Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 1451 (Rep. Brecheen), “Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025”; H.R. 2302 (Rep. McClintock), “Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025”; H.R. 2389 (Rep. Randall), “Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act”; and H.R. 2400 (Rep. LaMalfa), “Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025”.
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House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs U.S. House of Representatives
Follow its sittingsTeresa Leger Fernandez
There is a lot of concern in the network as they talk to me among tribal leaders, Native Americans, about the idea of selling off public lands because on those public lands are many sacred sites and sites that tribal communities have historically held dear. We will want to know whether they have been consulted on any of these kinds of proposals because consultations with tribes must be the beginning of any policy that will affect our tribal nations. It takes people to oversee land into trust. It takes people to fight fires. It takes people to manage our forests.
And so we have many partnerships between tribes and the BIA and the Forest Service. And we will be wanting to know more about how we're going to be carrying out these partnerships, including in terms of carrying out the intent of these land transfers. I'm very concerned about the large number of BIA offices that are set to have their leases terminated, including in districts of members on this committee, like one BIA office in Representative LaMalfa's district, which the Pit River Tribe here today uses. I hope that the administration, the BIA, reverse course on some of these office closures and all of these office closures. I know they've reversed course on the Oklahoma ones.
I'm very pleased for that. But we need to make sure that not just the Oklahoma tribes, but tribes across the country have BIA offices that they can go to and meet with their federal representatives. I'm hoping that our witnesses today will reaffirm their commitment to tribal nations and understand that we need the resources in your offices to carry out that trust responsibility. I'm also very excited about the bills that we are hearing today, which will indeed begin that process for the lands we're talking about of remedying injustices. Representative Randall's bill here, which will transfer those 72 acres of land from the Forest Service to the Department of Interior so they can be held in trust.
Representative McClintock's bill of the 204 acres located in El Dorado County, California, and Representative LaMalfa's 538 acres of land, which will then be able to be used by the Pit River Tribe of California. Each bill is going to help reclaim traditional homelands, increase opportunities, and support tribal self-determination, which was the purpose of that field hearing. And the last one, the Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act. You know, decades, decades of legal fighting by the Quapaw Tribe to address the mining waste and the environmental damage. I'm so glad that we are here today to resolve a settlement of that bill.
Once again, I thank all the witnesses for being here today and I look forward to your testimony. And with that, I yield back.
Speaker 2
I thank the gentlelady and I recognize the gentleman from California, the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Huffman.
Jared Huffman
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to the tribal witnesses who are here today and the other witnesses. This subcommittee is considering four important bills that involve land to trust for three tribes, including two in my California colleagues' districts and one that settles a decades-long legal battle to address mining pollution and environmental degradation on an Oklahoma reservation. I want to voice my support and join the ranking member in supporting these bills and pledge my willingness to work with the subcommittee to move these bills forward. But as the tribal witnesses who are with us today know better than anyone, in order to be effective, we need more than just good land to trust bills.
We need Indian Country to know that it's got a reliable federal partner that keeps its commitments. And it was disappointing, Mr. Chair, it's not your fault you're pinch-hitting today, but it's disappointing that we continue to just get the bare minimum of notice on things like the witnesses with these hearings. But we did find out on that bare minimum of notice that for the first time in this Congress, we were going to have a couple of administration witnesses. That's a good thing. It is good to see the BIA and the US Forest Service here today because, frankly, this administration should be answering some hard questions that suggest that we do not have a federal partner for Indian Country that keeps its commitments and that has plans to be a reliable and stable federal government partner.
Hopefully, the presence of these administration witnesses signals an end to this failed DOGE experiment because there has just been so much damage in the first 100 days. Secretary Burgum really seems to have handed the keys to the department over to Elon Musk and DOGE and some other powerful industry interests. In February, this committee showed that the Department of Interior planned to close over 25% of BIA offices with no semblance of a plan to account for how that would impact tribes or any evidence that tribes were consulted in that decision that would impact them very profoundly. Wildfire prevention is critical for tribes in my district and around the West, but we are seeing USDA funding cuts and the staff responsible for managing public lands and protecting communities from wildfire being laid off. It is chaos.
And this is not a commitment to Indian Country. The Forest Service and BIA have hundreds of agreements and partnerships with tribes all over the country. Tribes shouldn't have to worry whether local BIA offices will suddenly shut down or whether the staff they rely on will be the next DOGE victim, unavailable to answer the phone or carry out agreements, or whether some kid in a hoodie with no government experience and no idea about tribal policy is going to come in and gut critical housing or healthcare or other programs that they depend on. So tribes really do need certainty and here in this subcommittee, we need to appreciate that. And we need to talk about it.
Tribes need to be able to plan projects, hire staff, meet the needs of their communities without fear that funding will be frozen arbitrarily or clawed back or cut entirely. So I hope today is the beginning of a better conversation on these issues and I hope that both the BIA and Forest Service can commit to meaningful consultation with tribes, especially when decisions could impact staffing and funding with very profound and harmful impacts to tribes all over the West.
So thank you very much and I yield back.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentleman. I now recognize the gentlelady Representative Randall to give an opening statement on her bill.
Emily Randall
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. As I have mentioned in this committee before, I have the great honor of representing a district that is home to 12 federally recognized tribes. And you know, these tribal leaders have an incredible both responsibility and show incredible leadership in their stewardship of these lands and waters, lands and waters that they have stewarded since time immemorial. And having the opportunity to serve on this subcommittee and to do this work alongside leaders here in Congress and the tribal leaders in my district and beyond is I think a really wonderful opportunity for us to work to protect these lands for the next seven generations. And I'm so grateful to the chair and ranking member for making space for these important trust land transfer bills today.
And I look forward to hearing from Councilmember Johnston from the Quinault Indian Nation on our Trust Land Transfer Act. This bill represents a real work that I was sent to Congress to do, to introduce bipartisan solutions that matter to the people I represent, to bring the voices of my community members with me here to Washington, D.C. to represent their best interests. And transferring land into trust and restoring the original reservation lands are part of our government's promise and part of my constitutional duty and part of our treaty obligation to protect tribal lands and the people who call them home. I'm so grateful to Councilperson Johnston for traveling from Washington, our Washington, to this Washington to join us at this important hearing and look forward to hearing from them and the rest of our witnesses today.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentlelady. Now I'll introduce the witnesses for our first panel. Mr. Brian Mercier, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Welcome. Mr. John Crockett, Deputy Chief of State, Private and Tribal Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Let me remind the witnesses that under committee rules, they must limit their oral statements to five minutes, but their entire statement will appear in the hearing record.
