INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 2801... A BILL TO REPEAL THE ACT TERMINATING FEDERAL SUPER- ! COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS HENRY M. JACKSON, Washington, Chairman FRANK CHURCH, Idaho J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, Louisiana PAUL J. FANNIN, Arizona GRENVILLE GARSIDE, Special Counsel and Staff Director D. MICHAEL HARVEY, Deputy Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS HENRY M. JACKSON, Washington DEWEY F. BARTLETT, Oklahoma FORREST J. GERARD, Professional Staff Member (11) Bensell, Arthur B., chairman, Confederated Tribes of Siletz; Pauline Bell Ricks, member, Siletz Tribal Council; Joseph H. Lane, former chairman, Siletz Tribal Council; Robert P. Rilatos, vice chairman, Siletz Tribal Council; Sister Francella Mary Griggs, member, Siletz Tribal Council; Robert Paul Tom, member, Siletz Tribal Council; Delores Pigsley, member, Siletz Tribal Council; Alta Courville, member, Siletz Tribal Council; Kathryn Harrison, secretary, Siletz Tribal Council.. Courville, Alta, member, Siletz Tribal Council. Griggs, Sister Francella Mary, member, Siletz Tribal Council_ Harrison, Kathryn, secretary, Siletz Tribal Council.. Hatfield, Hon. Mark O., a U.S. Senator from the State of Oregon. - Lane, Joseph H., former chairman, Siletz Tribal Council.. 43, 53 Pigsley, Delores, member, Siletz Tribal Council__ 39 45 Taft, Julia V., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Development, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, accompanied by Dr. Joseph N. Exendine, Ácting Deputy Director, Indian Health Service, Tom, Robert Paul, member, Siletz Tribal Council Adams, Hank, national director, Survival of American Indians Association. Hall, Beverly B., Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Hatfield, Hon. Mark O., a U.S. Senator from the State of Oregon.. Kennedy, Hon. Edward M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts 63, 64 Luch, William A., president, Trout Unlimited, Denver, Colo-- Meuret, Forrest L., vice president, Save Oregon's Resources Today, Inc., 93, 101 102, 107 SILETZ RESTORATION ACT TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1976 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m., in room 3110 Dirksen Office Building, Hon. Mark O. Hatfield presiding. Present: Senator Hatfield. Also present: Forrest J. Gerard, professional staff member; Ella Mae Horse, research assistant; and Tom Imeson, legislative assistant to Senator Hatfield. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARK 0. HATFIELD, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OREGON Senator HATFIELD. The hearing will please come to order. This is an open public hearing before the Subcommittee on Indian Affairs to receive testimony from the Indian community, the administration, the State of Oregon public officials, and other interested parties on S. 2801, to restore Federal recognition to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon. One of our Government's noble experiments to solve the so-called Indian problem led to congressional approval of House Concurrent Resolution 108 by the 83d Congress in 1953. That resolution declared it to be the sense of Congress to withdraw Federal responsibility and services for Indians at the earliest possible date. While the language of House Concurrent Resolution 108 was cast in terms of granting Indians their rights and prerogatives as American citizens and "freeing them from Federal supervision", the practical effects of that policy called for termination of the Indians' unique relationship with the U.S. Government; removal of the trustee mantle of protection over Indian natural resources; and the loss of a wide range of socioeconomic_benefits extended to Indians solely on the basis of their status as Indians. Under the termination policy of the 1950's Congress enacted 13 statutes severing the Federal relations of several tribal groups with the U.S. Government. Specifically, the act of August 13, 1954 [68 Stat. 724-28] provided for termination of Federal supervision over the Western Oregon Indians, including the Siletz. Time and events have proven the termination policy to be a near disaster for many of the tribal groups directly affected by the policy. Fortunately, an understanding and responsive Congress, in concert with the administration, has moved to replace that discredited policy (1) |