[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 22, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 4439. A bill to take certain Federal land located in Siskiyou 
County, California, and Humboldt County, California, into trust for the 
benefit of the Karuk Tribe, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Indian Affairs.
  Mr. PADILLA, Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Katimiin and 
Ameekyaaraam Sacred Lands Act to place roughly 1,000 acres of sacred 
lands currently under Federal ownership into trust for the benefit of 
the Karuk Tribe.
  The Karuk have lived in and conducted ceremonies on these sacred 
lands known as Katimiin for centuries, and this bill would promote the 
longevity of the Tribe's culture and traditions.
  Our bill would transfer 1,031 acres of Federal land known as Katimiin 
from the U.S. Forest Service to the Interior Department to place those 
lands into trust for the Karuk Tribe. Doing so would allow the Karuk to 
access Katimiin for use during their ancestral ceremonies without 
interruption and exercise better stewardship over their sacred lands 
for generations to come.
  As our Nation works to correct historic injustices, it is important 
that we promote Tribal sovereignty and the continuation of Tribal 
culture. These sacred lands, located in Humbolt and Siskiyou Counties, 
are central to Karuk culture, religion, and identity, and serve as the 
Tribe's center of the universe and site of the Pikyavish world renewal 
ceremony.
  Currently, the Karuk have a special use permit from the Forest 
Service to access the land for prayers and ancestral ceremonies. 
However, in recent years, the Tribe has struggled to access the site 
and conduct their sacred ceremonies privately without interruption. 
Placing these lands into trust would allow the Karuk to provide better 
public notice of ceremonies, preserve traditional practices, and 
protect the land's rich natural beauty, a core tenant of the Tribe's 
identity.
  I thank Senator Feinstein for introducing this legislation with me in 
the Senate and Congressman Huffman for championing this effort in the 
House of Representatives. I also thank the Karuk Tribe, including 
Chairman Attebery, for leading this important effort. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues to enact this bill as quickly as possible.
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