Smoke Signals 7
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
EVlew process wdID save tifinnie amxril moimey
SENATE continued
from front page
The amendment would allow the
Tribe to combine the process for
real property that is within the
boundaries of its original 69,100
acre reservation.
Merkley opened the testimony in
support of the Grand Ronde Reser
vation Act amendment.
"Unfortunately, as this committee
knows well, the current process that
a Tribe must follow to restore land
to the reservation is not an easy
process and has not worked well,"
Merkley said. "As the committee
will hear during testimony this af
ternoon, the current process is not
only cumbersome and expensive for
the Tribes to follow, it also will often
take years and years for the land,
which is owned by the Tribe, to be
formally added and recognized as
part of the reservation."
"S.356 is a common-sense ap
proach to streamlining the BIA
process for putting land in to trust,"
Kennedy testified about the pro
posed amendment. "As Senator
Merkley articulated, the Tribes of
Oregon suffered great injustices,
including Termination, which took
all of our land holdings and is the
basis of our testimony. ...
"Today, the Tribe owns a total
of 12,513 acres. ... The Tribe is
hampered in its effort to restore
land within its original reservation
by a lengthy and cumbersome Bu
reau of Indian Affairs process. The
lands that we are talking about are
treated as off-reservation designa
tion even though the lands that we
have purchased are across from our
reservation.
"It means that we go through a
more rigorous process of scrutiny,
of filing plans and then, even af
ter that process is through with
the BIA, we have to come back
to Congress to amend our Grand
Ronde Restoration Act to include
those lands into our reservation
land base.
"In order to make both the fee-to-trust
and reservation designation
process less cumbersome, Senator
Merkley and Senator Wyden in
troduced Senate 356, which would
establish real property located
within the boundaries of the Tribe's
original reservation. They shall be
treated as on-reservation land, a
very important point, for the pur
pose of processing acquisition of
real property into trust and deemed
a part of the Tribe's reservation
once taken into trust."
Kennedy said streamlining the
process would save the Tribe and
federal government money and
time. She added that the Senate
Bill, as well as the companion leg
islation in the House of Representa
tives, received unanimous support
from the boards of commissioners of
the two affected counties Yamhill
and Polk.
Also during her testimony, which
was delayed by almost four hours
because of 18 floor votes that oc
curred in the U.S. Senate, Kennedy
testified against a bill that would
expand the Siletz Reservation. She
was joined by Robert Garcia, chair
man of the Confederated Tribes of
Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw
Indians, in opposing the Siletz bill.
In addition, the Department of
Interior opposes the Siletz legisla
tion as it is currently drafted.
The Grand Ronde Tribe opposes
the Siletz bill because it attempts
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If you have any questions, contact
Brian Krehbiel at 503-879-4639
to re-characterize the Coast Res
ervation, which was set aside for
all western Oregon Tribes, as the
Siletz Reservation, and it adds a
complex opt-in, opt-out provision
for county comments on fee-to-trust
applications that would set a bad
precedent for Indian Country, said
Tribal Attorney Rob Greene.
Kennedy said the Siletz bill would
"significantly infringe on the rights
of Grand Ronde and other Tribes in
western Oregon" by allowing the
Siletz to designate land as on-reservation
within the original 800,000
acre Coast Reservation outside the
boundaries of Lincoln County.
"It is precedent-setting," Kennedy
said, "and is not good Indian policy.
We support the Siletz objective of
taking land into trust in Lincoln
County as contained in the Siletz
Indian Tribe Restoration Act, but
not rewriting history to expand the
Siletz Reservation."
Garcia echoed Kennedy's concerns
about the Siletz bill, stating that if
it passes, the Coos, Lower Umpqua
and Siuslaw Tribe would find many
of its reservation lands, including its
Tribal casino, suddenly in the midst
of the Siletz Reservation.
"The complex history of Tribes
on the Oregon Coast demonstrates
that it would be in error to jump to
the conclusion that the reservation
created by President (Franklin)
Pierce conveyed special status to
the Siletz then or supports today
Congre'ss extending such unfair
advantage," Garcia said.
In conclusion, Garcia invoked
George Orwell's "1984," saying that
the bill would make some Tribes
the Siletz more equal than
others.
"We believe S.908 has fairness and
equity problems," Garcia said.
The hour-long hearing occurred
before Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs Chairman Daniel Akaka,
D-Hawaii, and members Sen. John
Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Sen. Al Fran
ken, D-Minn. The hearing also in
cluded testimony about distribution
of $20 million in judgment funds to
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
The hearing record will remain
open until Feb. 16.
Also traveling to Washington,
D.C., for the hearing were Tribal
Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno,
Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen
Jr. and Tribal Council members
Toby McClary, June Sherer, Valorie
Sheker and Kathleen Tom. Tribal
Attorney Rob Greene and Director of
Development Peter Wakeland also
traveled as support staff.
At the Feb. 12 General Council
meeting, Leno said that he and
Giffen met with U.S. Rep. Don
Young, R-Alaska, about scheduling
a hearing on the proposed amend
ment before the House Subcommit
tee on Alaska Native and Indian
Affairs, which Young chairs.
Leno said he is hopeful that the
Tribe will succeed in getting a hear
ing by either powwow or Restora
tion time.
The Senate hearing can be viewed
by going to http:www.indian.sen- '
ate.govhearingshearing.cfm?hea
ringIDfl4e6e2889a80b6b53be6d
4e41248555 and clicking on "View
Webcast." Then move the progress
bar to about 238 minutes.
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Portland, Or 97239
Tuesdays only
8:30 a.m. - Noon
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Patients need to call the Wellness Center natient
: registration to make their appointments or cancel'
503-879-2002
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