Repealed. Pub. L. 106–462, title I, § 106(a)(1), Nov. 7, 2000, 114 Stat. 2007
Notes
Codification
Short Title of 2018 Amendment
Short Title of 1987 Amendment
Short Title
Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
Creek Nation
Crow Indian Reservation
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina
That upon approval of such conveyance the Secretary of the Interior shall cause to be prepared a roll of the members of said band, to contain the names of all living on the date of this Act, and no person born after that date shall be entitled to enrollment.
That in the preparation of said roll due consideration shall be given to all rolls and lists heretofore made of the membership of said band, together with any evidence elicited in the course of any investigations, and to all documents and records on file in the Interior Department or any of its bureaus or offices.
That the lands so conveyed shall be surveyed, where found necessary, and divided into appropriate tracts or parcels and appraised at their true value as of the date of such appraisement, without consideration being given to the location thereof or to any mineral deposits therein or to improvements thereon, but such appraisement shall include all merchantable timber on all allottable lands.
That reservations from allotment may be made, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, of lands for cemeteries, schools, water-power sites, rights of way, and for other public purposes, with proper safeguards, however, for compensation to individuals who may suffer losses by reason of such reservations.
That all oil, gas, coal, and other mineral deposits on said lands are hereby reserved to said band for a period of twenty-five years from the date of this Act, and during such period said deposits may be leased for prospecting and mining purposes by the Secretary of the Interior, for such periods (not exceeding the period for which such minerals are reserved) and upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe: Provided, That at the end of such twenty-five year period all such deposits shall become the property of the individual owner of the surface of such land, unless Congress shall otherwise provide.
That all improvements on the lands of said band of a permanent and substantial character shall be appraised separately from the lands upon which the same may be, and shall be listed in the names of the members of the band prima facie entitled thereto, but the designation of ownership shall be tentative only until the true ownership thereof is ascertained and declared, after due notice and hearing. The right to have such improvements appraised, and to make disposition thereof, shall extend to all members, except tenants, owning such improvements at the date of this Act [
That the lands and money of said band shall be allotted and divided among the members thereof so as to give each an equal share of the whole in value, as nearly as may be, and to accomplish that the value of the standard allotment share shall be determined by dividing the total appraised value of all allotted and allottable lands by the total number of enrolled members.
That when the tracts available for allotments are ascertained, each member of the said band may apply for a tract or tracts of land to the extent of thirty acres, as nearly as practicable, to include his home and improvements, if he so desires, and the selection so made shall be final as to the right to occupy and use the land so applied for as against all other members if no contest is filed against such selection within ninety days from and after formal application is made therefor: Provided, That any person claiming the right to select any given tract of land by reason of the purchase of improvements thereon shall have ninety days to make application therefor from and after the date of approval of any sale conveying to him said improvements, and such application shall become final as in other cases, subject to the right of any other member to contest such selection, ninety days from and after the same is duly made. All contests shall be instituted and heard pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Interior Department applicable thereto. Any allotment selection may be modified or limited, in the discretion of those in charge of the work, so as to give the selector of adjacent or contiguous lands access to firewood and drinking water.
That adults may select their own allotments, where mentally capable of so doing, but allotments for minors may be selected by their father or mother, in the order named, or by the officers in charge of the allotment work. The said officers may also select allotments for prisoners, convicts, aged, infirm, and insane or otherwise mentally incompetent members and for the estates of deceased members and, if necessary to complete any allotments or to bring the allotment work to a close, may make arbitrary selections for and on behalf of any member of said band.
That allotments may be selected for the members of any family, wherever practicable, from contiguous lands or other lands held by the head of the family, including both adult and minor children and such other relatives as are members of the household: Provided, That if any adult child shall claim the benefit of this section, he shall not be entitled as a matter of right to have his selection made from the lands desired by his father or mother or from lands needed by any minor member of the family for allotment purposes, but this shall not prevent selection of lands outside the family holdings if desired.
That where annuity or other payments to individuals have heretofore been suspended because their enrollment status has been questioned, the amounts involved in such suspended payments shall be paid to individuals found entitled to enrollment or to their heirs, and all funds of said band, after making such payments and after payments needed for equalizing allotments as hereinbefore provided and all other payments herein directed to be made, shall be distributed per capita among the enrolled members of said band and the heirs of those who shall die before distribution is completed, and shall be paid to the distributees or conserved and used for their benefit, according to whether they belong to the restricted or unrestricted class, at such time and in such manner as shall be deemed advisable.
That any member of said band whose degree of Indian blood is less than one-sixteenth may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, be paid a cash equivalent in lieu of an allotment of land. Any person desiring to avail himself of this provision may make application to the officers in charge of the allotment work at any time within ninety days after the date of the approval of the final roll, and preference shall be given in the order of application. The said officers shall have the power to add to the register of such names the names of any other members of the same class, including minors for whom no application is made for such time as may be allowed for the purpose by the regulations. Applications should be made in person by adults and for minors by their fathers or mothers, in the order named.
That if any member shall claim that he is the owner of a so-called private land claim, for the reason that money was advanced by him or his ancestor to pay in whole or in part for any land the title to which is now in the band, such claim may be submitted to and equitably adjusted by the Secretary of the Interior, whose decision thereon shall be final and not subject to review by the courts. In such adjustment due consideration shall be given to matters presented by the band in the way of offsets or counterclaims.
That a certificate of allotment shall be issued to each allottee upon the expiration of the contest period, if no contest is then pending, or, if a contest is then pending, upon final disposition thereof, but shall be dated as of the date of selection. Each certificate shall contain the name and roll number of the allottee, and the legal effect thereof shall be to give the allottee the right to occupy and use the surface of the land described therein, as against each and every other member of the band, but not as against the band itself, or against the United States: Provided, That the Secretary of the Interior may cancel any certificate of allotment at any time before title to the land described therein is conveyed to the allottee, if in his judgment said land should be reserved for allotment for any purpose herein authorized or for any other good and sufficient reason, but before such action is taken the allottee shall have due notice and opportunity to be heard. If any such certificate shall be revoked, the allottee may select other lands as if no certificate had been issued to him.
That as soon as practicable after a certificate of allotment is issued there shall be issued to the allottee a deed conveying all right, title, and interest of the United States, as trustee, and of the band, and of every other member thereof, in and to the land described in said certificate. Each deed shall recite the roll number and degree of Indian blood of the grantee and shall be executed by or in the name of the Secretary of the Interior, who is hereby authorized to designate any clerk or employee of the department to sign his name for him to all such deeds.
