[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TREATY SIGNING BETWEEN THE TRIBES OF MIDDLE 
                      OREGON AND THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2005

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 
150th anniversary of the treaty signing between the Tribes of middle 
Oregon and the United States on June 25th, 1855. I will have the honor 
this weekend of celebrating this historic agreement with the Tribes at 
the Warm Springs Reservation. This historic agreement has been the 
guiding document between the Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and 
the United States government for 150 years. The Wasco, Taih, Wyam, 
Tenino, Dock-Spus Bands of the Walla Walla and The Dalles Ki-Gal-Twal-
La and the Dog River Bands of Wasco have called the Middle Columbia 
River home since time immemorial.
  As we near the anniversary of this Treaty, I would like to share with 
my colleagues some of the rich history of the Treaty. On June 25th, 
1855 near what is now The Dalles, Oregon, these bands and tribes 
finalized negotiations with Superintendent for Indian Affairs of Oregon 
Territory Joel Palmer and agreed to cede over 10 million acres of land 
that became most of Central Oregon from the east side of the Cascade 
Mountains up to the middle of the Columbia River and over to the Blue 
Mountains.
  For the past 150 years, the Tribes of Warm Springs have had a strong 
government that has been successful in preserving their traditional 
cultural ways and providing for the well being of their members, 
homelands, and future generations. Today, The Confederated Tribes of 
Warm Springs have over 4,000 enrolled members and the Tribes operate 
almost all their own programs and services including their own tribal 
public safety department which includes tribal police, courts, and 
justice, as well as medical and fire response, utilities, 
infrastructure, social services, housing and education among other 
programs.
  In addition, the Tribes lead the way nationally and within Indian 
Country for managing their vast reservation lands and resources. The 
Tribes co-operate a large hydroelectric project, manage their large 
timber resources, operate their own sawmill, and is pursuing innovative 
endeavors in creating energy from biomass production of wood products. 
In addition, they help manage their Treaty-entrusted fishing resources.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent The Confederated Tribes of the 
Warm Springs in the United States Congress and have enjoyed working on 
many projects important to the Tribes and the people of eastern Oregon. 
Whether it has been working with the Tribes on legislation authorizing 
the 408-megawatt Pelton Round Butte hydroelectric project near Madras 
or partnering with them to help site their future casino in Cascade 
Locks, I have had the pleasure to work with the honorable people of The 
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs.
  As Chairman of the House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest 
Health, and co-author of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, I have 
also had the good fortune to work on issues that will assist the Tribes 
in managing their own lands. In June of this year I was pleased to 
announce that Warm Springs Forest Products Industries received a 
$250,000 grant through the U.S. Forest Service's Woody Biomass 
Utilization Grant Program which was authorized in the Healthy Forests 
legislation. This grant program creates markets for small-diameter 
material and low-value trees removed from hazardous fuel reduction 
activities and helps organizations and businesses turn hazardous fuel 
reduction material into marketable forest products and energy 
resources.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with you and my colleagues the rich 
history of The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and look forward 
to continuing our productive working relationship in the years ahead.

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