[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 2, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTRODUCING THE GRATON RANCHERIA RESTORATION ACT

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                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 1999

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to introduce legislation 
that would restore federal recognition for the Federated Indians of 
Graton Rancheria, which is primarily composed of the Coast Miwok and 
Southern Pomo tribal members. This is a matter of simple justice, 
because in 1966 the United States government terminated the tribe's 
status under the California Rancheria Act of 1958.
  My bill, the Graton Rancheria Restoration Act, restores all federal 
rights and privileges to the tribal members. It reinstates their 
political status and makes them eligible for benefits now available to 
other federally recognized tribes, such as Native American health, 
education, and housing services. The bill also specifically prohibits 
gambling on tribal lands affected by the bill.
  The earliest historical account of the Coast Miwok peoples, whose 
traditional homelands include Bodega, Tomales, Marshall in Marin County 
and Sebastopol in Sonoma County, dates back to 1579. Today there are 
355 members of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
  Legislation passed by Congress in 1992 and later amended in 1996, 
established an Advisory Council in California to study and report on 
the special circumstances facing tribes whose status had been 
terminated. The Council's final report, which was submitted to Congress 
in September 1997, recommended the restoration of the Federated Indians 
of the Graton Rancheria.
  Mr. Speaker, the tribes of the Graton Rancheria are a rich part of 
the North Bay's cultural heritage. Terminating their status was wrong 
then, and it would be wrong now for us to continue to deny them the 
recognition that they deserve.

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