[Congressional Record Page: S5635]

   By Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. ENSIGN):

    S . 958 . A bill to provide for the use and distribution of the funds awarded to the Western Shoshone identifiable group under Indian Claims Commission Docket Numbers 326-A-1, 326-A-3, 326-K, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

   Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today for myself and for Senator ENSIGN, to introduce the Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act. I am re-introducing this much needed bill for the Western Shoshone Tribe from the second session of the 106th Congress. It had been referred to the Indian Affairs Committee, but there was not enough time at the end of the Congress to act on it.

   In 1946, the Indian Claims Commission was established to compensate Indians for lands and resources taken from them by the United States. The Commission determined in 1962 that Western Shoshone homeland had been taken through ``gradual encroachment.'' In 1977, the Commission awarded the Tribe in over $26 million dollars. However, it was not until 1979, that the United States appropriated the funds to reimburse the descendants of these Tribes for their loss. Plans for claims distribution were further delayed by litigation; and the Western Shoshone concern that accepting the claims would impact their right to get back some of their traditional homelands.

   The Western Shoshone are an impoverished people. There is relatively little economic activity on some of their scattered reservations. Those who are employed, work for the tribal government, work in livestock and agriculture, or work in small businesses, such as day-cares and souvenir shops. They live from pay check to pay check, with little or no money for heating their homes, much less for their children's education. Many of the Western Shoshone continue to be disproportionately affected by poverty and low educational achievement. Many individuals of the Western Shoshone are willing to accept the distribution of the claim settlement funds to relieve these difficult economic conditions. About $128.8 million (in principal and interest) would be distributed to over 6,000 eligible members of the Western Shoshone; $1.27 million (in principal and interest) would be placed in an educational trust fund for the benefit of and distribution to future generations of the Tribe.

   The Western Shoshone have waited long enough for the distribution of these much needed funds. The final distribution of this fund has lingered for more than twenty years, and the best interests of the Tribe will not be served by a further delay in enacting this legislation. My bill will provide payments to eligible Western Shoshone tribal members, and ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the financial benefits of this settlement by establishing a grant program for education and other individual needs. The Western Shoshone Steering Committee, a coalition of Western Shoshone individual tribal members, has officially requested that Congress enact legislation to affect this distribution.

   This Act also provides that acceptance of these funds is not a waiver of any existing treaty rights pursuant to the Ruby Valley Treaty. Nor will acceptance of these funds prevent any Western Shoshone Tribe or Band or individual Western Shoshone Indian from pursuing other rights guaranteed by law.

   Twenty-three years has been more than long enough.

   Finally, I would like to highlight the fact that Senator ENSIGN of Nevada joins me today to introduce this important bill. I know that Senator ENSIGN is concerned, as I, about the delay of the distribution of the claims to the Western Shoshone, and his support for this bill will help ensure that the Tribe will receive their long-awaited compensation.

   I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

   There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD....

Return to Western Shoshone Testimony in Opposition to S. 958