That if any member enrolled as provided in this Act shall die before receiving his distributive share of the band or tribal property, the land and moneys to which he would be entitled, if living, shall descend to his heirs according to the laws of the State of North Carolina and be distributed to them accordingly, but in all such cases the allotment and deed therefor shall be made in the name of the deceased ancestor and shall be given the same force and effect as if made during his lifetime: Provided, That the provisions of the Act of Congress approved
That leases of lands allotted under this Act may be made during the restricted period for any purpose and for any term of years, under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior: Provided, That such leases shall be executed on behalf of minors and other incompetents, including any Indian deemed to be incapable, mentally or physically, of managing his business affairs properly and with benefit to himself and in their names, by a duly authorized representative of the Indian Service designated by said Secretary for the purpose: Provided further, That all leases of unpartioned estates shall be so made and approved unless all of the Indian heirs or owners are of the unrestricted class, and shall be subject to supervision during the restricted period the same as leases made on other restricted lands, but all rents and royalties accruing therefrom to unrestricted owners shall be paid, by the proper officers of the Indian Service, to such owners at the earliest date practicable after the collection thereof.
That lands allotted under this Act shall not be alienable, either by voluntary or enforced sale by the allottee or his heirs or otherwise, for a period of twenty-five years from and after the date when the deed conveying such land to the allottee is recorded as directed herein: Provided, That upon the completion of the allotments and the recording of the deeds as herein directed each allottee shall become a citizen of the United States and a citizen of the particular State wherein he (or she) may reside, with all the rights, privileges, and immunities of such citizens: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior may, in his discretion, at any time after a deed is recorded remove the restrictions on the lands described therein, either with or without application by the owner or owners, under such rules and regulations or special orders governing the terms of sale and the disposition of the proceeds as he shall prescribe.
That lands allotted under this Act shall not be subjected or held liable to any form of personal claim, or demand, against the allottee, arising or existing prior to the removal of restrictions; and any attempted alienation or incumbrance of restricted land by deed, mortgage, contract to sell, power of attorney, or other method of incumbering real estate, except leases specifically authorized by law, made before or after the approval of this Act and prior to removal of restrictions therefrom, shall be absolutely null and void.
That all lands, and other property, of the band, or the members thereof, except funds held in trust by the United States, may be taxed by the State of North Carolina, to and including the tax year following the date of this Act. Such taxes shall be paid from the common funds of said band for such period, except upon such tracts as shall have been lawfully sold prior to the date when tax assessments can be made thereon under the State law. All tax assessments made pursuant to this Act on restricted allotments or undivided tribal property held in trust by the United States shall be subject to revision by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for a period of one year following the date when such assessments are spread on the local tax rolls, but if he shall take no action thereon during said year, such assessments shall be final, but this shall not be construed to deprive any allottee of any remedy to which he would be entitled under the State law: Provided, That such restricted and undivided property shall be exempt from sale for unpaid taxes for two years from the date when such taxes become due and payable, and no penalty for delinquency in the payment of such taxes shall be charged or collected for or during said period, so that Congress may have an opportunity to make provision for the payment of such taxes if the band, or tribal, funds are found insufficient for the purpose.
That the removal of restrictions upon allotted lands shall not deprive the United States of the duty or authority to institute and prosecute such action in its own name, in the courts of the United States, as may be necessary to protect the rights of the allottees, or of their heirs, until the said band shall be dissolved by congressional action, unless the order removing such restrictions is based upon an express finding that the Indian to whom it relates if fully competent and capable of managing his own affairs.
That the authority of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina to execute conveyances of lands owned by said band, or any interest therein, is recognized, and any such conveyance heretofore made, whether to the United States or to others, shall not be questioned in any case where the title conveyed or the instrument of conveyance has been or shall be accepted or approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
That the reinvestment of the proceeds arising from the sale of surplus and unallotted lands of said band in other lands in the vicinity of the Indian school at Cherokee, North Carolina, is hereby authorized, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, and lands so purchased may be allotted as provided for herein respecting the allotment of lands now owned by said band.
That all things provided for herein shall be done under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, who is authorized to prescribe needed rules and regulations.
That in addition to any sum or sums heretofore or hereafter regularly appropriated for salaries and expenses, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, from the funds of the United States in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $10,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the payment of such expenses as shall be necessarily incurred, including the salaries of additional employees in the administration of this Act.”
Flathead Reservation, Montana
Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana
Kansas or Kaw Tribe of Oklahoma
Lac du Flambeau Band of Wisconsin
Osage Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
“That
any Osage headright or restricted real estate or funds which is part of the estate of a deceased Osage Indian with respect to whom—
a certificate of competency had never been issued before the time of death, or
a certificate of competency had been revoked by the Secretary of the Interior before the death of such Osage Indian,
shall be exempt from any estate or inheritance tax imposed by the State of Oklahoma.
Subsection (a) shall apply to the estate of any Osage Indian who dies on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [
For purposes of this Act—
the term ‘headright’ means any right of any person to share in any royalties, rents, sales, or bonuses arising from the Osage mineral estate;
the term ‘Osage mineral estate’ means any right, title, or interest in any oil, gas, coal, or other mineral held by the United States in trust for the benefit of the Osage Tribe of Indians under section 3 of the Osage Tribe Allotment Act;
the term ‘restricted real estate or funds’ means any real estate or fund held by an Osage Indian or by the Secretary of the Interior in trust for the benefit of such Indian which is subject to any restriction against alienation, or transfer by any other means, under any Act of Congress applicable to the Osage Tribe of Indians or applicable generally to Indians or any bands, tribes, or nations of Indians; and
the term ‘Osage Tribe Allotment Act’ means the Act approved
[Repealed act Feb. 5, 1948, ch. 46, 62 Stat. 18, formerly set out below.]
Any Osage Indian having received a certificate of competency under paragraph 7 of section 2 of the Act of June 28, 1906 (34 Stat. 539, 542); section 3 of the Act of March 2, 1929 (45 Stat. 1478, 1480) [amending act Feb. 27, 1925, ch. 359, 43 Stat. 1008, which is set out below]; or the Act of
[Amended act
In order to conserve natural resources and provide for the greatest ultimate recovery of oil and gas underlying the Osage mineral estate, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to establish rules and regulations under which oil and gas leases producing from a common source of supply may be unitized.
[Amended act Apr. 18, 1912, ch. 83, § 8, 37 Stat. 88.]
[Amended act Apr. 18, 1912, ch. 83, § 3, 37 Stat. 86.]
[Amended act Feb. 27, 1925, set out below.]
Notwithstanding any provision of—
section 3 or 8 of the Osage Indians Act of 1912 (as amended by subsections (b) and (a), respectively) [not classified to the Code], or
section 7 of the Osage Indians Act of 1925 (as amended by subsection (c)) [act
any sale or transfer or any disposition by any other means of any headright shall be subject to section 7 of this Act [set out below].