To begin your testimony, please press the talk button on the microphone. We use timing lights. When you begin, the light will turn green. When you have one minute left, the light will turn yellow. And at the end of five minutes, the light will turn red and I'll ask you to please complete your statement.
I will also allow all witnesses on the panel to testify before member questioning. The chair now recognizes Mr. Brian Mercier for five minutes.
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, ranking member, members of the subcommittee. Good afternoon. My name is Brian Mercier. I am an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and a former Udall Foundation intern as we sit here in the Morris K. Udall room. It's my pleasure to be here before you as the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Department of Interior.
Thank you for the opportunity to present this statement on behalf of the Department regarding the four bills on the agenda. I'll start with H.R. 1451, which would authorize $137,500,000 to be placed into a special deposit account in the Department's Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. The Secretary of Interior, through the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, would administer all funds appropriated to the account. The Department supports the intent of H.R. 1451 to effectuate the payment of the settlement funds in resolution of the legal and equitable claims against the United States. The Department would welcome the opportunity to work with the sponsor and the subcommittee to provide technical assistance.
I will now turn to the three land transfer bills. Congress, through its plenary authority, can direct the Department to accept and administer lands to be held in trust for the benefit of a tribe through legislation. H.R. 2302 would transfer approximately 85 acres of federal land and 119 acres of tribal fee land into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. The land would be part of the tribe's reservation, and under H.R. 2302, the land transfer would be subject to valid existing rights. The Department supports conveying these lands into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and would like to work with the sponsor and subcommittee to address technical changes to verify acreage in the referenced bill.
H.R. 2389 would transfer approximately 72 acres of federal lands administered by the Forest Service to the Secretary of Interior to be held in trust for the Quinault Indian Nation. The lands would be part of the Quinault Indian Nation reservation. The Department supports the goals of H.R. 2389 and would like to work with the sponsor and subcommittee to address technical changes. Finally, H.R. 2400 would transfer approximately 584 acres of federal land currently administered by the Forest Service to the Secretary of Interior to be held in trust for the Pit River Tribe. The bill would exclude approximately 20 acres of roads, highways, and public rights-of-way subject to existing easements within the proposed area.
The legislation would also transfer approximately 40 acres of tribal fee land into trust for the Pit River Tribe. The combined lands, approximately 604 acres, placed into trust would be part of the Pit River Tribe reservation. The Department supports the goals of H.R. 2400 and would like to work with the sponsor and subcommittee to address technical changes. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and I would be glad to answer any questions the subcommittee may have. Thank you.
Tim Walberg
Thank you, Mr. Mercier. I now recognize Mr. John Crockett for your five minutes.
Jasmine Crockett
Thank you, Chair Walberg, Ranking Member Leger Fernández, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on H.R. 2389 and H.R. 2400, which would direct the Secretary of Agriculture, Forest Service, to transfer certain lands located within the state of Washington and California to the Department of Interior and take them into trust for the benefit of the Quinault Indian Nation and the Pit River Tribe respectively. My name is John Crockett, and I currently serve as Deputy Chief for State, Private, and Tribal Forestry within the USDA Forest Service. With over 28 years as a career employee with the Forest Service and the past 13 focused on national-level policy issues, I've gained a valuable experience in partnering with tribes and implementing tribal-related authorities. The Forest Service appreciates the opportunity to comment on this legislation and its potential implications for federal lands and intergovernmental partnerships.
The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of national forest and grasslands, and we work closely with Indian nations through sustainable land stewardship, including forest management, wildfire mitigation, resource restoration, and cultural preservation efforts.
We acknowledge the tribe's deep cultural, historical, and ecological connection to the land as identified in these bills and are committed to continuing the interagency and tribal coordination where overlapping interests exist on adjacent existing lands. HR 2389, the Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act, would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer approximately 72 acres of National Forest System lands on the Olympic National Forest to the Department of Interior to place into trust for the benefit of the Quinault Nation, subject to valid existing rights. The transferred land would become part of the Quinault Indian Reservation and would be managed under the existing federal laws for federal tribal trust lands. The bill stipulates that the land cannot be used for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the bill does not alter any rights under the Treaty of Olympia. The USDA supports HR 2389 and the Forest Service is committed to working collaboratively with the Department of Interior and the Quinault Indian Nation to ensure a smooth transfer process that honors our government-to-government relationship and shared responsibilities.
HR 2400, the Pit River Land Transfer Act, intends to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer approximately 584 acres of lands located within the ancestral territory of the Pit River Tribe on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California. These lands would be transferred from the Forest Service to the Department of Interior. It will direct the Department of Interior to take the lands into trust for the benefit of the Pit River Tribe, subject to valid existing rights. Non-federal lands owned by the tribe would also be taken into trust upon the tribe's request and the completion of a land survey. The transferred lands would be managed under the existing federal laws for tribal trust lands.
Once in trust, both parcels would become part of the Pit River Tribe's reservation and would be administered by the Secretary of Interior in accordance with applicable laws and regulations for trust lands. The bill stipulates that the land cannot be used for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The USDA supports HR 2400 and would appreciate the opportunity to continue to work with the committee to ensure that any existing special use permits are also excluded from the land transfer. We're also committed to working collaboratively with the Department of Interior and the Pit River Tribe to ensure a smooth and coordinated transfer process that honors our government-to-government relationship and shared responsibility. And finally, HR 2302, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indian Land Transfer Act, would revoke public lands under 3309, which would transfer the administrative jurisdiction of 40 acres of Forest Service land owned by the Forest Service for research purposes to the Secretary.
The USDA supports HR 2302. This concludes my testimony and again, thank you, Chair Walberg and Ranking Member Leger Fernandez and members of the subcommittee.
Tim Walberg
Thank you, Mr. Crockett, for your testimony. I now recognize myself for my five minutes of questioning. Mr. Mercure, we have heard that the BLM land near or on Shingle Spring Band of Miwok Indian land parcels are not managed well and the tribe and local communities are very concerned about the threat of wildfire and have even taken matters into their own hands. Can you share some more insight into this?
