[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 92 (Monday, June 18, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H3711-H3712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                OMNIBUS INDIAN ADVANCEMENT ACT AMENDMENT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 1556) to amend the Omnibus Indian Advancement 
Act to allow certain land to be used to generate income to provide 
funding for academic programs, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1556

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LAND USE.

       Section 824(a) of the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act 
     (Public Law 106 568) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(a) Limitation for Educational, Health, Cultural, and 
     Economic Development Purposes.--The land taken into trust 
     under section 823(a) shall be used solely for the 
     educational, health, or cultural purposes of the Santa Fe 
     Indian School and economic development projects that provide 
     funding for such purposes.''.

  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 Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, established in 
the late 1800s, is a Federal off-reservation boarding school for the 19 
pueblo governors of New Mexico. On December 20, 2000, Public Law 106 
568 transferred 115 acres of property to the school with certain 
limitations. H.R. 1556 would allow the Santa Fe Indian School to use 
its 115 acres of land for economic development. The bill will retain 
the prohibition on Indian gaming on the transferred land.
  I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Hastings, Chairman Young, 
Ranking Member Markey, and Ranking Member Boren for working with me in 
the Natural Resources Committee to help address the many issues 
impacting Indian Country and the tribes I represent in New Mexico. I 
also want to recognize the hard work of the superintendent of Santa Fe 
Indian School and former governor of Kewa Pueblo, Everett Chavez, and 
former AIPC president and former NCAI president Joe Garcia on this 
bill. They worked with the pueblos and the All Indian Pueblo Council to 
support this legislation, which will help Santa Fe Indian School and 
New Mexico's 19 pueblos achieve educational sovereignty for Native 
American students across New Mexico.
  Santa Fe Indian School and the 19 pueblos approached my office early 
last year seeking the introduction of a technical change to the Omnibus 
Indian Advancement Act to allow certain lands designated to the school 
to be used to generate income to provide funding for academic and 
cultural programs at the Indian school. Knowing the importance of what 
Santa Fe Indian School provides to Native American students in New 
Mexico, I was very interested in their approach to move toward true 
financial independence and educational sovereignty for Santa Fe Indian 
School and its students.
  I want to point out the importance of sovereignty and what it means 
for our tribal brothers and sisters to be able to provide a quality 
education for their own children. Education is truly empowering, 
especially when Native American students are able to get an education 
that embraces their cultural and traditional identities--and that is 
the type of education Santa Fe Indian School provides.
  I worked with Superintendent Chavez and Santa Fe Indian School to 
draft a bill that would make a technical amendment to allow the school 
to explore economic opportunities so that students at the Indian school 
can attain the best possible education and to be able to support their 
mission. Santa Fe Indian School provides a challenging, stimulating, 
and nurturing learning environment that shares educational 
responsibility with Native communities, parents, and students to 
develop the students' true potential to meet obligations to themselves 
and their tribal communities.
  In this time of financial uncertainty and the limitations of the 
Federal Government to assist in Federal education programs, it is so 
important to give Santa Fe Indian School the tools they need to help 
their students receive a quality education regardless of the climate in 
Washington. H.R. 1556 would achieve that goal. I'm proud to be able to 
assist the Santa Fe Indian School in amending the Omnibus Indian 
Advancement Act to allow the school to achieve new heights in educating 
Native American students. This technical amendment will help make the 
school more self-sufficient and create greater opportunities for 
students attending the Indian School by ensuring the financial 
capability to maintain and expand the level of academic and cultural 
education for Native American students.
  This is a commonsense bill that will help Native American students in 
New Mexico, and I urge the support of my colleagues. I thank the 
chairman for his support as well.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1556, 
which amends the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow land taken 
into trust for the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico to be used to generate 
income to provide funding for academic programs and other purposes of 
the Sante Fe Indian School. I am proud to co-sponsor the Omnibus Indian 
Advancement Act, and I thank my colleague, Congressman Lujan for 
introducing this legislation.
  As a member of the Native American Caucus, addressing the needs of 
Native Americans is of great importance to me. California is home to 
over one hundred federally recognized tribes and it is my belief that 
these tribes deserve the right to use land to fund academic programs 
for the advancement of their citizens.
  This legislation will allow eligible tribes to promote self-
determination and economic self-sufficiency by allowing the land taken 
into trust under section 823(a) to be used solely for the educational, 
health, or cultural purposes and economic development projects that 
provide funding for such purposes.
  The Sante Fe Indian School has a Community-Based Education Program 
that is seen nationwide as a model of instructional innovation. The 
over 700 students that attend the Sante Fe Indian School, are able to 
participate in a constructive learning environment with new 
dormitories, new classrooms, and student activity centers. Sante Fe 
Indian School graduates are given an effectual education and past 
graduates have received over $800,000

[[Page H3712]]

in scholarship assistance to schools such as Dartmouth, Georgetown, and 
Notre Dame. Not only are students of the Sante Fe Indian School able to 
enter into the competitive environment of college admissions, but 
students are also equipped with a knowledge to better understand the 
issues facing tribes in the Southwest to one day be able to return to 
these communities to contribute positively to the infrastructure that 
is necessary for continued growth.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1556 
to allow Native American tribes the opportunity to continue to improve 
the educational programs and environment for these students. Native 
Americans should be afforded the opportunity to raise funds for their 
educational pursuits and become actively involved in the economic 
development and constructive use of their land.
  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. 1556.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________