Notwithstanding section 6(a) of this Act [set out below] or section 8 of the Osage Indians Act of 1912, no Osage Indian may—
provide for the transfer of any interest of such person in any headright—
by will to any person which is not an individual, or
by the establishment of an inter vivos trust for the benefit of any person which is not an individual; or
provide, whether by the terms of a will, the terms of a testamentary trust established by a will, or by the terms of an instrument establishing an inter vivos trust, that any interest in any headright—
which such Osage Indian had (at the time of death of such person or at the time any such inter vivos trust was established), and
in which any individual was granted a life estate by such Osage Indian,
may be transferred to or held for the benefit of any individual who is not an Osage Indian upon the death of the individual who held such life estate.
With the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, any person of Osage Indian blood, eighteen years of age or older, may establish an inter vivos trust covering his headright or mineral interest except as provided in section 8 hereof; surplus funds; invested surplus funds; segregated trust funds; and allotted or inherited land, naming the Secretary of the Interior as trustee. An Osage Indian having a certificate of competency may designate a banking or trust institution as trustee. Said trust shall be revocable and shall make provision for the payment of funeral expenses, expenses of last illness, debts, and an allowance to members of the family dependent on the settlor.
Property placed in trust as provided by this section shall be subject to the same restrictions against alienation that presently apply to lands and property of Osage Indians, and the execution of such instrument shall not in any way affect the tax-exempt status of said property.
“rules governing devolution of interests in osage headrights
General Rule.—
No person who is not an Osage Indian may, on or after
Exception for Life Estates.—
Notwithstanding subsection (a) and subject to section 5(d)(2) [set out above], an individual who is not an Osage Indian may receive a life estate in any headright held by a testator, settlor, or decedent who is or was an Osage Indian under a will, or under a testamentary trust established by a will, of such testator, an inter vivos trust established by such settlor, or the Oklahoma laws of intestate succession relating to the administration of the estate of such decedent.
Special Rules Governing Interests in Osage Headright Upon Death of Individual Who Held Life Estate in Such Headright.—
Designated osage remaindermen.—
Upon the death of any individual who is not an Osage Indian and who held a life estate in any headright of a testator or settlor described in subsection (b), all remaining interests in such headright shall vest in any remaindermen who—
are designated in the will of the testator or the instrument establishing the trust of the settlor to receive such remainder interest, and
are Osage Indians.
No designated osage remaindermen.—
Upon the death of any individual who is not an Osage Indian and who held a life estate in any headright of a testator, settlor, or decedent described in subsection (b) who—
did not designate any remainderman who is an Osage Indian to receive any remaining interest in such headright in the will of such testator or instrument of such settlor, or
died intestate,
all remaining interests in such headright shall vest in any heirs, as determined under the Oklahoma laws of intestate succession, of such testator, settlor, or decedent who are Osage Indians.
No heir who is an osage indian.—
Upon the death of any individual who is not an Osage Indian and who held a life estate in any headright of an Osage testator, settlor, or decedent described in subsection (b) who—
designated no remainderman who is an Osage Indian for any remaining interest in such headright, and
had no heir under the Oklahoma laws of intestate succession who is an Osage Indian and is living at the time of death of the individual who held such life estate,
all remaining interests in such headright shall vest in the Osage Tribe of Indians.
Liability of Tribe in Case of Remainderman or Heir Who is Not an Osage Indian.—
In any case in which—
any remainder interest of a testator, settlor, or decedent described in subsection (b) vests in the Osage Tribe of Indians under subsection (c)(3), and
an individual who is not an Osage Indian and who, but for this section, would have received any portion of such remaining interest in the headright by virtue of—
having been designated under the will of such testator, or the instrument of such settlor which established any such trust, to receive such remainder interest, or
being the heir of such decedent under the Oklahoma laws of intestate succession,
the tribe shall pay any such individual the fair market value of the portion of the interest in such headright such individual would have received but for this section.
No headright owned by any person who is not of Indian blood may be sold, assigned, or transferred without the approval of the Secretary. Any sale of any interest in such headright (and any other transfer which divests such person of any right, title, or interest in such headright) shall be subject to the following rights of purchase:
First right of purchase by the heirs in the first degree of the first Osage Indian to have acquired such headright under an allotment who are living and are Osage Indians, or, if they all be deceased, all heirs in the second through the fourth degree of such first Osage Indian who are living and are Osage Indians.
Second right of purchase by any other Osage Indian for the benefit of any Osage Indian in his or her individual capacity.
Third right of purchase by the Osage Tribal Council on behalf of the Osage Tribe of Indians.
No owner of any headright shall be required, by reason of this subsection, to sell such headright for less than its fair market value or to delay any such sale more than 90 days from the date by which notice of intention to sell (or otherwise transfer) such headright has been received by each person with respect to whom a right of purchase has been established under this subsection.
Notwithstanding the paragraph designated ‘First’ of section 4 of the Osage Tribe Allotment Act or any other provision of law, any income from the Osage mineral estate may be used for the purchase of any headright offered for sale to the Osage Tribal Council pursuant to subsection (a) or vested in the Osage Tribe pursuant to section 7 if, prior to the time that any income from the Osage mineral estate is segregated for distribution to holders of headrights, the Osage Tribal Council requests the Secretary to authorize such use of such funds and the Secretary approves such request.
Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe, the heirs and legatees of any deceased owner of an Osage headright or mineral interest, real estate on which restrictions against alienation have not been removed, and funds on deposit at the Osage Agency may be determined by the Secretary if such aggregate interests do not exceed $10,000: Provided, That no court of competent jurisdiction has undertaken the probate of the deceased’s estate and a request for such administrative determination has been made to the Secretary by one or more of the heirs or legatees.”
Pueblo Indians of New Mexico
That, for the purpose of safeguarding the interests and welfare of the tribe of Indians known as the Pueblo de Taos of New Mexico, the following described lands and improvements thereon, upon which said Indians depend and have depended since time immemorial for water supply, forage for their domestic livestock, wood and timber for their personal use, and as the scene of certain religious ceremonials, are hereby declared to be held by the United States in trust for the Pueblo de Taos:
The lands held in trust pursuant to this section shall be a part of the Pueblo de Taos Reservation, and shall be administered under the laws and regulations applicable to other trust Indian lands: Provided, That the Pueblo de Taos Indians shall use the lands for traditional purposes only, such as religious ceremonials, hunting and fishing, a source of water, forage for their domestic livestock, and wood, timber, and other natural resources for their personal use, all subject to such regulations for conservation purposes as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe. Except for such uses, the lands shall remain forever wild and shall be maintained as a wilderness as defined in section 2(c) of the Act of September 3, 1964 (78 Stat. 890) [16 U.S.C. 1131(c)]. With the consent of the tribe, but not otherwise, nonmembers of the tribe may be permitted to enter the lands for purposes compatible with their preservation as a wilderness. The Secretary of the Interior shall be responsible for the establishment and maintenance of conservation measures for these lands, including, without limitation, protection of forests from fire, disease, insects or trespass; prevention or elimination of erosion, damaging land use, or stream pollution; and maintenance of streamflow and sanitary conditions; and the Secretary is authorized to contract with the Secretary of Agriculture for any services or materials deemed necessary to institute or carry out any of such measures.
