[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 203 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6749-H6751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SILETZ RESERVATION ACT AMENDMENT

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2839) to amend the Siletz Reservation Act to address the 
hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the 
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2839

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

     SECTION 1. SILETZ RESERVATION ACT AMENDMENT.

       Section 4 of Public Law 96-340 (commonly known as the 
     ``Siletz Reservation Act'') (94 Stat. 1074) is amended to 
     read as follows:

     ``SEC. 4. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, AND ANIMAL GATHERING.

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Consent decree.--The term `Consent Decree' means the 
     final judgment and decree of the United States District Court 
     for the District of Oregon, in the action entitled 
     `Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon against 
     State of Oregon', entered on May 2, 1980.
       ``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian Tribe' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
     Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
       ``(3) Siletz agreement.--The term `Siletz Agreement' means 
     the agreement entitled `Agreement Among the State of Oregon, 
     the United States of America and the Confederated Tribes of 
     the Siletz Indians of Oregon to Permanently Define Tribal 
     Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, and Gathering Rights of the 
     Siletz Tribe and its Members' and entered into by the United 
     States on April 22, 1980.
       ``(b) Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, and Animal Gathering 
     Agreements.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Siletz Agreement shall remain in 
     effect until and unless replaced, amended, or otherwise 
     modified by 1

[[Page H6750]]

     or more successor government-to-government agreements between 
     the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the State of 
     Oregon relating to the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal 
     gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz 
     Indians.
       ``(2) Amendments.--The Siletz Agreement or any successor 
     agreement entered into under paragraph (1) may be amended 
     from time to time by mutual consent of the Confederated 
     Tribes of Siletz Indians and the State of Oregon.
       ``(3) Contents of new agreement or amendments.--The Siletz 
     Agreement or any successor agreement entered into under 
     paragraph (1) shall not provide for exclusive or primary 
     Siletz take opportunity outside the exterior boundaries of 
     the 1855 Executive Order Siletz Coast Reservation (as 
     described in section 7(f)(1)(A) of the Siletz Tribe Indian 
     Restoration Act (Public Law 95-195; 91 Stat. 1418; 130 Stat. 
     1364)) relative to any other federally recognized Indian 
     Tribe, and shall not provide for new or expanded take of 
     fishery resources in the Columbia River or in the Willamette 
     River from its mouth to the top of Willamette Falls.
       ``(c) Judicial Review.--In any action brought in the United 
     States District Court for the District of Oregon to rescind, 
     overturn, modify, or provide relief under Federal law from 
     the Consent Decree, the United States District Court for the 
     District of Oregon shall review the application of the 
     parties on the merits without regard to the defense of res 
     judicata or collateral estoppel.
       ``(d) Effect.--Nothing in this section enlarges, confirms, 
     adjudicates, affects, or modifies any treaty or other right 
     of an Indian Tribe.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2839, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2839 will amend the Siletz Reservation Act to 
provide a process by which the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz 
Indians and the State of Oregon may negotiate to amend or replace the 
1980 agreement that currently serves as the final determination of the 
Tribe's hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights.
  The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is a confederation of more 
than 27 different Tribes and bands of Indians who, beginning in 1856, 
were removed throughout western Oregon and placed on the Siletz Coast 
Reservation.
  The Siletz Coast Reservation was repeatedly diminished by Federal 
action until the Siletz Tribe's Federal recognition was terminated by 
an act of Congress in 1954.
  In 1977, Congress enacted a bill to restore the Tribe's Federal 
recognition. This restoration was not without conditions. The Siletz 
Tribe's hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights were 
limited through an agreement made with the State of Oregon.
  This agreement was finalized on May 2, 1980, by the U.S. District 
Court for the District of Oregon as a consent decree. The 1980 consent 
decree was then incorporated into the Siletz Reservation Act of 1980.
  The agreement provided limited allocations for salmon fishing and 
deer and elk hunting while otherwise prohibiting Tribal hunting, 
fishing, gathering, and trapping, except as authorized under Oregon 
State law.
  H.R. 2839 would allow the Siletz Tribe in the State of Oregon to 
negotiate to amend, replace, or terminate the 1980 consent decree. That 
consent decree remains in place until there is mutual agreement for a 
new agreement between both the Tribe and the State.
  The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon would also be 
required to adjudicate any change in the consent decree on the merits 
of the case. This prevents the modification from being dismissed by the 
court because the matter had already been decided.
  Additionally, the legislation includes language preserving all other 
hunting and fishing treaty rights held by other treaty Tribes.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1430

  Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2839, which would amend 
the Siletz Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, 
and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz 
Indians.
  The Siletz Tribe should be able to freely hunt, fish, and gather on 
their ancestral lands, just like every other Tribe in Oregon, except 
one, and in this country.
  Today, the Siletz have over 5,000 enrolled members, and they are 
concentrated in Oregon's Fourth Congressional District, which I am 
honored to represent.
  The Siletz Tribe was stripped of its land and status in 1954 through 
the Western Oregon Termination Act.
  In 1980, the Siletz Tribe was forced to give up their rights to 
hunting and fishing on Tribal lands in order to have their reservation 
restored. This restriction is called a consent decree. It is an unjust 
and racist policy that should have never happened, and it needs to be 
changed immediately.
  This is a bipartisan bill, and I thank my colleagues for their 
support. It provides the legal ability for the Siletz Tribe to 
renegotiate a hunting and fishing agreement with the State of Oregon.
  While the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved a 
historic new hunting and fishing agreement with the Siletz Tribe, the 
State can choose or be forced by litigation to return to the previous 
unconscionable agreement at any time. That is why this bill is greatly 
needed.
  The bill is necessary to invalidate the consent decree, and it does 
not impact the treaty rights of any other Tribe.
  The Siletz Tribe has worked in good faith with other Tribes in the 
region to avoid contested areas, which is reflected in my bill. There 
was a lot of hard work that went into making this happen and making 
this right.
  I am proud that H.R. 2839 passed out of committee with strong 
bipartisan support. In fact, it was unanimous. That is pretty strong 
bipartisan support.
  I thank my colleagues in the Oregon delegation for their support of 
this bipartisan bill. I particularly thank Senator Merkley, who has a 
companion bill in the Senate and who has worked tirelessly to right 
this historic wrong.
  The Siletz is one of only two Tribes in the entire country that was 
forced to give up their sovereign rights in order to have Federal 
status renewed. The other Tribe is the Confederated Tribes of the Grand 
Ronde Community of Oregon. I support similar legislation to allow them 
to renegotiate fishing and hunting rights with the State of Oregon, as 
well. I hope to see this legislation move forward.
  H.R. 2839 is about fairness. Siletz members should be able to hunt, 
fish, trap, and gather on their ancestral lands as they have 
traditionally done. They should be treated as other Tribes are.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation would amend the Siletz Reservation Act 
to allow the State of Oregon and the Siletz Tribe to negotiate to 
amend, replace, or terminate the Tribe's 1980s hunting, fishing, 
trapping, and animal consent decree.
  The current consent decree would remain in place until there is a new 
agreement that is mutually decided on, allowing all parties to reach an 
agreement before changes are made.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the legislation for her work on 
behalf of her constituents. I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2839.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.

[[Page H6751]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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