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support passage of H.R. 2742, which will 
transfer some 3,500 acres of excess Bureau of Land Management lands 
located throughout California to eight Indian tribes in the State.
  The bill was introduced pursuant to administration requests and as a 
result of negotiations between the Interior Department, the local 
municipalities, and the eight Indian tribes that began in 1994. All 
affected land is adjacent to existing Indian reservations.
  The bill was amended in committee pursuant to the request of the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) to remove lands that would 
have been transferred to the Bridgeport and the Benton Paiute tribes.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the reason that we are enacting 
this legislation is to allow Indian tribes to develop their own 
economies. For too long we have neglected the tribes' economic needs, 
and certainly the creation of a strong land base is part of that 
equation.
  Keep in mind that the history of California Indian dealings is one of 
the most shameful in this country's past. Approximately 250,000 Native 
American Indians currently reside in the State of California, Mr. 
Speaker, more Indians in the State of California than anywhere else in 
this country, yet they are the most neglected.
  The United States broke 18 treaties that promised the tribes 18.5 
million acres. California tribes lost more than 70 million acres of 
land overall and now live on a collective 400,000 acres of land. Thus, 
I am glad that we are doing what is right in returning a small portion 
of what we once took from the first Americans.
  Again, I commend the gentleman from Alaska for his management of this 
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2742, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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