Lessees or permittees of lands described in subsection (a) which are not included in the lands described in the Act of
The Indian Claims Commission is directed to determine in accordance with the provisions of section 2 of the Act of August 13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049, 1050) [former 25 U.S.C. 70a], the extent to which the value of the interest in land conveyed by this Act should be credited to the United States or should be set off against any claim of the Taos Indians against the United States.
Nothing in this section shall impair any vested water right.
Except as otherwise provided herein the Secretary of the Interior shall disburse and expend the amounts of money herein authorized to be appropriated, in accordance with and under the terms and conditions of the Act approved
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent any pueblo from prosecuting independent suits as authorized under section 4 of the Act of June 7, 1924. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to enter into contract with the several Pueblo Indian tribes, affected by the terms of this Act, in consideration of the authorization of appropriations contained in section 2 hereof, providing for the dismissal of pending and the abandonment of contemplated original proceedings, in law or equity, by, or in behalf of said Pueblo Indian tribes, under the provisions of section 4 of the Act of June 7, 1924, (43 Stat. L. 636), and the pueblo concerned may elect to accept the appropriations herein authorized, in the sums herein set forth, in full discharge of all claims to compensation under the terms of said Act, notifying the Secretary of the Interior in writing of its election so to do: Provided, That if said election by said pueblo be not made, said pueblo shall have one year from the date of this approval of the Act within which to file any independent suit authorized under section 4 of the Act of June 7, 1924, at the expiration of which period the right to file such suit shall expire by limitation: And provided further, That no ejectment suits shall be filed against non-Indians entitled to compensation under this Act, in less than six months after the sums herein authorized are appropriated.
The attorney or attorneys for such Indian tribe or tribes shall be paid such fee as may be agreed upon by such attorney or attorneys and such Indian tribe or tribes, but in no case shall the fee be more than 10 per centum of the sum herein authorized to be appropriated for the benefit of such tribe or tribes, and such attorney’s fees shall be disbursed by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance herewith out of any funds appropriated for said Indian tribe or tribes under the provisions of the Act of
Nothing herein contained shall in any manner be construed to deprive any of the Pueblo Indians of a prior right to the use of water from streams running through or bordering on their respective pueblos for domestic, stock-water, and irrigation purposes for the lands remaining in Indian ownership, and such water rights shall not be subject to loss by nonuse or abandonment thereof as long as title to said lands shall remain in the Indians.”
That there shall be, and hereby is, established a board to be known as ‘Pueblo Lands Board’ to consist of the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney General, each of whom may act through an assistant in all hearings, investigations, and deliberations in New Mexico, and a third member to be appointed by the President of the United States. The board shall be provided with suitable quarters in the city of Santa Fé, New Mexico, and shall have power to require the presence of witnesses and the production of documents by subpoena, to employ a clerk who shall be empowered to administer oaths and take acknowledgments, shall employ such clerical assistance, interpreters, and stenographers with such compensation as the Attorney General shall deem adequate, and it shall be provided with such necessary supplies and equipment as it may require on requisitions to the Department of Justice. The compensation and allowance for travel and expenses of the member appointed by the President shall be fixed by the Attorney General.
That upon the filing of each report by the said board, the Attorney General shall forthwith cause to be filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, as provided in section 1 of this Act, a suit to quiet title to the lands described in said report as Indian lands the Indian title to which is determined by said report not to have been extinguished.
That all persons claiming title to, or ownership of, any lands involved in any such suit, or suits, may in addition to any other legal or equitable defenses which they may have or have had under the laws of the Territory and State of New Mexico, plead limitation of action, as follows, to wit:
That in themselves, their ancestors, grantors, privies, or predecessors in interest or claim of interest, they have had open, notorious, actual, exclusive, continuous, adverse possession of the premises claimed, under color of title from the 6th day of January, 1902, to the date of the passage of this Act, and have paid the taxes lawfully assessed and levied thereon to the extent required by the statutes of limitation, or adverse possession of the Territory or of the State of New Mexico, since the 6th day of January, 1902, to the date of the passage of this Act, except where the claimant was exempted or entitled to be exempted from such tax payment.
That in themselves, their ancestors, grantors, privies, or predecessors in interest or claim of interest, they have had open, notorious, actual, exclusive, continuous, adverse possession of the premises claimed with claim of ownership, but without color of title from the 16th day of March, 1889, to the date of the passage of this Act, and have paid the taxes lawfully assessed and levied thereon to the extent required by the statutes of limitation or adverse possession of the Territory or of the State of New Mexico, from the 16th day of March, 1899, to the date of the passage of this Act, except where the claimant was exempted or entitled to be exempted from such tax payment.
The plea of such limitations, successfully maintained, shall entitle the claimants so pleading to a decree in favor of them, their heirs, executors, successors, and assigns for the premises so claimed by them, respectively, or so much thereof as may be established, which shall have the effect of a deed of quitclaim as against the United States and said Indians, and a decree in favor of claimants upon any other ground shall have a like effect.
It shall be the further duty of the board to separately report in respect of each such pueblo—
The area and character of any tract or tracts of land within the exterior boundaries of any land granted or confirmed to the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and the extent, source, and character of any water right appurtenant thereto in possession of non-Indian claimants at the time of filing such report, which are not claimed for said Indians by any report of the board.
Whether or not such tract or tracts of land or such water rights could be or could have been at any time recovered for said Indians by the United States by seasonable prosecution of any right of the United States or of said Indians. Seasonable prosecution is defined to mean prosecution by the United States within the same period of time as that within which suits to recover real property could have been brought under the limitation statutes of the Territory and State of New Mexico.
The fair market value of said water rights and of said tract or tracts of land (exclusive of any improvements made therein or placed thereon by non-Indian claimants) whenever the board shall determine that such tract or tracts of land or such water rights could be or could have been at any time recovered for said Indians by the United States by seasonable prosecution of any right of the United States or of said Indians, and the amount of loss, if any, suffered by said Indians through failure of the United States seasonably to prosecute any such right.
It shall be the further duty of the board to investigate, ascertain, and report to the Secretary of the Interior who shall report to the Congress of the United States, together with his recommendation, the fair market value of lands, improvements appurtenant thereto, and water rights of non-Indian claimants who, in person or through their predecessors in title prior to
It shall be the further duty of the board to investigate, ascertain, and report to the Secretary of the Interior the area and the value of the lands and improvements appurtenant thereto of non-Indian claimants within or adjacent to Pueblo Indian settlements or towns in New Mexico, title to which in such non-Indian claimants is valid and indefeasible, said report to include a finding as to the benefit to the Indians in anywise of the removal of such non-Indian claimants by purchase of their lands and improvements and the transfer of the same to the Indians, and the Secretary of the Interior shall report to Congress the facts with his recommendations in the premises.