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the question. Absolutely. As an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in the Northwest, which is near Willamina, Oregon, which prides itself as Timber Town USA, we're very familiar in Indian Country with the need to manage our forests in a healthy manner. Tribes across the country have been doing a very good job of managing their forests to sustain them, but also to ensure that there's protection for their nearby communities. With the use of indigenous use of fire through prescribed burns, but also through some thinning and active management, tribes have been very successful in maintaining their services through our 638 contracts, the Indian Self-Determination contracts.
So we would expect that the tribe, once this land, if it were in trust, would manage it consistent with those practices we've seen with other tribes.
And cost-efficient as well?
Brian Mercier
Much more cost-efficient. I think per capita, we're one of the best forest managers in the country, in tribes.
Tim Walberg
Okay. Appreciate that. In your written testimony, you stated that the administration would want to work on technical changes to H.R. 2302 and H.R. 2400. Can you elaborate more on any technical changes that may be needed for each respective bill?
Brian Mercier
Yes, Mr. Chairman, I can. So with the 2302, we'd like to work with the co-sponsor and the committee to ensure that the acreage is correct and to confirm that any existing rights prior to placing the land in trust are resolved. On 2400, the Pit River land transfer, we want to ensure that the land survey and existing rights are also correct prior to taking the land into trust, which is typical as part of our fee-to-trust, discretionary fee-to-trust practices. We often do this, and so want to ensure that we have similarly with this mandatory acquisition.
Tim Walberg
Okay. Thank you. Mr. Crockett, it's my understanding that the Pit River Tribe has tried to obtain ownership of the Four Corners land for years, including a formal request to the U.S. Forest Service in 2013 and a follow-up in 2015. Why has the U.S. Forest Service maintained ownership of this land and not engaged with the tribe?
Jasmine Crockett
It's my understanding, so thank you for the question. And it's my understanding that the Forest Service did have intentions on putting an administrative site at that location. There's no longer a desire to be able to do that, and so we fully support the tribe's ability to be able to take these lands as part of the transfer and use them for the purposes that they intended on putting a cultural center there.
Tim Walberg
Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Mr. Mercier, wildfires and other land management issues cause emotional and economic harm to the communities impacted. Would the Bureau agree that land management is done more efficiently and effectively at the local level?
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It has been our experience that the tribes in their communities managing their forests are more effective, yes.
Tim Walberg
For H.R. 2302, is the department aware of any opposition to placing this land in trust for the tribe?
Speaker 11
Okay. Thank you. I now recognize Ranking Member Leger Fernandez for her five minutes of questioning.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The three bills that we're considering today, three of the bills that we're considering today use the legislative process to put land into trust mandatory.
But as you mentioned, tribes can also petition the Department of Interior to place land into trust. We know that process takes too long. I've been involved in it myself. A lot of it is because there isn't enough staff and resources and there are things we do need to fix at the BIA, especially with regards to realty. But I'm concerned that the administration's mass firings, the funding freezes, the proposed BIA closure, that that will hurt tribes' ability to use the BIA process to put lands into trust, and it'll also hurt all the other important work that must go on between the BIA and the tribes, including law enforcement, including managing and arranging those 638 contracts, which are marvelous and which I support greatly.
Director Mercier, were any tribes consulted in the proposed BIA office closures, and which ones?
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Ranking Member Leger Fernandez. So I'm not aware of any communication with tribes about office closures, but I can say that we have not closed any offices, none of the BIA offices that have been reported to be notified by the GSA for closure have been closed. We have been working to ensure that we continue to operate and meet our trust responsibilities. So I can't speak on behalf of GSA, but we have not closed any of our offices that I'm aware of.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Right, because those leases have not yet expired and because there has been such outrage over the idea that we would close offices without the kind of consultations or review as to what makes sense. Are you aware of, I mean, what we haven't heard is any rational criteria as to why we would be closing those offices other than just because we wanted to hit a number of we've saved X amount of dollars. And as I said, I think there needs to be a lot of work at the BIA, but it should be done in consultation, which you have just acknowledged hasn't happened. We've also heard that BIA has been implementing new requirements perhaps for the land into trust applications. What are those new requirements and will you provide us with a copy of them if you are considering such new requirements?
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Ranking Member. I'm not aware of any new requirements. Our new 151 regulations for the land acquisitions were implemented, I want to say about a year ago, through some rulemaking. And we've been executing on those new rules to date.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Thank you, and I think that that's really important, that those, that rulemaking took a lot of time. And when we talk about rulemaking, we need to recognize that it is done with extensive consultation and review, and to just start coming up with new criteria and have that spreading out because a lot of work has been done by this administration where there isn't any consultation. I want to turn to Mr. Kwaka. As you know, Mr. Kwaka, the fire season is on us. There is smoke in the air in New Mexico.
Many of the forests are adjacent to tribal forests. And indeed, fires have started on Forest Service land, moved into tribal land. And I have met with many former or in limbo, actually, Forest Service employees who were qualified, who were certified to work on fires and were terminated. Then they were hired again because the court said you can't terminate them, then they were fired again.
This is causing such uncertainty about the safety of our forests. How many Forest Service staff have left since January 20th through whatever means, whether forced retirement, their morale has dropped, or they were terminated?
Jasmine Crockett
So thank you for the question. So I don't have the specifics on the actual numbers. I will acknowledge the uncertainty that you named that has been caused for the removal of employees. As you mentioned, the employees who were removed, the probationary employees who were removed, have been reinstated with all of their full benefits associated with it, and those individuals, if they chose to come back, are still on board now. But I'd have to get back to the committee on the actual number of Forest Service employees who've been, who's left the agency through voluntarily or through one of the workforce reshaping efforts.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
And my time is expired. I see the chair is picking up, but this issue of the forests are burning and the smoke is choking us is very important to those of us in the West, and thank you very much.
I now recognize the gentleman from Oregon, Mr. Bentz.
Speaker 13
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for allowing me to sit in on this meeting. I was on this committee my first two years in Congress and then went off, and now I'm happy to be back for today's hearing. One of the reasons is that in my district back in Oregon, that we have nine federally recognized tribes in the state, I think seven of them are in my district: the Coquille, the Cow Creek, the Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla, Burns Paiute Tribe, the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe down in McDermitt, and the Klamath Tribe. Each of these tribes has issues concerning land, and I'm very happy to see these bills, three of which have to do with land ownership. So I'm very, very happy to see this.
