[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 185 (Monday, December 5, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8131-H8132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1550
ALLOWING YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO TRIBE TO DETERMINE MEMBERSHIP
REQUIREMENTS
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 1560) to amend
[[Page H8132]]
the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of
Texas Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to
determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that tribe.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1560
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. BLOOD QUANTUM REQUIREMENT DETERMINED BY TRIBE.
Section 108(a)(2) of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama
and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act (25
U.S.C. 1300g-7(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
``(2) any person of Tigua Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Indian
blood enrolled by the tribe.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
General Leave
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo was originally based in New Mexico and then
relocated after the 1860 Pueblo Revolt to its present location in El
Paso County, Texas.
In 1967, Congress enacted Public Law 90-287, terminating the Federal
trust relationship with the tribe and placing the tribe under the
jurisdiction of the State of Texas. In 1987, the Federal trust
relationship was restored by Public Law 100-89.
The Restoration Act limited the tribe's membership to individuals
listed on a certain tribal membership roll and to descendants of such
individuals as long as they have a minimum of one-eighth degree of
Ysleta del Sur Indian blood.
In recent years, the tribe has passed resolutions in favor of
legislation to eliminate this limitation which is consistent with the
modern congressional policy of allowing recognized tribes to set their
own membership when they enroll Indian people.
H.R. 1560 permits the tribe to enroll Indian members with a minimum
blood requirement. Similar versions of this bill have been passed by
the House in the last two Congresses.
The Committee on Natural Resources has not heard any objection to
passing this bill again. I think it's a good idea to treat the tribe
consistently with how Congress treats other federally recognized
tribes.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. LUJAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1560, a bill that
removes the blood quantum threshold requirement for membership in the
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe.
No other tribe in the State of Texas has had a similar limitation to
tribal membership conditioned on its recognition by the United States.
H.R. 1560 corrects this inequity.
By modifying the tribal enrollment requirements, the tribe will be
able to preserve the unique character and traditions of their tribe
based on shared history, customs, and language, in addition to tribal
blood. This bill will ensure their survival as the oldest community in
Texas and the only pueblo still in existence in the State.
H.R. 1560 passed the House under both Republican and Democratic
leadership in the 106th Congress and in the previous two Congresses. I
ask my colleagues to again support the passage of this very important
legislation at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time he may consume to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Reyes).
Mr. REYES. I want to thank my good friend from New Mexico for
yielding me time, as well as thanking Chairman Hastings from Washington
and Ranking Member Rahall for their help in getting this legislation to
the floor. I want to thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan)
for handling the bill on the Democratic side.
I rise today in support of H.R. 1560, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo blood
quantum bill. This bill is crucial to the members of the Ysleta del Sur
Pueblo tribe, which is located in El Paso, my district, the 16th
District of Texas. This will grant them the right to determine their
own membership. It seeks to correct unjust legislation approved by
Congress in 1987, which imposed a one-eighth blood quantum Federal
requirement for tribe membership. This law singles out the Tigua; and
if not amended, the tribe will lose their federally recognized status
and the right to self-govern their community.
The Tigua tribal community was established, as was stated by both the
chairman and Mr. Lujan, in 1862 after the Pueblo Revolt against the
Spanish colonization of the Americas, nearly a century before the
Declaration of Independence, and more than 160 years before the
annexation of Texas to the United States. This community represents a
central part of our district's rich culture and our heritage.
The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo has been an important part of the
community's cultural heritage for nearly 330 years. The tribe is an
inseparable part of our history, and it should be allowed to preserve
its status as a sovereign nation for future generations. So I strongly
urge all Members to support this bill.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I have no further requests for time, and
I am prepared to yield back if the gentleman from New Mexico is.
Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, again, we appreciate the work of the majority
and the work of Chairman Reyes on this important issue as well.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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 Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1560.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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