[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TRIBAL PARITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 4, 2005

  Ms. HERSETH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the Tribal Parity 
Act today. This bill would fully compensate the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe 
and the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota for the lands that they 
lost in the last century as a result of the federal government's 
construction of the massive dams on the main stem of the Missouri 
River.
  The 1944 Flood Control Act cost these tribes much in terms of lost 
land. It also took an enormous toll on the people of both tribes and 
their economies. It is critically important that we seek to fully 
reimburse these tribes for the lands they lost.
  The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe are both 
constituent bands of the Great Sioux Nation. Both border on the 
Missouri River in central South Dakota and are connected by the Big 
Bend Dam.
  Congress created a trust fund for the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in 1996, 
and a separate trust fund for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in 1997. 
These trust funds sought to compensate the tribes for the value of 
their land that is now permanently inundated as a result of the 
construction of the Big Bend Dam. Unfortunately, the formula that the 
General Accounting Office used to calculate amount of compensation for 
both tribes was substantially different than the formulas that it has 
used to calculate damages for many other similarly situated tribes. The 
result was unfair and inadequate compensation trust funds for these 
tribes.
  Parity for these tribes would mean an ability to actively work for 
the betterment of their communities. It would mean adequate roads and 
improved community facilities. It would mean better health care and 
newer schools. It would mean attracting commercial business and 
improving the local economy. Most importantly, it would mean a real 
chance for these tribes to provide future generations with the tools 
that so many of us take for granted.
  I would ask all of my distinguished colleagues to support the Tribal 
Parity Act and work with me to enact legislation that would fairly and 
appropriately compensate members of the Lower Brule and Crow Creek 
Sioux Tribes. I ask you to do it because of the tremendous positive 
difference it would make in the lives of those affected--and because it 
is the right and fair thing to do.

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