I note that several of these bills have been brought before in previous sessions, so I'm happy to hope that they make their way through this time around. I'm happy to focus on them as opposed to other discussions. I will note, in response to remarks by the ranking member, that there has been no reduction in the seasonal fire team for the Forest Service, at least that was my conversation with folks back in Oregon as recently as five days ago. So to the extent that there are issues concerning fire, I'm happy to say that the folks in that space are available, as they should be. This special, this transfer of land, and these are fairly modest-sized parcels.
I see that there's 85 acres, 72 acres, and 40-acre parcels. I'm working on a transfer to the Burns Paiute Tribe in a bill that I hope to drop this week or next week that would transfer a much larger parcel. I think one parcel is around 2,500 acres and the other is closer to 19,000. And these parcels are large, but the space within which they are located is larger. I think the area in my county that we're talking about is somewhere around 5 million acres in total.
Nonetheless, the issues that come up in that space, I'm kind of curious if any of them come up here. I'm doubtful, but I think one of the witnesses mentioned that the land transfers would occur subject to claims that existed on them. And I'm interested in, back in my district, the issue is grazing permits because although the larger of the parcels is already held by the tribe, the smaller is not, and it is currently being used by a grazing permittee, and thus that transfer will be subject to that arrangement. Now, I've crafted the bill so that if the tribe chooses to do so, it could acquire the very modest number of animal unit months that are on that property, so there's a way for them to acquire ownership not burdened with that particular lease. Tell me, is there any such burdens, because I heard some remark about that, on either any of these three 85-acre, 72-acre, 40-acre parcels?
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Congressman Bentz. And that's part of why the department supports the legislation but would like to work with the sponsors and the subcommittees to ascertain what existing encumbrances or rights may be in these parcels. But to your broader question, yes, it is often that when a tribe acquires lands through the discretionary process, we have to do a title review and we have to do an environmental site assessment to ensure that any encumbrances or title defects are resolved before taking the land into trust. Obviously, we will do whatever Congress directs us to do. So if the discretionary process is too time-consuming, too burdensome for the tribe, a mandatory acquisition through legislation is always an option through Congress.
Speaker 13
Another point, thank you for that. And another point has to do with the H.R. 1451. We had a similar situation where an amount of money was paid to a tribe and then the sorting out of trying to figure out who was going to get the money began. That certainly is going to occur here. I note that the size of the tribe, I think it's in the 5,000, yeah, 5,500 tribal enrolled members.
I don't know if this bill has a clause at the end that says after 20 years of trying to sort this out, whatever's left is going to be given to the tribe to figure it out. That's what we ended up doing two years ago because it's just too confusing. And finally the tribe actually came to us and said, hey, Congress, we know that somebody here is entitled to this but no one's coming forward, so would you please give us the balance. It wasn't a huge amount. Is that your thought on how to manage what happens here at the end of this particular effort?
Brian Mercier
Yeah, thank you, Congressman Bentz. Yeah, that is part of what we would like to speak with the sponsor and the subcommittee about is the administration and the bureaucracy that it would create if we were to distribute through the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration the settlement funds. It creates an additional liability should we create an additional trust account. So we would like to work with the committee and the sponsor to maybe find a more efficient, effective way to distribute the settlement. We are supportive of the settlement, though.
Speaker 18
I thank the gentleman. I recognize gentlelady from Washington State, Ms. Randall.
Emily Randall
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and Mr. Crockett and Mr. Mercier for joining us in committee today. Similar to the ranking member's line of questioning, I want to talk a little bit about staffing and support for some of these land transfer programs at the agency side. USDA and Interior operate two of these key programs to restore tribal homelands. And at the USDA, the Quinault Tribe has been actively involved in the land acquisition program and the DOI has the land buy-back program. Both of your agencies play such a key role in the kind of transfers that we're talking about in policy today, but as has been mentioned before, it's a different process.
But can you share if either of your agencies have kept all of the staff responsible for carrying out these programs, these land acquisition programs, or if you've seen any staff impact within these particular programs?
Brian Mercier
Thank you, Member Randall. So, yeah, so we have not yet been significantly impacted by any of the workforce efficiency efforts. And in fact, we publicly noticed to the tribes that we're going to conduct extensive consultation with the tribes on those efforts, and those have been publicly noticed on our website. And we start in two weeks. I'll be in Anchorage, Alaska on the 20th and in Sacramento, California on the 22nd to begin meeting with tribes over a number of weeks to consult on this.
So I expect to fully hear from tribes about the potential impacts from any workforce efficiency and optimization efforts that we undertake. But we are still working hard to deliver these lands, this is both the discretionary and mandatory when directed by Congress. Thank you.
Jasmine Crockett
And outside of the probationary terminations that I mentioned in my earlier response, we have had voluntary separations that have happened as a result of the workforce reshaping efforts. I don't have the specific numbers on the realty-type staff that would be responsible for assisting with the land transfer responsibilities. But what I will name is it is important for us and this administration that we, if this bill goes through, that we put the resources, make the resources available to assist with the transfer. Yeah.
Emily Randall
Thank you, and thank you, Mr. Mercier, for answering my second question, which was will you commit to ensuring that future administration decisions impact these programs include the appropriate government-to-government consultation to ensure that the impacts on tribal nations aren't detrimental. And I'd ask the same question to you, Mr. Crockett. Do you have a process in place, or can you make a commitment on behalf of your agency that you'll undertake that government-to-government consultation?
Jasmine Crockett
So yes, I can commit to making sure that we, that there's nothing that we do that diminishes tribal sovereignty and that we make sure we have the resources, which in this case are mostly going to be at the forest supervisor level or at the forest level to do meaningful consultation on whatever work priorities that come before us as it pertains to tribes.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentlelady. And thank you, Mr. Mercier and Mr. Crockett, for sitting before us today and taking the questions and giving us your best answers. We appreciate that. We can ask, we can make sure that members understand, the members of the committee, that they have, if they have additional questions for the witnesses, that they will ask them of you and you respond to them in writing as quickly as possible. Thank you.