That all lands, the title to which is determined in said suit or suits, shall, where necessary, be surveyed and mapped under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, at the expense of the United States, but such survey shall be subject to the approval of the judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, and if approved by said judge shall be filed in said court and become a part of the decree or decrees entered in said district court.
That necessary costs in all original proceedings under this Act, to be determined by the court, shall be taxed against the United States and any party aggrieved by any final judgment or decree shall have the right to a review thereof by appeal or writ of error or other process, as in other cases, but upon such appeal being taken each party shall pay his own costs.
That in the sense in which used in this Act the word ‘purchase’ shall be taken to mean the acquisition of community lands by the Indians other than by grant or donation from a sovereign.
That any person claiming any interest in the premises involved but not impleaded in any such action may be made a party defendant thereto or may intervene in such action, setting up his claim in usual form.
That as to all lands within the exterior boundaries of any lands granted or confirmed to the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, by any authority of the United States of America or any prior sovereignty, or acquired by said Indians as a community by purchase or otherwise and which have not been claimed for said Indians by court proceedings then pending or the findings and report of the board as herein provided, the Secretary of the Interior at any time after two years after the filing of said reports of the board shall file field notes and plat for each pueblo in the office of the surveyor general of New Mexico at Santa Fé, New Mexico, showing the lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished as in said report set out, but excluding therefrom lands claimed by or for the Indians in court proceedings then pending, and copies of said plat and field notes certified by the surveyor general of New Mexico as true and correct copies shall be accepted in any court as competent and conclusive evidence of the extinguishment of all the right, title, and interest of the Indians in and to the lands so described in said plat and field notes and of any claim of the United States in or to the same. And the Secretary of the Interior within thirty days after the Indians’ right to bring independent suits under this Act shall have expired, shall cause notice to be published in some newspaper or newspapers of general circulation issued, if any there be, in the county wherein lie such lands claimed by non-Indian claimants, respectively, or wherein some part of such lands are situated, otherwise in some newspaper or newspapers of general circulation published nearest to such lands, once a week for five consecutive weeks, setting forth as nearly as may be the names of such non-Indian claimants of land holdings not claimed by or for the Indians as herein provided, with a description of such several holdings, as shown by a survey of Pueblo Indian lands heretofore made under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior and commonly known as the ‘Joy Survey,’ or as may be otherwise shown or defined by authority of the Secretary of the Interior, and requiring that any person or persons claiming such described parcel or parcels of land or any part thereof, adversely to the apparent claimant or claimants so named as aforesaid, or their heirs of assigns, shall, on or before the thirtieth day after the last publication of such notice, file his or their adverse claim in the United States Land Office in the land district wherein such parcel or parcels of land are situate, in the nature of a contest, stating the character and basis of such adverse claim, and notice of such contest shall be served upon the claimant or claimants named in the said notice, in the same manner as in cases of contest of homestead entries. If no such contest is instituted as aforesaid, the Secretary of the Interior shall issue to the claimant or claimants, or their heirs or assigns, a patent or other certificate of title for the parcel or parcels of land so described in said notice; but if a contest be filed it shall proceed and be heard and decided as contests of homestead entries are heard and decided under the rules and regulations of the General Land Office pertinent thereto. Upon such contest either party may claim the benefit of the provisions of section 4 of this Act to the same extent as if he were a party to a suit to quiet title brought under the provisions of this Act, and the successful party shall receive a patent or certificate of title for the land as to which he is successful in such proceeding. Any patent or certificate of title issued under the provisions of this Act shall have the effect only of a relinquishment by the United States of America and the said Indians.
That if any non-Indian party to any such suit shall assert against the Indian title a claim based upon a Spanish or Mexican grant, and if the court should finally find that such claim by the non-Indian is superior to that of the Indian claim, no final decree or judgment of ouster of the said Indians shall be entered or writ of possession or assistance shall be allowed against said Indians, or any of them, or against the United States of America acting in their behalf. In such case the court shall ascertain the area and value of the land thus held by any non-Indian claimant under such superior title, excluding therefrom the area and value of lots or parcels of land the title to which has been found to be in other persons under the provisions of this Act: Provided, however, That any findings by the court under the provisions of this section may be reviewed on appeal or writ of error at the instance of any party aggrieved thereby, in the same manner, to the same extent, and with like effect as if such findings were a final judgment or decree. When such finding adverse to the Indian claim has become final, the Secretary of the Interior shall report to Congress the facts, including the area and value of the land so adjudged against the Indian claim, with his recommendations in the premises.
That when any claimant, other than the United States for said Indians not covered by the report provided for in section 7 of this Act, fails to sustain his claim to any parcel of land within any Pueblo Indian grant, purchase, or donation under provisions of this Act, but has held and occupied any such parcel in good faith, claiming the same as his own, and the same has been improved, the value of the improvements upon the said parcel of land shall be found by the court and reported by the Secretary of the Interior to Congress, with his recommendations in the premises.
That if the Secretary of the Interior deems it to be for the best interest of the Indians that any land adjudged by the court or said Lands Board against any claimant be sold, he may, with the consent of the governing authorities of the pueblo, order the sale thereof, under such regulations as he may make, to the highest bidder for cash; and if the buyer thereof be other than the losing claimant, the purchase price shall be used in paying to such losing claimant the adjudicated value of the improvements aforesaid, if found under the provisions of section 15 hereof, and the balance thereof, if any, shall be paid over to the proper officer, or officers, of the Indian community, but if the buyer be the losing claimant, and the value of his improvements has been adjudicated as aforesaid, such buyer shall be entitled to have credit upon his bid for the value of such improvements so adjudicated.
No right, title, or interest in or to the lands of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico to which their title has not been extinguished as hereinbefore determined shall hereafter be acquired or initiated by virtue of the laws of the State of New Mexico, or in any other manner except as may hereafter be provided by Congress, and no sale, grant, lease of any character, or other conveyance of lands, or any title or claim thereto, made by any pueblo as a community, or any Pueblo Indian living in a community of Pueblo Indians, in the State of New Mexico, shall be of any validity in law or in equity unless the same be first approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
That the pleading, practice, procedure, and rules of evidence shall be the same in all causes arising under this Act as in other civil causes in the Federal courts, except as otherwise herein provided.
That all sums of money which may hereafter be appropriated by the Congress of the United States for the purpose of paying in whole or in part any liability found or decreed under this Act from the United States to any pueblo or to any of the Indians of any pueblo, shall be paid over to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which Bureau, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, shall use such moneys at such times and in such amounts as may seem wise and proper for the purpose of the purchase of lands and water rights to replace those which have been lost to said pueblo or to said Indians, or for purchase or construction of reservoirs, irrigation works, or the making of other permanent improvements upon, or for the benefit of lands held by said pueblo or said Indians.
CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.
In General.—
Except as otherwise provided by Congress, jurisdiction over offenses committed anywhere within the exterior boundaries of any grant from a prior sovereign, as confirmed by Congress or the Court of Private Land Claims to a Pueblo Indian tribe of New Mexico, shall be as provided in this section.
Jurisdiction of the Pueblo.—
The Pueblo has jurisdiction, as an act of the Pueblos’ inherent power as an Indian tribe, over any offense committed by a member of the Pueblo or an Indian as defined in title 25 [United States Code], sections 1301(2) and 1301(4), or by any other Indian-owned entity.
Jurisdiction of the United States.—
The United States has jurisdiction over any offense described in chapter 53 of title 18, United States Code, committed by or against an Indian as defined in title 25 [United States Code], sections 1301(2) and 1301(4) or any Indian-owned entity, or that involves any Indian property or interest.
Jurisdiction of the State of New Mexico.—
The State of New Mexico shall have jurisdiction over any offense committed by a person who is not a member of a Pueblo or an Indian as defined in title 25 [United States Code], sections 1301(2) and 1301(4), which offense is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.”
White Earth Reservation Land Settlement
The Congress finds that—
claims on behalf of Indian allottees or heirs and the White Earth Band involving substantial amounts of land within the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota are the subject of existing and potential lawsuits involving many and diverse interests in Minnesota, and are creating great hardship and uncertainty for government, Indian communities, and non-Indian communities;
the lawsuits and uncertainty will result in great expense and expenditure of time, and could have a profound negative impact on the social and well-being of everyone on the reservation;
the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians, State of Minnesota, along with its political subdivisions, and other interested parties have made diligent efforts to fashion a settlement to these claims, and the Federal Government, by providing the assistance specified in this Act, will make possible the implementation of a permanent settlement with regard to these claims;
past United States laws and policies have contributed to the uncertainty surrounding the claims;
it is in the long-term interest of the United States, State of Minnesota, White Earth Band, Indians, and non-Indians for the United States to assist in the implementation of a fair and equitable settlement of these claims; and
this Act will settle unresolved legal uncertainties relating to these claims.
For purposes of this Act:
‘Allotment’ shall mean an allocation of land on the White Earth Reservation, Minnesota, granted, pursuant to the Act of
‘Allottee’ shall mean the recipient of an allotment.
‘Full blood’ shall mean a Chippewa Indian of the White Earth Reservation, Minnesota, who was designated as a full blood Indian on the roll approved by the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota on
‘Inherited’ shall mean received as a result of testate or intestate succession or any combination of testate or intestate succession, which succession shall be determined by the Secretary of the Interior or his authorized representative.
‘Mixed blood’ shall mean a Chippewa Indian of the White Earth Reservation, Minnesota, who was designated as a mixed blood Indian on the roll approved by the United States District Court of Minnesota on
‘Tax forfeited’ shall mean an allotment which, pursuant to State law, was declared forfeited for nonpayment of real property taxes and purportedly transferred directly to the State of Minnesota or to private parties or governmental entities.
‘Majority’ shall mean the age of twenty-one years or older.
‘Secretary’ shall mean the Secretary of the Interior or his/or her authorized representative.
‘Trust period’ shall mean the period during which the United States held an allotment in trust for the allottee or the allottee’s heirs. For the purpose of this Act, the Executive Order Numbered 4642 of
‘Interest’, except where such item is used in conjunction with ‘compound’, shall mean a fractional holding, less than the whole, held in an allotment.
‘Adult’ shall mean having attained the age of majority.
‘Heir’ means a person who received or was entitled to receive an allotment or interest as a result of testate or intestate succession under applicable Federal or Minnesota law, or one who is determined under section 9, by the application of the inheritance laws of Minnesota in effect on
‘Transfer’ includes but is not limited to any voluntary or involuntary sale, mortgage, tax forfeiture or conveyance pursuant to State law; any transaction the purpose of which was to effect a sale, mortgage, tax forfeiture or conveyance pursuant to State law; any Act, event, or circumstance that resulted in a change of title to, possession of, dominion over, or control of an allotment or interest therein.
The provisions of this Act shall apply to the following allotments:
allotments which were never sold or mortgaged by the allottees or by their heirs and which were tax forfeited during the trust period;
allotments which were sold or mortgaged during the trust period, without the approval of the Secretary, by the allottees prior to having attained majority, and were never again sold or mortgaged either by the allottees upon their having attained majority or by heirs of the allottees;
allotments which were sold or mortgaged during the trust period by full blood allottees without the approval of the Secretary, and were never again the subject of a sale or mortgage by heirs of the allottees; and
allotments which were never sold or mortgaged by the allottees, but which subsequent to the deaths of the allottees, purportedly were sold or mortgaged, during the trust period, by administrators, executors, or representatives, operating under authority from State courts, and were never again the subject of a sale or mortgage by heirs of the allottees.
The provisions of this Act shall also apply to the following allotments or interests in allotments:
allotments or interests which were inherited by full or mixed bloods who never sold or mortgaged their allotments or interests or by Indians enrolled in other federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, or communities who never sold or mortgaged their allotments or interests, where the allotments or interests were tax forfeited during the trust period;
allotments or interests which were inherited by mixed bloods under the age of majority and which were sold or mortgaged during the trust period without the approval of the Secretary prior to such mixed bloods having attained majority, but which were never again sold or mortgaged by them upon having attained majority or by their heirs;
allotments or interests which were inherited by full bloods or by Indians enrolled in other federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, or communities, who sold or mortgaged such allotments or interests during the trust period without the approval of the Secretary;
allotments or interests which were inherited by full or mixed bloods who never sold or mortgaged their allotments or interests, but which, subsequent to the deaths of such heirs, were sold or mortgaged during the trust period by administrators, operating under authority from State courts;
allotments or interests which were owned by allottees or which were inherited by full or mixed bloods for whom guardians were appointed by State courts, which guardians sold or mortgaged the allotments or interests during the trust period without the approval of the Secretary;
interests which were inherited by full or mixed bloods who never sold or mortgaged their interests during the trust period, even though other interests in the same allotment were sold by other heirs where the land comprising the allotment has been claimed in full by other parties adversely to the full or mixed bloods who never sold or mortgaged their interests; and
allotments or interests which were inherited by full or mixed bloods or by Indians enrolled in other federally recognized Indian tribes, bands, or communities which were never sold or mortgaged during the trust period but which were purportedly distributed by State court probate proceedings to other individuals.
