ESTABLISHMENT OF A SILETZ INDIAN RESERVATION WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1980 U.S. SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:30 a.m., in room 5110, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator John Melcher (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senator Hatfield. Staff present: Max Richtman, staff director; Jo Jo Hunt, staff attorney; Susan Long, professional staff member; and Michael Cox, minority counsel. Senator MELCHER. The committee will come to order. This morning, we are meeting in public hearing on S. 2055, a bill to establish a reservation for the confederated tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon. The bill was introduced on November 28, 1979, by Senator Hatfield, and the purpose of our hearing this morning is to receive testimony from the administration, the confederated tribes, and other interested parties. S. 2055 is a follow-up measure to the Siletz Indian Tribe Restoration Act, Public Law 95-195. That act provided for recognition to be extended to the tribe and for Federal Indian services and benefits to be furnished to the tribe and its members. However, any reservation for the tribe was to be established by a subsequent act of Congress. The act further provided that the Secretary of the Interior negotiate with the tribe, or its representatives, concerning the establishment of a reservation and develop within 2 years of enactment a plan for the establishment of the reservation. Upon approval of the plan by tribal officers, the Secretary was directed to submit the plan in the form of proposed legislation. S. 2055 is that proposed legislation, as recommended by the administration. It provides that all rights, title, and interests of the United States in certain parcels of land, containing some 3,630 acres, are to be held in trust for the confederated tribes. The land is to remain subject to all valid existing rights-of-way, licenses, leases, permits, and easements. This acreage is public domain lands currently managed as timberlands by the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior. The bill also provides for the Secretary of the Interior, acting at the request of the tribe, to accept any deed or other instrument conveying to the United States a parcel of land known as Government Hill and to hold such land in trust for the confederated tribes. This tract contains approximately 36 acres. The bill provides that the aforementioned lands, which are located in Lincoln County, Oreg., will constitute the reservation for the confederated tribes. It also provides that no hunting, fishing, or trapping rights of any nature is granted by the establishment of the reservation and that the State of Oregon shall have civil and criminal jurisdiction with respect to the reservation in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 83-280. At this time I will place a copy of the bill, S. 2055, in the record. [The bill follows:] II 96TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2055 To establish a reservation for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES NOVEMBER 28 (legislative day, November 15), 1979 Mr. HATFIELD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Indian Affairs A BILL To establish a reservation for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz 1 Indians of Oregon. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That, subject to all valid existing rights-of-way, reciprocal 4 road rights-of-way agreements, licenses, leases, permits, and 5 easements, all right, title, and interests of the United States 6 in the land described below is declared to be held in trust for 7 the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon: 8 9 10 WILLAMETTE MERIDIAN, OREGON Township 9 South, Range 9 West Section 13: Southeast quarter northwest quarter; 2 1 2 3 Section 14: Northeast quarter northeast quarter; Section 15: Lot 2; Section 20: East half east half northeast quarter, east 4 half northeast quarter southeast quarter; 5 Section 21: South half northeast quarter, southeast 6 quarter northwest quarter, northeast quarter southwest quar 7 ter; 8 Section 22: North half northwest quarter northeast 9 quarter, northeast quarter northwest quarter, south half 10 northwest quarter; 11 Section 23: Lots 3, 4, 5, southwest quarter northeast 12 quarter, northwest quarter southeast quarter; 13 14 Section 24: Northeast quarter southwest quarter; Section 25: Lot 3, lot 7, southeast quarter northeast 15 quarter, southeast quarter northwest quarter, east half south 16 west quarter, southeast quarter; 17 18 Section 26: Southeast quarter; Section 27: South half northeast quarter northeast quar 19 ter, south half northeast quarter, south half southwest quar20 ter northwest quarter, southeast quarter northwest quarter, 21 north half southeast quarter; 22 23 24 Section 31: Lot 20, southeast quarter northeast quarter; Section 32: North half lot 21; Section 34: East half west half northwest quarter, east 25 half northeast quarter southeast quarter, east half southwest |