While the clerk is resetting the table for the next panel, I would like to introduce our witnesses for our second panel. The Honorable Wena Supernaw, Chair, Quapaw Nation, Quapaw, Oklahoma, who I had the privilege of meeting for the first time in Oklahoma when we were there. Good to see you here. The Honorable Regina Cuellar, Chairwoman, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok, Shingle Springs, California. Welcome.
The Honorable Tyson Johnston, Councilman, Quinault Nation, Taholah, Washington. Welcome.
The Honorable Yoch Bamford, Chairman, Pit River Tribe, Burney, California. Welcome. Let me remind the witnesses that under committee rules, they must limit their oral statements to five minutes, but their entire statement will appear in the hearing record. I think you heard the description of the talk button and the lights, what they mean prior, so I won't go through those again. We want to have full time for your witnesses. You'll have the five minutes, but your entire statement will be complete in our record.
I will also allow all witnesses on the panel to testify before member questioning. The chair now recognizes the Honorable Wena Supernaw for five minutes of testimony.
Wena Supernaw
Haway. Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Leger Fernandez, members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on H.R. 1451, the Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025. This bill authorizes the payment recommended by the Court of Federal Claims pursuant to the settlement of the Thomas Charles Bear et al. v. U.S. litigation. I am the Quapaw Nation Business Committee Chair, Wena Supernaw, and I am here to ask for your support of the bill on behalf of my nation and the impacted landowners within our reservation.
Before I begin to explain why this legislation is so critical, I want to first acknowledge a few people. First, the members of my business committee, Vice Chair McKibben is present for the hearing today. Your leadership, your support, and patience has been a source of strength. To my friends who are also parties to the Bear case, thank you for your partnership and determination to reach an agreement on this bill. And most importantly, to Congressman Brecheen, Senators Mullin and Lankford, and Congressman Cole.
Your trust means the world to us. We would not be here today without your willingness to fight for your constituents and to ensure that our nation lives up to its responsibilities. In the early 20th century, lead and zinc were discovered on our land, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs began to permit mines. The demand for Quapaw lead and zinc was insatiable. We watched as they quite literally moved the earth beneath our feet.
Over time, twenty billion dollars of lead and zinc were removed from our reservation. It won't surprise you that the value of the mined materials did not go to the tribe. But the lost revenue pales in comparison to the damage done to our land and our people. The price we paid was even more steep. Despite our objections, mining companies created piles of waste, what we call chat, mining tailings, on our farms and next to our homes.
Many piles are longer than a football field and taller than a twenty-story building. Even though the harmful effects were known, the BIA allowed the Quapaw people to be poisoned. The contaminants leached into our water and fine particulate matter blew through the air. We fought for change. Finally, new leadership at the BIA began to value our lives and our land.
The mining stopped.
The EPA recognized the environmental catastrophe and declared much of our reservation a Superfund site. The cleanup began. But we were still a long way from justice. Around this time, the courts told us they wouldn't help. We felt the impact of the breach of trust every day.
But the statute of limitations had passed. It seemed like the exploitation and neglect would not result in fair compensation. It was a tough pill to swallow. Then a gentleman by the name of Tom Cole was elected. Congressman Cole understood our world in a way other members of Congress did not.
In 2012, Congressman Cole introduced House Resolution 668 to allow the Court of Federal Claims to hear our case and make a recommendation on a settlement. It was a glimmer of hope when the resolution passed overwhelmingly on December 19th, 2012. After our case was heard, the parties reached a settlement. The court agreed, stating, quote, "There has been sufficient factual and legal development of all claims, and it would be fair, just, and equitable to pay claimants a total sum of 137 and a half million dollars." But the journey was not over yet.
Because our case was referred to the court by Congress, only Congress has the power to fund the settlement. So here we are today. H.R. 1451 is the final step in this journey. It fulfills the Court of Federal Claims' recommendations and sets up a process for the tribe to distribute the funds through self-governance and allocate the funds among the parties. The bill is a just and necessary response to one of the most egregious violations of federal trust responsibility, and I ask for your support in closing this dark chapter in our history.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today, and I look forward to answering any questions and working with you to report the bill out of committee with any necessary changes. Gonegé.
Regina Cuellar
Thank you, Chair Supernaw, for your testimony. The chair now recognizes the Honorable Regina Cuellar for five minutes.
Ségasín. Good afternoon, Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Leger Fernandez, and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of H.R. 2302. My name is Regina Cuellar, and I'm the chairwoman of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. I am here with our Attorney General, Mr. Nicholas Bryson.
We are here today to discuss the importance of H.R. 2302, which seeks to transfer 85.3 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and to place an additional 188.84 acres of fee land owned by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians into trust for the benefit of our tribe. The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is a federally recognized tribe located in El Dorado County, California.
Our tribe has a long, rich history deeply connected to the land, and we remain resilient despite many challenges. We currently have 582 citizens, approximately 140 of whom live on our reservation in Shingle Springs. Our community has long thrived in this region and remains committed to sustaining that heritage. However, our history has also been marred by significant challenges. The construction of Highway 50 in the 1960s severed access to our original reservation, known as the Verona Tract, leaving us landlocked and without the ability to use these critical lands for our community's development.
It took more than 40 years to regain legal access, and now our reservation community is thriving, so much so that the land available for housing is insufficient to meet the needs of our growing population. This is why H.R. 2302 is so important. The fee land identified that is subjected to this bill, also known as the Indian Creek Ranch property, presents a unique opportunity to address the tribe's housing crisis. Located just three miles from our reservation, the property was originally approved for 75 residential lots as part of a subdivision back in 2009, but the land sat undeveloped, a victim of the real estate crash in 2008. The trust transfer contemplated by H.R. 2302 will not eliminate our housing shortage, but it will make a serious dent in it and will provide our citizens with proximity to essential services such as healthcare, community facilities, and employment opportunities.
However, the land's importance goes far beyond just housing. The Indian Creek Ranch property and the BLM parcels that would be transferred to the tribe pursuant to H.R. 2302 have been neglected for over the years, leaving them vulnerable to environmental risks, especially wildfires. Living in El Dorado County, we've had two major wildfires, the Caldor and the King's Fire. As the frequency and intensity of fires in California increase, this is a real problem. Recognizing this risk, we have already begun clearing underbrush and managing both our fee-owned property and the adjacent BLM property to reduce wildfire hazards.