This Act shall not apply to—
any allotment or interest the sale or mortgage of which was the subject of litigation which proceeded to a judgment on the merits in Federal courts and where the outcome of such litigation was other than vacating and voiding such sale or mortgage;
any allotment or interest which was tax forfeited subsequent to the date on which the tax exemption was declared by a Federal court to have expired;
any allotment or interest which was sold, mortgaged, or tax forfeited after the expiration of the trust period; or
any allotment or interest which was sold or mortgaged at any time by an adult mixed blood Indian.
Nothing in this Act is intended to question the validity of the transactions relating to allotments or interests as described in section 4(c), and such allotments and interests are declared to be outside the scope of this Act.
Any determination of the heirs of any person holding an allotment or interest, made by the courts of the State of Minnesota, which is filed with the proper county recording officer prior to
The ‘proper county recording officer’, as that term is used in subsection (a) of this section, shall be a county recorder, registrar of titles, or probate court in Becker, Clearwater, or Mahnomen Counties, Minnesota.
As to any allotment which was granted to an allottee who had died prior to the selection date of the allotment, the granting of such allotment is hereby ratified and confirmed, and shall be of the same effect as if the allotment had been selected by the allottee before the allottee’s death: Provided, That the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians shall be compensated for such allotments in the manner provided in sections 6, 7, and 8.
As to any allotment that was made under the provisions of the Treaty of
As soon as the conditions set forth in section 10 of this Act have been met, the Secretary shall publish a certification in the Federal Register that such conditions have been met. After such publication, any allotment or interest which the Secretary, in accordance with this Act, determines falls within the provisions of section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c), the tax forfeiture, sale, mortgage, or other transfer, as described therein, shall be deemed to have been made in accordance with the Constitution and all laws of the United States specifically applicable to transfers of allotments or interests held by the United States in trust for Indians, and Congress hereby does approve and ratify any such transfer effective as of the date of said transfer, subject to the provisions of section 6(c). Compensation for loss of allotments or interests resulting from this approval and ratification shall be determined and processed according to the provisions of section 8.
By virtue of the approval and ratification of transfers of allotments or interests therein effected by this section, all claims against the United States, the State of Minnesota or any subdivisions thereof, or any other person or entity, by the White Earth Band, its members, or by any other Indian tribe or Indian, or any successors in interest thereof, arising out of, and at the time of or subsequent to, the transfers described in section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c) and based on any interest in or nontreaty rights involving such allotments or interests therein, shall be deemed never to have existed as of the date of the transfer, subject to the provisions of this Act.
Notwithstanding any provision of law other than the provisions of this section, any action in any court to recover title or damages relating to transactions described in section 4(a), 4(b), 5(a) or 5(c), shall be forever barred unless the complaint is filed not later than one hundred and eighty days following enactment of this Act [
This section shall not bar an heir, allottee, or any other person entitled to compensation under this Act from maintaining an action, based on the transactions described in section 4(a), 4(b), 5(a), or 5(c), against the United States in the Court of Federal Claims pursuant to the Tucker Act, section 1491 of title 28, United States Code, challenging the constitutional adequacy of the compensation provisions of section 8(a) as they apply to a particular allotment or interest: Provided, That such action shall be filed with the Court of Federal Claims not later than one hundred and eighty days after the issuance of the notice of the Secretary’s compensation determination as provided in section 8(c). If such an action is not filed within the one-hundred-and-eighty-day period, it shall be forever barred. The United States hereby waives any sovereign immunity defense it may have to such an action but does not waive any other defenses it may have to such action. The filing of an action by any heir, allottee, or any other person under the provisions of this section shall bar such person forever from receiving compensation pursuant to the provisions of section 8.
The Secretary is hereby authorized to and shall diligently investigate to the maximum extent practicable all White Earth allotments and shall determine which allotments or interest fall within any of the provisions of section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c). As to all such allotments or interests determined to be within the provisions of section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c), the Secretary shall prepare lists of such allotments or interests, which shall include allotment number, land description, and allottee’s name, in English and Ojibway where available. A first list shall be published within one hundred and eighty days after the date of enactment of this Act [
Any tribe, band, or group of Indians, or any individual shall have one year after the date of publication in the Federal Register to submit to the Secretary any additional allotments or interests which the tribe, band, group, or individual believes should fall within any of the provisions of section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c). The Secretary, without such submissions, may also independently determine that additional allotments or interests fall within such provisions. Any additional allotments or interests submitted to the Secretary shall be accompanied by a statement identifying the allotment or interest and its land description and summarizing the reasons why it should be added to the list required by this section.
The Secretary shall determine which additional allotments or interests fall within the provisions of section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c), and not later than
Any determination made by the Secretary under this section to include an allotment or interest on the first list required by the section to be published in the Federal Register may be judicially reviewed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act [5 U.S.C. 701 et seq.] not later than ninety days of the publication date of the first list of the Federal Register. Any such action not filed within such ninety-day period shall be forever barred. Any determination made by the Secretary to include an allotment or interest on the second list required by this section to be published in the Federal Register, or any determination made by the Secretary not to include an allotment or interest on such list, may be judicially reviewed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act within ninety days of the publication date of the second list in the Federal Register. Any such action not filed within such ninety-day period shall be forever barred. Exclusive jurisdiction over actions under this subdivision is hereby vested in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
After publication of the second list under subsection (c), the Secretary may, at any time, add allotments or interests to that second list if the Secretary determines that the additional allotment or interest falls within the provisions of section 5(c) or subsection (a) or (b) of section 4.
The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of any additions made under paragraph (1) to the second list published under subsection (c).
Any determination made by the Secretary to add an allotment or interest under paragraph (1) to the second list published under subsection (c) may be judicially reviewed in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code, within 90 days after the date on which notice of such determination is published in the Federal Register under paragraph (2). Any legal action challenging such a determination that is not filed within such 90-day period shall be forever barred. Exclusive jurisdiction over any legal action challenging such a determination is vested in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
The Secretary is authorized to make a one-time deletion from the second list published under subsection (c) or any subsequent list published under subsection (e) of any allotments or interests which the Secretary has determined do not fall within the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of section 4, or subsection (c) of section 5, or which the Secretary has determined were erroneously included in such list by reason of misdescription or typographical error.
The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of deletions made from the second list published under subsection (c) or any subsequent list published under subsection (e).
