[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24029-24030]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF CONFEDERATED TRIBES COMMENDING INEZ SITTER FOR 
                    HER SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Indian 
Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration and the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 423 and S. 
Res. 441, en bloc.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will state the resolutions by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 441) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate that October 17, 1984, the date of the restoration by 
     the Federal Government of Federal recognition to the 
     Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw 
     Indians, should be memorialized.
       A resolution (S. Res. 423) commending Inez Sitter for her 
     service to the United States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions, en bloc.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolutions be agreed to, en bloc, the preambles be agreed to, en bloc, 
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any 
statements relating to the measures be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolutions (S. Res. 441 and S. Res. 423) were agreed to, en 
bloc.
  The preambles were agreed to, en bloc.
  The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:

                              S. Res. 441

       Whereas the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Restoration Act 
     (25 U.S.C. 714 et seq.), which was signed by the President on 
     October 17, 1984, restored Federal recognition to the 
     Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw 
     Indians;
       Whereas the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and 
     Siuslaw Indians historically inhabited land now in the State 
     of Oregon, from Fivemile Point in the south to Tenmile Creek 
     in the north, west to the Pacific Ocean, then east to the 
     crest of the Coast Range, encompassing the watersheds of the 
     Coos River, the Umpqua River to Weatherly Creek, the Siuslaw 
     River, the coastal tributaries between Tenmile Creek and 
     Fivemile Point, and portions of the Coquille watershed;
       Whereas in addition to restoring Federal recognition, that 
     Act and other Federal Indian statutes have provided the means 
     for the Confederated Tribes to achieve the goals of cultural 
     restoration, economic self-sufficiency, and the attainment of 
     a standard of living equivalent to that enjoyed by other 
     citizens of the United States;
       Whereas by enacting the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw 
     Restoration Act (25 U.S.C. 714 et seq.), the Federal 
     Government--
       (1) declared that the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower 
     Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians were eligible for all Federal 
     services and benefits provided to federally recognized 
     tribes;
       (2) provided the means to establish a tribal reservation; 
     and
       (3) granted the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, 
     and Siuslaw Indians self-government for the betterment of 
     tribal members, including the ability to set tribal rolls;
       Whereas the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and 
     Siuslaw Indians have embraced Federal recognition and self-
     sufficiency statutes and are actively working to better the 
     lives of tribal members; and
       Whereas economic self-sufficiency, which was the goal of 
     restoring Federal recognition for the Confederated Tribes of 
     Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, is being realized 
     through many projects: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that October 
     17, 1984, should be memorialized as the date on which the 
     Federal Government restored Federal recognition to the 
     Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw 
     Indians.

                              S. Res. 423

       Whereas the United States, and subsequently the Choctaw 
     Nation of Oklahoma, have operated a school at Hartshorne, 
     Oklahoma, called the Jones Academy for more than 100 years, a 
     facility that, since 1952, has provided residential services 
     to predominately at-risk children from more than 20 Indian 
     tribes throughout the United States who attend local, public 
     school academic classes;

[[Page 24030]]

       Whereas for approximately half that time, Mrs. Inez Sitter 
     has been a vital part of that school and its efforts to 
     educate American Indian children;
       Whereas Mrs. Sitter came to the school in an administrative 
     post in March of 1944 and progressed through various 
     administrative capacities to be the Administrative Assistant 
     at the school;
       Whereas Mrs. Sitter formally retired from the Bureau of 
     Indian Affairs in 1983, after 39 years of service;
       Whereas Mrs. Sitter immediately thereafter assumed the 
     position as the Study Hall/Tutorial Coordinator for Jones 
     Academy, the Library Services Coordinator, and the Director 
     of the critically important Foster Grandparents program at 
     the school, positions she has held to this day;
       Whereas Mrs. Sitter, who is a member of many civic 
     organizations, including the Hartshorne Edgewood United 
     Methodist Church, the Daughters of the American Revolution, 
     and the American Legion Auxiliary, is known throughout the 
     community for her extra work with students, including 
     mentoring, tutoring, and preparation of homework and term 
     assignments;
       Whereas for such work she gained a position of advocate for 
     the children of Jones Academy and the de facto position of 
     liaison with the local public school in Hartshorne;
       Whereas Mrs. Sitter, who resided with her family on campus, 
     became a surrogate parent for hundreds of Jones Academy 
     children;
       Whereas Mrs. Sitter has been described by a colleague as 
     ``87 years young, and only 95 pounds, but with 60 years of 
     service to the children of Jones Academy and the people of 
     Hartshorne, the State of Oklahoma, and these United States''; 
     and
       Whereas the Bureau of Indian Affairs, recognizing her 
     selfless and outstanding contributions, awarded Mrs. Sitter 
     its Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Assistant 
     Secretary Dave Anderson on August 3, 2004: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate commends Mrs. Inez Sitter for her 
     outstanding service to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the 
     State of Oklahoma, and the United States.

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