If the lands are transferred into trust, we are committed to continuing this work, maintaining these areas as open spaces and recreational zones that will help serve as a firebreak for the surrounding community. Another key advantage of H.R. 2302 is its potential to streamline the fee-to-trust process. The BIA's fee-to-trust process continues to be bogged down by a significant backlog and delaying the fee-to-trust process. If the Indian Creek Ranch lands are included in this legislation, we can eliminate some of the typical delays and begin development sooner, ensuring that our community can address our housing needs more quickly. We have been fortunate to receive strong support from El Dorado County, which recognizes the value of this transfer, not only for our tribe but also for the broader community.
The potential for new housing, infrastructure, and fire risk management will have a lasting positive impact on everyone who lives in the region. Thank you so much for your time today, and we appreciate Congressman Tom McClintock's strong support for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and his ongoing commitment to tribal sovereignty in advancing this bill. In conclusion, I urge you to support H.R. 2302. This bill represents a critical step forward in addressing our tribe's housing needs, reducing fire risk, and promoting sustainable community growth. It will provide us with the resources we need to strengthen our sovereignty, ensure the safety and well-being of our people, and create a sustainable future for generations to come.
Thank you for your time today, your attention, and your continued support of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.
Speaker 15
Thank you, Chairwoman Cuellar. And now I would ask the gentlelady from Washington State, Representative Randall, to introduce our next witness.
Emily Randall
I appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Chair. I want to thank Councilperson Johnston for making the time to be here and traveling all the way across the country.
Not only is it a five to six hour flight from Seattle, but Taholah to Seattle is also quite a journey. Councilperson Johnston serves as the elected fourth councilperson of the Quinault Nation Business Committee and Tribal Council and has over a decade of elected experience for the Quinault Tribe and most recently was re-elected as of April 2024. They serve as the chairperson of the Quinault Indian Nation's Natural Resources and Community Development Committee and have been an incredible mentor and partner to me as I work to serve the Quinault Indian Nation and our shared constituents on the peninsula. Proud to have your leadership and expertise on this matter and look forward to your testimony.
Tyson Johnston
Good afternoon, Chairman and members of the subcommittee, and really thank Congresswoman Randall for that introduction. My name is Tyson Johnston and I'm proud to sit before you today. I'm here to testify on behalf of H.R. 2389, the Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act. I've been elected to my business committee for over a decade now, and this work to repatriate this land back to the nation has been going on well before my tenure, so I stand on the backs of a lot of giants. The history of Allotment 1157 is very layered.
The Quinault Indian Reservation was set aside for the Quinault Indian Nation for their exclusive use following the Treaty of Olympia of 1856, whereby the nation ceded millions of acres that it had freely roamed in exchange for a homeland and other benefits. Allotment 1157 was part of the Quinault Indian Nation Reservation when it was originally formed. In 1887, after the passage of the Dawes Act, which effectively broke the promises of the Treaty of Olympia and authorized lands that were communally held by tribes to be allotted to tribal members. As a result, the Quinault Indian Nation Reservation was partitioned into 2,340 parcels of 80 acres each and assigned to individual tribal members ostensibly for agricultural use. However, the majority of the reservation was heavily forested and largely unsuitable for farming, rendering the intended purpose of these allotments impractical at best.
On April 23rd, 1928, Allotment 1157 was issued to Ellen Heisman through a trust deed signed by President Calvin Coolidge. Under the Allotment Act, the United States of America held the property in trust for the allotted individual. This is the point in history where the land was taken from the Quinault Nation. On March 18th, 1960, the Bureau of Indian Affairs facilitated the sale of the land and timber on Allotment 1157 from Ellen Heisman to Anderson and Middleton Logging Company for $59,000, thus alienating the property from the reservation. Mrs. Heath retained the mineral rights and A&M took ownership of the property in fee status and managed it along with their other fee holdings on the Quinault Reservation for timber production.
In 1993, A&M intended to harvest the old-growth timber, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as certain non-governmental organizations objected to the harvest as it would remove habitat needed for the northern spotted owl, which had recently been determined to be threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In August 1996, the lawsuit was dropped in favor of the federal government working out a purchase from A&M using federal funds.
for 3.5 million and sold and transferred to the US Forest Service for 3.8 million. Since 1996, the US Forest Service has maintained ownership and management of this orphan property on the Quinault Indian Reservation. Allotment 1157 does not abut any other USFS property. The nation has endeavored to reacquire ownership of its reservation lands to manage as a whole for the benefit of the nation and its members, including being involved in a robust land acquisition program since the 1970s. Over time, the nation has purchased thousands of acres from five major timber companies, Grays Harbor County, and numerous fee and trust landowners.
The nation currently owns approximately 51% of the acreage on the reservation and continues its efforts to consolidate land within the reservation for exclusive use of our citizens. Allotment 1157 represents one of the few remaining vestiges of old-growth forest, including ancient cedar trees, that once defined the Quinault Indian Reservation's landscape. This land holds profound cultural significance for our tribal members, serving as tangible connection to the heritage and ancestral lands of the nation. The Quinault people regard this land as sacred, a place to be safeguarded and preserved for the next seven generations and beyond. The nation is committed to ensuring Allotment 1157 is never commercially logged.
The site contains remnants of cedar sticks and other materials left by ancestral carvers, which were historically used to guide canoe hulls safely in the Salmon River. These canoes were then transported downriver to the main village for final completion. Upon reclaiming ownership of this land, the nation will have the opportunity to bring tribal members to this historic site, teaching them how their ancestors worked to sustain and honor their culture and heritage. The nation currently works with and reports with the US Forest Service on activities affecting living species on the Quinault Reservation. Allotment 1157 will be part of these efforts and reports.
In closing, the nation likes to thank the subcommittee for our time to address you today and urges you to support passage of HR 2389, the Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act, out of committee. Thank you for holding this hearing to discuss this important legislation and for the opportunity to testify today. I'm happy to answer any questions upon a conclusion of our colleagues' testimony. Thank you.
Tim Walberg
Thank you, Councilman Johnston. I now recognize the Honorable Yoch Bamford for five minutes.