The determination made by the Secretary to delete an allotment or interest under paragraph (1) may be judicially reviewed in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code, within 90 days after the date on which notice of such determination is published in the Federal Register under paragraph (2). Any legal action challenging such a determination that is not filed within such 90-day period shall be forever barred. Exclusive jurisdiction over any legal action challenging such a determination is vested in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Compensation for a loss of an allotment or interest shall be the fair market value of the land interest therein as of the date of tax forfeiture, sale, allotment, mortgage, or other transfer described in section 4(a), 4(b), or 5(c), less any compensation actually received, plus interest compounded annually at 5 per centum from the date of said loss of an allotment or interest until the date of enactment of this Act [
For the purpose of this section, the date of transfer applicable to interests described in section 4(b)(6) shall be the last date on which any interest in the subject allotment was transferred by document of record by any other heir of the allottee; and the date of transfer applicable to allotments described in section 5(c) shall be the selection date. For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall establish the fair market value of various types of land for various years, which shall govern the compensation payable under this section unless a claimant demonstrates that a particular allotment or interest had a value materially different from the value established by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall provide written notice of the Secretary’s compensation determination to the allottees or heirs entitled thereto. Such notice shall describe the basis for the Secretary’s determination, the applicable time limits for judicial review of the determination, and the process whereby such compensation will be distributed. The Secretary shall proceed to make such heirship determinations as may be necessary to provide the notice required by this section: Provided, That the Secretary shall accept as conclusive evidence of heirship any determination of the courts of the State of Minnesota as provided in section 5(a) of this Act: Provided further, That the Secretary shall give written notice only to those allottees or heirs whose addresses can be ascertained by reasonable and diligent efforts; otherwise such notice shall be given by publication in the Federal Register.
The Secretary’s administrative determination of the appropriate amount of compensation computed pursuant to the provisions of this Act may be judicially reviewed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act [5 U.S.C. 701 et seq.] not later than one hundred and eighty days after the issuance of notice as aforesaid; after such time the Secretary’s determination shall be conclusive and all judicial review shall be barred. Exclusive jurisdiction over any such action is hereby vested in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Once a compensation determination has become conclusive according to the provisions of subsection (d), the Secretary shall certify such determination to the Secretary of the Treasury and such conclusive determination shall be treated as a final judgment, award or, compromise settlement under the provisions of title 31, United States Code, section 1304. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to pay out of the funds in the Treasury into a separate interest bearing White Earth Settlement Fund account the amount certified by the Secretary of the Interior in each case. The Secretary of the Interior shall then make a diligent effort to locate each allottee or heir; however, if, after two years from the date on which a determination becomes conclusive an allottee or heir cannot be located, the Secretary of the Interior shall declare the amount owing to such allottee or heir forfeited.
Any and all amounts forfeited pursuant to subsection (e) together with the interest accumulated thereon, pursuant to section 8 shall be transferred annually to the fund established under section 12 for the White Earth Band.
The Secretary shall determine the heirs, if heretofore undetermined, or modify the inventory of an existing heirship determination of any full or mixed blood or Indian enrolled in any other federally recognized Indian tribe, band, or community, where appropriate for the purposes of this Act: Provided, That the Secretary shall accept any determination of heirship by the courts of the State of Minnesota as provided in section 5(a) of this Act.
The provisions of section 6 of this Act shall take effect upon the publication in the Federal Register by the Secretary of certification that the following conditions have been satisfied:
The State of Minnesota, in accordance with Laws of Minnesota 1984, chapter 539, has entered into an agreement with the Secretary providing for the transfer of ten thousand acres of land within the exterior boundaries of the White Earth Reservation to the United States to hold in trust for the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians as the State’s contribution to the settlement provided for by this Act. The Secretary shall not enter into such an agreement until the Secretary determines, or the authorized governing body of the band certifies to the Secretary in writing, that the agreement will result in the transfer of ten thousand acres which possess reasonable value for the White Earth Band, including but not limited to value for agricultural, recreational, forestry, commercial, residential, industrial, or general land consolidation purposes. The land transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be accepted by the United States subject to all existing accesses, roads, easements, rights of way, or similar uses unless the Governor and Attorney General of the State of Minnesota certify in writing to the Secretary the State’s intent to abandon such uses on a particular parcel.
The State, in accordance with the Laws of Minnesota 1984, chapter 539, has appropriated $500,000 for the purpose of providing the United States with technical and computer assistance for implementing the settlement provided for in this Act.
The United States has appropriated $6,600,000 for economic development for the benefit of the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians.
Upon final acceptance by the Secretary, the land referred to in subsection (a)(1) shall be deemed to have been reserved as of the date of the establishment of the White Earth Reservation and to be part of the trust land of the White Earth Reservation for all purposes.
Nothing in this Act is intended to alter the jurisdiction currently possessed by the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians, the State of Minnesota, or the United States over Indians or non-Indians within the exterior boundaries of the White Earth Reservation.
There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the White Earth Economic Development and Tribal Government Fund. Money in this Fund shall be held in trust by the United States for the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians, and shall be invested and managed by the Secretary in the same manner as tribal trust funds pursuant to the Act of
The White Earth Economic Development and Tribal Government Fund shall consist of—
money received by the White Earth Band as compensation pursuant to section 8; and
money received by the White Earth Band as a result of amounts forfeited pursuant to section 8(f); and
money received as an appropriation pursuant to section 15; and
income accruing on such sums.
Income accruing to the White Earth Economic Development and Tribal Government Fund shall, without further appropriation, be available for expenditure as provided in subsection (c).
Income from the fund may be used by the authorized governing body of the band for band administration. Principal and income may be used by the authorized governing body of the band for economic development, land acquisition, and investments: Provided, however, That under no circumstances shall any portion of the moneys described in subsection (b) be used for per capita payments to any members of the band: Provided further, That none of the funds described in subsection (b) shall be expended by the governing body of the band until—
such body has adopted a band financial ordinance and investment plan for the use of such funds; and
such body has submitted to the Secretary a waiver of liability on the part of the United States for any loss resulting from the use of such funds; and
the Secretary has approved the band financial ordinance and investment plan. The Secretary shall approve or reject in writing such ordinance and plan within sixty days of the date it is mailed or otherwise submitted to him: Provided, That such ordinance and plan shall be deemed approved if, sixty days after submission, the Secretary has not so approved or rejected it. The Secretary shall approve the ordinance and plan if it adequately contains the element specified in this subsection.
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the United States grants its permission to the State of Minnesota to transfer land to the White Earth Band as described in section 10(a)(1) which prior to the date of enactment of this Act [
Not later than five years, or as soon as possible, after the date of enactment of this Act [
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the White Earth Band $6,600,000 as a grant to be expended as provided in section 12.
None of the moneys which are distributed under this Act shall be subject to Federal or State income taxes or be considered as income or resources in determining eligibility for or the amount of assistance under the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.] or any other federally assisted program.
The Secretary is authorized, if so requested by the authorized governing body of the White Earth Band, to exchange any of the land which is transferred to the United States as described in section 10(a)(1) for any other land within the exterior boundaries of the White Earth Reservation which is owned by the United States, the State of Minnesota, or any of the State’s political subdivisions. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to require an exchange not agreed to by all parties to the exchange.
Any lands acquired by the White Earth Band within the exterior boundaries of the White Earth Reservation with funds referred to in section 12, or by the Secretary pursuant to section 17, shall be held in trust by the United States. Such lands shall be deemed to have been reserved from the date of the establishment of said reservation and to be part of the trust land of the White Earth Band for all purposes.”