Yoch Bamford
Good afternoon, Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Leger Fernandez, and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Yoch Bamford and I am the chairman of the Pit River Tribe. I am here with our lands director, Russell Ellick, and am honored to be here. I am here today to testify in support of HR 2400, the Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025, a bill that would transfer more than 580 acres of federal land into trust for the benefit of our tribe, along with more than 40 acres of fee land that the tribe currently owns.
On behalf of the Pit River Tribe, I want to thank Congressman LaMalfa for his sponsorship of this legislation and for his strong representation of the tribe during his time in Congress. The land that we propose to acquire in this trust through this legislation is known as the Four Corners property and is located between the town of Burney and Fall River Mills in northeastern California. I would like to begin with a brief history of our nation and what the Four Corners land means to our people. The Pit River Tribe consist of 11 autonomous bands: the Ajumawi, Aporige, Astariwi, Atwamsini, Hammawi, Hewisedawi, Illmawi, Itsatawi, Kosealekte, and the Madesi.
For thousands of years our people have maintained deep cultural ties to our ancestral lands, which are fundamental to our identity and our continued existence. Our historic lands are known as the 100-mile square, which is located in northeastern California near Mount Shasta in the Pit River watershed of eastern Shasta County and parts of what is present-day Siskiyou, Lassen, and Modoc counties. Our nation has a strong connection to the Four Corners from both cultural and historical standpoints. The Four Corners is a central landmark of our ancestral lands that is intertwined with our history, identity, and how we will prosper for generations to come. The Four Corners also represents a pivotal and symbolic chapter in Indian activism and our people's constant struggle to fight for our sovereignty.
During the 1960s and 1970s, members of our tribe, like others across all of Indian country, participated in efforts to reclaim their ancestral lands through what were meant to be peaceful demonstrations and occupations. In the wake of the Indian Claims Commission decision, Pit River tribal members began occupying campgrounds and parcels of the Lassen National Forest and surrounding areas, which resulted in the arrest and subsequent trials for the activists. The most notable of these occupations occurred at the Four Corners, where several tribal members were arrested. We commemorate this event every year at the Four Corners property for its historic and cultural significance. Additionally, the tribe recently acquired 40 acres of land on the southeast corner of the Four Corners in fee status.
The now tribally owned fee land is surrounded by the rest of the Four Corners property that is owned by the Forest Service. The Pit River Land Transfer Act is the culmination of more than 50 years of history between the Pit River Tribe and the Forest Service regarding the Four Corners lands. The legislation would transfer 580 acres of the Four Corners, including the original occupation site, into trust for the Pit River Tribe. The legislation would also transfer 40 acres of land held in fee by the tribe into trust status, though we anticipate removing that provision at markup. Acquiring the Four Corners land in trust for the benefit of our tribe through this legislation would enable our people to be the stewards of a historical site vital to our history and culture.
The passage of H.R. 2400 is the top priority for the Pit River Tribe and we appreciate the opportunity to appear here today and present our testimony. Thank you, I am happy to answer any questions the committee may have.
Tim Walberg
Thank you, Chairman. Now we'll lead into our five minutes of questioning from each of our committee members, and I know that Representative Randall has to leave soon with your special purpose here. Let me recognize you for your five minutes.
Emily Randall
Oh, thank you, Mr. Chair, I appreciate that so much so that I can get to votes. But I wanted to thank you again, Councilperson Johnson, for your testimony and for, you know, really underscoring the historic path that this land has taken and the cultural relevance and importance to members of the Quinault Indian Nation.
And, you know, you spoke about, you know, some of the significance and the cedar and the, you know, the important way that you could use this land to safeguard not only the history, but to pass it down to future generations. And, you know, you mentioned commercial logging, but I wonder if you can tell us a little bit more about what further protections transferring this land into trust allow for your stewardship of the land and how that allows you to preserve your culture and safeguard the land for the next seven generations.
Tyson Johnston
Thank you for that question, and I also want to humbly thank you for your advocacy and partnership on this legislative effort. I mentioned it a little in my testimony, you know, the Dawes Act and the legacy of the fractionation of interests once lands were allotted to individuals has really decimated Indian country's ability to fully govern itself in one of our most, you know, principal ways, which is regulating our land base. And so my reservation, you know, being a legacy tribe of the allotment area, is one of the most fractionated in the United States, probably in the top 10%. And so what this checkerboard effect of ownership has created, whether that's private, individual Indian ownership or what have you, it creates jurisdictional issues and overlapping that is problematic when you want to do simple acts of governance over our land base. And so with this area of land in particular, because of its cultural significance and ecological significance, by having it in trust and managed under the tribal side will allow us to better protect that land and make decisions that will preserve and enhance it in ways that aren't possible now.
And so Quinault is one of many tribes that, you know, we have very robust land program and, you know, I heard Chairman also mention today too the 50th anniversary of ISDEAA. Quinault Indian Nation is a tier one self-governance tribe under ISDEAA when that was first passed as an opportunity, 638 contracting and self-governance compacting, and having that autonomy over our land really is more bang for the buck. It's more effective and allows for local control over really key areas of lands like ours, and I'm sure all of my sister tribes also as well.
Speaker 20
Thank you. Thank you so much, and I appreciate the space, Mr. Chairman, and yield my time back.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentlelady, and I recognize myself for my five minutes of questioning. Chair Supernaw, it's good to see you again. When we talked in Oklahoma City, we heard you testify about your tribe's land management programs, which were extensive. Let me ask this: had the Quapaw Nation been in charge of their land management programs all those years ago as the problems developed and became transparent, how would things have gone differently?
Wena Supernaw
Well, I can tell you it definitely would have been different. That's for sure. You know, when we think, would we have permitted the mines? I think we probably would have. You know, we're not opposed to mining.
But would we have mined so irresponsibly that the earth collapsed beneath us? Not a chance. Not a chance. When the town of Picher started experiencing, you know, such great instability that it forced a buyout of the residents so that it is now a ghost town with the exception of eight residents that refuse to leave, we wouldn't have allowed that to happen. Would we have dumped the toxic waste on our own farms and houses?
No. No.
Self-governance would have brought the decision-making back to the local level where we live. We would have never allowed things to get as bad as they did.
Tim Walberg
If you wouldn't mind, would you recite again why you were not allowed to do the change in the management you were declared as being...
Wena Supernaw
I hope I'm answering the question that you posed. It shocked me when I heard you say it before when we met. So the BIA was responsible. In many cases, individual allottees or Quapaws were declared incompetent. At that point, the BIA had decision-making rights and the ability to execute mining leases without the individual landowner even being fully involved.
Tim Walberg
That was a shocking declaration that you shared with me, incompetent. Thank you. Honorable Cuellar, recently your tribe purchased land near your reservation known as the Indian Creek subdivision. Have you attempted to put this subdivision into trust before, and if you have not, why?
Regina Cuellar
Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman. As of right now, we have not tried because we had just purchased it a couple years ago. We did not try before. And again, with the fee-to-trust process with the BIA, it is very bogged down. We've had a parcel actually waiting 10, 11 years just to be into trust, and we're still waiting.
So this to us was the most fastest way we could get land to our members. Some of our members have unfortunately passed away waiting on a list for housing. And so this is a much faster way that we can provide housing for our membership. And I think, you know, bringing our membership back home very close to us to where we can offer the support services they need, that's the most important thing for us. And my council has prioritized housing for our membership.
So this piece of legislation is so important to me and my membership to just bringing back our members.
Tim Walberg
Okay. Thank you. Chairman Bamford, question. Have you tried to acquire the Four Corners with the Forest Service already?
Yoch Bamford
Yes, thank you for that question. Back in 2013, we tried to work with the Forest Service through resolution to get the property. But through numerous staff turnover, both with the Forest Service and on the tribal side, it just wasn't able to come to life.
Tim Walberg
What's your general experience been as you've tried to go through that process?
Yoch Bamford
My own self, I wasn't involved with the tribe back then. I came in after that. And coming in to where we were at, we were submitting everything on our side. But like I said, just the general turnover on the Forest Service side, whether it got lost with the upper staff or wherever it was, it just wasn't able to come to life.
Speaker 24
Putting this land into trust for your tribe, what would it mean to your tribe?
Yoch Bamford
It would mean everything. That corner right there is a vital intersection of Highway 89 and 299. And the 40 acres that we currently own right there, we plan on having a truck stop of sort right there with camping and an RV park. We plan for that to be a major economic hub for the tribe.
Tim Walberg
So it would be productive for your tribe to have that. Thank you, thank you for your testimony. I now recognize the ranking member, Ms. Leger Fernandez.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Thank you to each of you for telling the stories. And as I began my comments today, this is a subcommittee whose job is to help remedy the historic injustice. And each of you provided an example of how that looks. And it looks both in some ways very different in each part of the country that you come from, but sadly also similar. But now we have this opportunity and this is a space that if we could get these bills actually enacted into law, which is I think what we'd like to do, is move them out of this subcommittee, move them down to the floor of the House, have them be unanimous, bipartisan, unanimous consent on the floor.
That's like what my goal would be, right? But tell me, what would you then do next? Chairman Bamford, you did this beautiful history of how the struggles have been, how they included peaceful demonstrations, jailings, all kinds of stuff. It's not old history, it's recent history. How quickly would you be able to move if we moved quickly?
Like why should we move quickly so that you can do what you need to do?
Yoch Bamford
Yes, thank you for that question. We plan on with those other three corners that we're looking at receiving from the Forest Service, one of them having on the actual occupation site, a cultural center right there that we could tell the story of our people and share it with the community. Because there's people of the area right there that don't know the history, just general members of the community. When we're actually holding our events out there, people are driving by and they're just flat interested of what's going on out there and they're showing their support for us right in that capacity. So that's just one of the corners.
On the other side, we look at actually having a California Welcome Center where we, in collaboration with the California State Parks, have parking area designated because Burney Falls is five miles up the road from us right there and they always have a problem with parking out there. So if we could collaborate with them and provide a safe space for parking so families are not in harm's way parking alongside the highway right there.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Thank you. I just wanted to be able to get others. Chairman Cozard, you also have issues of making sure that people hear the stories and share the stories and be curious about others in your own tribe. How quickly could you move and why is it important that we move quickly?
Regina Cuellar
Well, thank you for the question. And it's so important that to move quickly because I have a, like I said, I have a quite a long list of people waiting for housing. I have 188 members waiting for housing. So this subdivision could knock out about 80 of them. So that's a big number to us.
And like I said, housing is, you know, important to me and it's important to the membership to bring our members closer home.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Councilwoman Johnston, I mean you guys have a lot of big plans for what you want to do. Why should we move quickly?
Tyson Johnston
You know, this area of land is very sensitive. It holds really important cultural significance and resources that are at risk. You know, fires even become a reality in my part of the country. And so having this kind of jurisdictional enigma end and put it under the tribal jurisdiction at the local level will allow us to manage that resources in the highest and most effective way, regenerating our culture and protecting the ecology of this land. It just makes sense and it's better governance.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Right.
And we have really great bipartisan agreement on the importance of having tribes manage their own land, of strengthening the 638. Chair Supernaw, I mean, the struggles that you have gone through with your tribe on this land are kind of unique from the other three because they are like, we lost the land, we want to get it back. The land was destroyed. You need to get it back. Share with us why we should move quickly.
Wena Supernaw
Thank you for the question. The reason that we should move quickly is from the time this settlement was actually struck, the decision made out of the Court of Federal Claims, we have literally lost 200 tribal members. Now that would have been during the epidemic, but many of these tribal members who were elders were key players in providing family documents, allotment documents, and other documents that proved pivotal in proving our case to the Court of Federal Claims. We're going to keep losing them.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Right. And there is something about, I mean, justice delayed, justice denied, but there is something about the living history and being able to acknowledge that we are sorry. We apologize and this claim settlement is a tangible something you can hold and put in the bank as well, but that's what it reflects is we recognize we blew it. And thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and with that I yield back.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentlelady and I thank the members of the panel for the distance you traveled to be here, the history that you gave us, but more importantly the human experience that you expressed across the table to us today. So thank you very much. Members of the committee may have some additional questions for each of you and so we'll ask if you would respond in writing. Under committee rule three, members of the committee must submit questions to the committee clerk by 5:00 PM on Monday, May 5th, 2025. The hearing record will be held open for 10 business days for those responses.
If there is no further business, without objection, the committee stands adjourned.